Research

Depackaging 

• The State of Food Waste Depackaging Regulations in the U.S. (2026): BioCycle’s NRDC-commissioned report examines the regulatory landscape for mechanical food waste depackaging across 24 states, finding a patchwork of rules, major gaps around microplastics measurement, and uneven oversight of depackaging facilities, compost and digestate.

• Food Depackaging Systems, Part I (2021)
• Food Depackaging: The Systems, Part II (2021)

U.S. Composting Infrastructure Reports 

• BioCycle Nationwide Survey: Full-Scale Food Waste Composting Infrastructure In The U.S. 

2023 BioCycle Survey quantified and analyzed facilities in the U.S. that compost food waste along with other source separated organics.

• Best Opportunities To Upgrade Yard Trimmings Composting Facilities To Scale Food Waste Diversion 

2023 analysis of permitting requirements and costs to retrofit composting facilities to accept food waste across all 50 states.

• State of Organics Recycling in the U.S. (PDF) |  BioCycle Article

States completed an organics recycling “Snapshot Survey,” providing 2017 data on composting, anaerobic digestion and quantities of organics diverted.

Composting Facility Planning

• Composting Facility Planning

  7-part series authored by BioCycle Senior Editor Craig Coker

• Compost Odor Management 

  7-part series authored by BioCycle Senior Editor Craig Coker

• Aerated Static Pile Composting

  5-part series authored by BioCycle Senior Editor Craig Coker