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The problem is that in urban areas like Chicago composting essentially has to be done at your home. At times there have been a privately run programs, but no system is in place for the large-scale collection of food waste. (It’s a little easier to deal with landscape waste, though collection of that in Chicago is about as erratic as commodities recycling.) At the same time, old state regulations have severely restricted the ability of private companies to start food composting operations.
The obstacles may not be in place for long. A growing number of public officials are joining environmentalists and waste management companies in saying it’s time to change the way we deal with garbage, and composting is near the top of the list.
Eight groups submitted proposals; the department is going through them now with the aim of getting programs running in the coming months. “If we’re able to demonstrate the long term economic benefits of this, and demonstrate that the end product is useful in the city for urban farming and landscaping, then we’ll have a good argument for expanding it.”
UPDATE: A clarification is in order. The proposal discussed here wasn’t actually submitted by the co-op but by an entity called Chicago Composts LLC, which was formed by co-op co-founder Dan Rosenthal. And if you’re really interested in urban composting, check out this fascinating piece from the New York Times.
