Vanguard Renewables Announces Decision to Withdraw from Kurtland Farms Project

Case Study: Turning Wastewater Risk into Savings

Case Study: Safe Baking Mix Disposal

Case Study: Contaminated Cookie Dough Recycling

Case Study: Equipment Upgrades & Waste Diversion Solutions

Case Study: Consultative Solutions for Packaged Off-Spec Coffee

Case Study: 50 Tons of E Coli Carrots Across Three Locations

Case Study: Consistent & Reliable Service for a Meat Producer

Policy creates momentum. Infrastructure enables action. Here's why recovery capacity will determine the success of the next wave of food waste diversion efforts.

Food Waste Policy Is Accelerating. Can Infrastructure Keep Pace?

Food Waste Moves From Backroom Problem into  Boardroom Opportunity

The Case for U.S. Food Waste Biomethane to Supply Emerging Global Demand

Vanguard Renewables Breaks Ground on Renewable Natural Gas and Organics Recycling Facility in Minnesota 

Commissioning of Amelia Court House, VA facility marks the third RNG project completed under Vanguard Renewables’ joint venture with TotalEnergies and strategic partnership with AstraZeneca. 

Vanguard Renewables Celebrates Milestone Completion of Three Renewable Natural Gas Projects Alongside Partners

Vanguard Renewables today announced it will no longer move forward with plans to develop an anaerobic digester project in Murray County, Georgia.

Vanguard Renewables Announces Decision to Withdraw from Proposed Murray County Anaerobic Digestion Project

Carbon-negative RNG has faced doubts over feedstock handling, feedstock supply security, and high costs. Vanguard Renewables’ secret recipe to address these is to blend highly CI-negative manure with fully scalable food waste. 

How RNG Makes Food Waste Contribute to Sustainability

Vanguard Renewables, a national leader in organics recycling and renewable energy production, today announced the acquisition of E-Z Recycling, a Minnesota-based food and beverage waste recycling company. The move adds critical depackaging capabilities to Vanguard Renewables’ growing anaerobic digestion network, enabling the transformation of food waste into renewable energy while helping customers meet compliance, reduce risk, and advance sustainability goals.

Vanguard Renewables Expands Midwest Footprint with E-Z Recycling Acquisition

Midwest could unlock untapped RNG potential to support LNG exports and deliver massive economic benefits for rural communities and farmers. 

New Research Unveils Golden Opportunity for America's Heartland to Extend U.S. Energy Dominance

On Friday morning, December 12, the low-pressure outer membrane on one of the anaerobic digester units at Vanguard Renewables’ River Falls AD1 facility experienced a rupture. All facility personnel are safe and accounted for. There were no injuries reported to Vanguard Renewables staff, Peterson Family Dairy personnel and livestock, or surrounding wildlife.


Public Statement: River Falls AD1 Facility Incident

Food waste and packaging are the two largest contributors to the nearly 300 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States. Food waste alone is the largest category of incinerated material, which isn’t surprising when you consider that 30-40% of the US’ food supply becomes waste. 

So, what’s being done to address the massive amounts of food and packaging waste, especially what’s destined for landfills and incineration? 

Navigating Food Waste and EPR Compliance

Vanguard Renewables has opened a new anaerobic digestion and advanced depackaging facility in River Falls, Wisconsin. The site provides food and beverage manufacturers, retailers, and processors across the Minneapolis-St. Paul region with a sustainable way to recycle food waste while reducing risk and improving efficiency.

Vanguard Renewables Opens River Falls Facility for Sustainable Food Waste Disposal

As the holiday season approaches, the pace of retail and manufacturing operations accelerates. Shelves are restocked, seasonal packaging floods warehouses, and production ramps up to meet increased demand. But as the front end of the business gears up for celebration and sales, the back end begins to strain under a growing and often overlooked pressure. 

Managing the Holiday Waste Surge

Food waste is more than a backroom issue. It’s an operational challenge that is reshaping how retailers think about efficiency, risk, responsibility, and sustainability.  

