In the United States (US), Denali Water Solutions LLC (Denali), a leading organic recycling company, has announced a new partnership with Green Era, a community recycler of packaged food waste and the first to operate a food-waste-only digester in the Midwest. Together, the two organizations will enhance the region’s food waste recycling capacity, generate renewable energy, clean soil, and local jobs, setting a new standard for circular, community-based sustainability.
Through this agreement, Denali will serve as Green Era’s go-to provider for sourcing packaged, inedible food from new customers, expanding Green Era’s ability to recycle more material, create local jobs, and strengthen the local circular economy.
This will also build Green Era’s capacity to divert more than 150 million pounds of food waste annually.
Green Era’s integrated model — combining anaerobic digestion (AD), composting, urban agriculture, and workforce development — makes it one of the most innovative organics recycling operations in the country.
The collaboration will leverage Denali’s national collection and logistics network to supply high-quality organics for Green Era’s renewable energy and compost production.
Green Era represents what the next generation of food recycling looks like — technologically advanced, environmentally smart, and deeply rooted in community impact. By combining our scale and expertise with their local innovation, we’re expanding the reach of circular food systems across the Midwest, said Eric Speiser, Chief Revenue Officer at Denali.
Novel community investment project
Located on a 9-acre site in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, Green Era is more than a food waste recycling and renewable energy campus – it’s a community investment project that’s diverted more than 150 million pounds (68,000 tonnes) of food waste while generating dozens of jobs.
The facility uses cutting-edge anaerobic digestion (AD) technology to convert food waste into clean energy and nutrient-rich compost while creating green jobs, educational opportunities, and access to fresh, healthy food through its planned urban farm and marketplace.
Partnering with Denali strengthens our ability to capture more food waste and transform it into valuable resources for our community. This collaboration reflects a shared vision for sustainable infrastructure that benefits both people and the planet, said Jason Feldman, CEO of Green Era.
The partnership underscores Denali’s commitment to advancing the US organics recycling industry and supporting regional innovation.
By linking its nationally scaled recycling network with a community-based renewable energy facility, Denali and Green Era are demonstrating how sustainability and economic growth can work hand-in-hand.
As a result of the partnership, food once destined for landfills will be recycled into renewable energy, compost, and other beneficial products that support local agriculture, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and return nutrients to the soil.
