More composting in Philly's Phuture?

Waste Management Inc. has made a “strategic investment” in the Peninsula Compost Company, which owns and operates the Wilmington Organic Recycling Center (WORC), the largest composting facility in the eastern US.

WORC currently processes 250 to 300 tons per day of organic waste and is permitted to reach 600 tons per day. Waste Management, based in Houston, made the unspecified investment following its acquisition of a controlling interest in Garick LLC, a leading manufacturer and distributor of commercial and consumer organic gardening products. The investment in WORC will “accelerate the expansion of Waste Management's organics recycling services and development of value-added organic products in the mid-Atlantic states.”

“The market for composting services is growing as consumers are increasingly demanding alternatives to conventional fertilizers for lawn and garden care and municipalities and companies are seeking to increase the recycling of organic materials for beneficial use,” the company added.

WORC sits on 27 acres across from the Port of Wilmington, strategically located for waste haulers and generators from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The location was formerly a brownfield site that was remediated prior to WORC construction. The $20 million facility was built in 2009 and began operations on Earth Day, 2010.