Denali to offer retail compost product

Russellville, Arkansas-based Denali, which collects, diverts and processes organic materials nationwide, will be making its retail products packaged under the ReCirculate brand available nationally starting in January.

The line of bagged compost and potting soils are made from diverted food waste sourced from thousands of grocery stores, according to Denali, and starting January 2025, ReCirculate will be available for purchase in one cubic foot bags at participating retail locations throughout the United States.

The company credits it “innovative depackaging technology and service” for helping it gain access to food waste that can then allow it to offer composted products to agriculture and horticulture nationwide.

“Food is the most common material in landfills, comprising an estimated 24 percent of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the U.S.,” says the company, citing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.

Denali says its approach not only creates natural products but also reduces the production of methane, a greenhouse gas, that is created when food decomposes in landfills.

“At Denali, we’re on a mission to harness the potential of organic waste and ReCirculate is an example of how we can do that,” says Todd Mathes, CEO of the company. “The product not only inspires consumers to choose sustainable potting soil and compost but allows retailers to monetize food waste otherwise sent to landfills, while effectively reducing their carbon footprint.”

Denali partners with retailers from national big box stores to regional and independent businesses to repurpose food waste using its depackaging technology, which separates organic food waste from its packaging. The organic materials can then converted into compost, soil or fertilizer via composting or into energy using anaerobic digestion (AD) technology.

“ReCirculate is an example of how Denali’s unique approach to fighting food waste continues to have a significant impact on climate change, and consumers can feel good knowing they are directly preventing food waste from reaching landfills, and using safe, effective and eco-friendly compost,” Mathes says.

In 2023, Denali estimates it diverted 7 million tons of organic material from landfills, including 850,000 tons of food waste.

The company will post information about the availability of ReCirculate products starting January 2025 on its website.