Organics recycling program allows Cortec to use its own compostable bags

Cortec Corporation has launched its organics recycling program at Cortec global headquarters near Saint Paul, Minnesota. The program will collect food and paper waste that is usually thrown into the facility’s usual waste and turn it into compost instead. An especially exciting feature of this new program is the opportunity to make use of Eco Film commercially compostable bags manufactured at Cortec’s own film extrusion plant in Cambridge, Minnesota.

Cortec launched its organics recycling in January 2021 after being awarded a grant from Ramsey County to help with initial setup. This involved installing a new dumpster mezzanine area, purchasing new composting bins, training employees, and paying for disposal hauling services and compostable products such as cups, plates, utensils, etc. for the first six months. The organic waste will be collected in Eco Film bags lining bins throughout Cortec’s facility and then sent to an industrial composting site in Rosemount, Minnesota, to be converted into soil amendments for local communities.

Corey Cremers, senior environmental specialist at Cortec Corporation, has spearheaded this and many other environmental initiatives at Cortec. He commented: “Participating in the organics recycling program is an important step in reducing our environmental impact here at Cortec. . .  Instead of sending waste materials to landfills we can migrate the waste to a beneficial resource like compost which can be used by the local community. It is cool to see all facets of employees from the office to the production floor participating in the program and adding value to our environmental management system.”