Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing Food Waste in the United States: Survey Results

In 2017, 2018 and 2019, EPA surveyed operators of anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities that accept food waste about their operations and requested information. In September 2018, EPA published the first report of the findings. In September 2019, EPA published the second report of findings. The third report of findings was published in February 2021. All three reports summarize data received from three types of AD facilities:

• Stand-alone food waste digesters;
• On-farm digesters that co-digest food waste; and
• Digesters at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) that co-digest food waste.

The reports include information about the processing capacity of AD facilities as well as the total food and non-food waste processed. They also include information about facility operations, pre-processing/de-packaging technologies, feedstock types and sources, biogas cleaning systems, biogas production/uses, and solid/liquid digestate uses.

• Frequent Questions about EPA's collection of AD Data 

Note: The survey questions are included as links embedded in the PDF documents listed below. You must download the PDF's to view the survey questions. 

• Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing Food Waste in the US in 2015 (pdf) (5.03 MB, September 2018, EPA/903/S-18/001)
  This is the first EPA Report on anaerobic digestion facilities processing food waste in the United States. Please be aware that on September 27, 2018, this report was updated to correct the reported overall biogas production amount for 2015. On September 27, 2019, this report was updated to correct the food waste capacity and food waste processed amounts.
• Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing Food Waste in the United States (2016) (pdf) (3.16 MB, September 2019, EPA/903/S-19/001)
  This is the second EPA Report on anaerobic digestion facilities processing food waste in the United States.
• Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing Food Waste in the United States (2017 & 2018) (pdf) (1.73 MB, January 2021, EPA/903/S-21/001)
  This is the third EPA Report on anaerobic digestion facilities processing food waste in the United States.