Organic recycling isn’t just a sustainability talking point anymore—it’s turning into standard practice across industries. In 2024, Denali, the largest organic waste processor in the U.S., handled more than 14 billion pounds of food and organic waste, representing roughly 11% of the 9 million tons of material recycled nationally.
That’s a record-setting year for the Arkansas-based company, reflecting a broader shift in how the business world treats food waste. As the U.S. continues to generate more than 73 million tons of food waste annually, a growing number of companies are integrating organics recycling directly into their operational strategies, driven by emissions goals, regulatory pressures, and cost efficiency.
Denali’s footprint now includes over 8,000 commercial partners, ranging from major retailers like Walmart to stadiums, food producers, school systems, and healthcare networks. Its wide reach is supported by a network of facilities and logistics operations that make waste diversion a scalable option for enterprise-level operations.
A major factor in Denali’s capacity is its automated depackaging infrastructure. In 2024 alone, the company processed over 700 million pounds of packaged food waste using this tech—an important tool for businesses needing to divert expired or damaged packaged products from landfill without tying up staff in manual sorting.
This process separates packaging from food at volume, enabling efficient diversion to composting, livestock feed, or energy conversion, while minimizing on-site labor and maximizing product recovery. For businesses, that translates to cost savings, landfill diversion metrics, and progress against carbon reduction goals.
Recycling food waste at scale is good for the environment while also delivering measurable returns for businesses. Denali’s 2024 operations helped prevent an estimated 775,000 metric tons of CO₂e emissions—roughly equal to eliminating nearly two billion vehicle miles.
Much of the material Denali processes is repurposed into valuable agricultural and consumer products. Last year, the company converted organic inputs into 12.6 billion pounds of livestock feed and agricultural amendments. Compost, mulch, and soil products made from food waste reached 1.2 million tons, supplying both industrial and retail markets.
Its ReCirculate compost line, made entirely from recovered food waste, expanded to more than 600 Walmart stores in 2024—with further distribution planned for 2026. The expansion shows how organic recycling is increasingly tied to the circular economy: waste becomes product, and product re-enters the supply chain.
Used cooking oil collected across Denali’s network was also turned into 12.1 million gallons of biodiesel—another example of turning disposed material into revenue-generating, lower-emission alternatives.
Denali’s 2024 performance underscores a wider trend: food waste recycling is no longer optional.
As CEO Todd Mathes summarized, “Our 2024 Sustainability Report shows that food waste recycling is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s becoming an industry standard and business imperative.”
