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Composting converts -

Mom was an avid gardener, and we always had a compost heap in the backyard. Vegetable trimmings, leaves, grass clippings decomposed into rich, loamy dirt that made the flowers bloom.

So when I heard last spring that Stater Bros. was getting its supermarkets into the composting habit, I had to find out how the process works on a giant scale.

Six months into the program, Stater Bros. officials told me last week that composting has exceeded their expectations for keeping waste out of landfills.

They planned to divert 60 percent of store waste -- produce trimmings, blemished fruit, dairy products past their use-by dates. They're on track to divert 77 percent, Regional Vice President Keith Thomas said.

In its first year, the program, which began on April 22 -- Earth Day -- will recycle 18 tons of waste.

Here's how it works: At each store, biodegradable waste is placed in a giant compactor-trailer.

Every day, the trailers are collected and taken to the Stater Bros   Read Full Article...