Circular Services Opens Florida's First Permitted Food & Beverage De-Packaging Facility
A new de-packaging facility in Vero Beach, Florida, allows food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to recycle and compost damaged or out-of-date packaged food and beverage containers. Circular Services, the largest privately held recycling and composting company in the U.S., has launched this innovative operation, which has been approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) as the state’s first commercial-scale de-packaging facility.
This facility offers a sustainable alternative for the food and beverage industry in Florida, which is one of the fastest-growing manufacturing sectors in the country. Previously, businesses faced significant costs associated with disposing of damaged or expired products in landfills. The Vero Beach operation can process over 600 tons of food and beverage material weekly by separating packaging for recycling and redirecting organic waste to a co-located composting site.
Circular Services is a prominent player in the state's composting and recycling landscape, operating multiple facilities across Greater Tampa, Sarasota, Lee County, Vero Beach, and Palm Beach County. These organics recovery centers handle food and yard waste from both residential and commercial sources, producing high-quality compost, mulches, and soils for landscaping and agriculture.
David Bahrenburg, Vice President of Organics at Circular Services, highlighted the importance of the facility, stating, "This expansion brings a much-needed comprehensive food waste recovery system to Florida. With proper separation of the packaging from the organic material, the result is clean, nutrient-rich compost." Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operating Officer Jessica Long emphasized that the facility aims to keep food waste and packaging in circulation rather than landfills, creating a local solution for commercial generators in the area.
The Vero Beach de-packaging facility is now operational and ready to accept materials. Interested parties can visit the Circular Services website for more information about available services.
Circular Services has established itself as a significant developer and operator of circular economy infrastructure across the United States, offering extensive recycling and organics processing capabilities to help communities minimize waste and environmental impacts.