WISErg, a local bioclean technology company, announced on Dec. 12 an agreement with Croshaw Markets, LLC, owner of Bridle Trails Red Apple Market in Kirkland. The Red Apple Market will use WISErg’s Harvester technology to reduce food waste and eliminate the odors typically associated with composting. Bridle Trails Red Apple Market is the second local independent grocery store to employ the Harvester, joining PCC Natural Markets in Issaquah and Redmond.
The Harvester is the first step in WISErg’s conversion process, and is deployed onsite to capture and stabilize food scraps before they become waste. The converted material is then transported off-site, where it is refined into organic fertilizer. The process is completely natural and produces no harmful by-products or emissions. The resulting nutrient-rich fertilizer is approved for organic food production.
Powering every Harvester is WISErg’s patent pending technology that provides cost-saving insights into the waste profile of the store. The Harvester generates use-based data that when paired with industry comparisons offer improved inventory management and prevention of unnecessary food waste. Ultimately the goal of the Harvester is to enable grocers to improve margins by managing shrink associated with perishables, a significant contributor to current urban waste streams.
The Harvester addresses a special concern of Red Apple Market owner Lori Croshaw: the prevention of offensive odors typically associated with food decomposition.
“We are always conscious of our responsibilities as a good neighbor in our community,” said Croshaw. “We wanted to find a sustainable way to recycle and/or dispose of organic materials that is safe, easy to use and would not create any unpleasant odors or messes that might impact our neighbors. The Harvester is exactly what we need to contain our food waste in a responsible way, and provides us with valuable intelligence that we can use to better manage our perishable inventory and improve our bottom line.”
WISErg is partnering with growers, retailers, restaurateurs and companies with large corporate cafeterias to create a virtuous circle of food production and consumption. By looking at food scraps as a resource rather than waste, WISErg can help provide a closed loop within the food industry: from grower to grocer to consumer and back to the grower in the form of organic fertilizer.
“We think the Harvester will disrupt the industry’s view of organic waste disposal options,” said Larry LeSueur, CEO, WISErg. “The smart technology does more than just offer another disposal option, it takes inventory management to the core of helping to prevent the unnecessary inventory loss by the business. We understand that grocers, and the food industry in general, operate on small margins. By helping businesses like Red Apple reduce perishable shrink, we help them to remain competitive. That is the conversation we look forward to having with everyone dealing with a large quantity of food waste.”
