Denver International (DEN) and one of its newest restaurants, Root Down, have joined forces to pilot the airport’s first commercial composting program in the concourse area.
The restaurant opened in September and uses local growers and sustainable meats and fish; it also operates with a field-to-fork mentality. The eatery’s downtown location places a heavy emphasis on composting its food waste.
Root Down DIA plans to begin composting its food waste this month. It will deposit all of its organic and compostable materials in 65-gallon bins that will be collected daily; the waste then will be taken to an off-site facility by Waste Management.
“Denver International Airport has made sustainability a high priority, and we are delighted that Root Down will partner with us to reduce the amount of solid waste being sent to landfills,” says Kim Day, Denver’s manager of aviation. “We hope we can get additional tenants to embrace this and other programs that reduce our environmental impact.”
The airport began composting food waste from restaurants and paper towels from public restaurants inside the Jeppesen Terminal last year. Since then, approximately 72 tons of solid waste have been diverted from local landfills. The Root Down pilot program will help the airport determine whether expanding composting to additional concourse restaurants is feasible.
“As a restaurant, environmental sustainability is one of our highest goals,” says Chef Daniel Asher, Root Down’s culinary director. “Contributing to our local agricultural wellness through a successful composting program is a great way to connect to the same ecosystem that supports our DIA community and guests. Our staff is honored to be a part of such a forward-thinking composting initiative as leaders in the quickly evolving environmentally focused landscape.”
Rod Tafoya, owner of Mission Yogurt Inc. and who partnered with restaurateur Justin Cucci to open Root Down, says: “We place a huge emphasis on high quality food sourcing and sustainability. We are thrilled to be a part of this new green initiative and continue to promote environmental stewardship with our partners at Root Down and DIA.”
Waste Management works with A-1 Organics to recycle the airport’s composting material and prepare it for reuse. The material eventually will be used for high-quality compost and mulches used in landscaping applications.
