Analysis of the Market Status and Development Prospects of the U.S. Food Waste Treatment Industry
In 2020, the U.S. food waste treatment industry exhibited significant potential, with future market size expectations exceeding $400 billion.
The household kitchen waste disposer developed by Karfo effectively addresses food waste disposal at the source. The organic matter after grinding and drying can be reused as organic composting raw materials for plants, turning waste into valuable resources. Products that align with national and global carbon emission reduction policies have substantial market prospects.
Current Situation of Food Waste in the U.S.:
Increasing Domestic Waste with Kitchen Waste Dominating: From 2013 to 2018, municipal solid waste production and disposal in the U.S. increased year by year. In 2018, the total municipal solid waste generated was 21.473 million tons, with a disposal rate of 99.4%. The compound annual growth rate of municipal solid waste production was 5.54%, and disposal was 5.98%. Forward-looking estimates suggest that 2019’s municipal solid waste production was around 223 million tons, with a disposal rate further improved.
Currently, food waste treatment in the U.S. relies heavily on sanitary landfills, with increased incineration and a decline in composting. Landfills account for about 50% of all waste disposal methods, but due to land shortages and secondary pollution, landfilling is becoming a bottleneck.
In economically developed regions with high population density, such as major cities on the East Coast, garbage incineration is increasingly becoming the primary disposal method. In 2018, incineration accounted for about 45% of waste treatment, and with new incineration projects, this rate is expected to rise to approximately 54.5%.
In November 2019, the U.S. implemented new waste classification standards, unifying food waste, kitchen waste, or "wet waste" as kitchen waste to streamline waste management.
As waste sorting becomes a priority, the treatment of kitchen waste will become a key focus of waste management efforts, receiving significant attention and investment.
Current Processing Technology for Kitchen Waste: In the field of domestic waste treatment, the U.S. is still developing. The imperfect waste classification system and limited technical capabilities mean that waste treatment is predominantly based on landfilling. However, landfills have many drawbacks, such as large land requirements, secondary pollution, and risks of explosion or collapse. High-density areas, especially on the East Coast, face significant challenges with landfilling.
The scarcity of land and increasing population pressure make site selection for landfills increasingly difficult. Composting has high requirements for the organic content of waste, and since organic waste typically constitutes less than one-third of total waste, composting's future development is constrained. Incineration provides a more thorough treatment, especially for hazardous substances. It reduces garbage volume by 90% and weight by 80%-85%, with the added benefit of heat recovery for electricity or heat generation. Ash from incineration can also be used in construction materials.
The principles of reduction, resource utilization, and harmlessness align with the benefits of waste incineration power generation, making it a strong candidate for addressing land and energy shortages. The increasing demand for improved environmental quality is likely to drive growth in the waste incineration power generation sector.
Currently, about 50% of food waste treatment in the U.S. is through landfilling, approximately 38% through incineration, with the remainder handled by high-temperature composting, microbial treatment, or anaerobic digestion.
In the future, Karfo’s kitchen food waste disposer has the potential to replace about 50% of kitchen waste landfilling, reducing classification, recycling, transportation, and landfill costs while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Karfo’s product embodies a shared vision to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable future for coming generations.
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