Tackling Food Waste in Retail

Vanguard Renewables today announced the acquisition of Complete Beverage Destruction (CBD), a Florida-based beverage waste recycling facility. The move accelerates the company's expansion into the state and reinforces its commitment to helping food and beverage manufacturers and retailers achieve their sustainability goals.

Vanguard Renewables Acquires Florida Recycler to Accelerate Market Expansion

The grid is struggling to keep up with surging electricity demand driven by the rapid growth of AI and its increased reliance on behind-the-meter (BTM) energy generation. The race is on for solutions that offer both resilience and a path to long-term sustainability. Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is emerging as the frontrunner for those determined to meet their energy needs and lead responsibly.

Why RNG is the Fuel of the AI Age

CenterPoint Energy will purchase RNG produced at a new anaerobic digestion facility in Meeker County, co-located on a historic dairy and crop farm and integrated into CenterPoint’s existing natural gas infrastructure. The system serves 930,000 customers across Minnesota. 

Vanguard Renewables and CenterPoint Energy to Advance Clean Energy Initiatives in Minnesota

Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, has made a minority investment in Vanguard Renewables, a leader in transforming unavoidable food waste into renewable natural gas using proprietary anaerobic digestion technology.

Turning meatball scraps into renewable gas – IKEA U.S. and Vanguard Renewables tackle food waste

“How the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework Can Power American Industry” outlines the economic and strategic opportunity to align global maritime regulations, unlock U.S. leadership in clean fuels, and deliver $2–$3 trillion in economic value through 2050. 

Vanguard Renewables Unveils Trillion-Dollar Opportunity for U.S. Industry in Global Maritime Fuel Shift

Photo from our Wisconsin facility

A recent statewide characterization study found that food waste makes up nearly 21% of Wisconsin’s landfill stream, with wasted edible food alone accounting for 14.5%. That’s more than 850,000 tons of food waste annually; resources that could be recovered, repurposed, and redirected into more value-generating pathways.

Wisconsin, Let's Rethink Our Food Waste 

According to the latest update from ReFED and the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, 12 states have enacted organic waste bans, and 32 states have introduced nearly 100 food waste-related bills this year alone.

A legislative wave is transforming how the U.S. handles organic waste

Are you exploiting the opportunities from the “Clean Gas Rush”? After decarbonizing natural gas vehicles, Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is set to support the decarbonization of gas utilities, maritime shipping, data centers, and gas-fired electric generation. 

Clean Gas Rush - RNG Decarbonization Beyond Road Fuels

Vanguard Renewables, a leading provider of environmental services and Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), has announced a commercial partnership with the CMA CGM Group (CMA CGM), a global leader in sea, land, air, and logistics solutions, designed to support the decarbonization of its shipping activities.

Vanguard Renewables Welcomes New Partner to Advance Maritime Decarbonization

Vanguard Renewables Opens State-of-the-Art Anaerobic Digestion and Depackaging Facility at Dinnerbell Farms in Eden, Wisconsin

Vanguard Renewables Announces Decision to Withdraw from West Jefferson, OH Project Due to Feedstock Supply Movement in the Region 

Plenty of domestic energy resources are hiding in plain sight. Each year, the U.S. throws away up to 40% of its food supply. Much of it ends up in landfills, where it rots and releases methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. That rot represents energy wasted. Anaerobic digestion can capture it -- and allow us to put it to good use.

US Should Explore All Options For Energy Independence

Permission granted by Chris Spencer

Finding a comprehensive, cost-competitive and sustainable waste management solution can be a significant challenge. For food and beverage manufacturers, distributors and retailers, food waste is inevitable and with regulations frequently changing, it can be hard to keep up.

How Food and Beverage Manufacturers Are Making More Sustainable Organic Waste Decisions

Vanguard Renewables®, a leading environmental services company that converts organics to renewable natural gas, announced today the appointment of Michael O’Laughlin as Chief Executive Officer.

Vanguard Renewables Appoints Michael O’Laughlin as Chief Executive Officer

Vanguard Renewables®, a leading renewable natural gas producer, is pleased to announce additions to its Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Supply team. 

Vanguard Renewables Expands Leadership Team to Strengthen RNG Supply Effort 

October is recognized as Campus Sustainability Month by The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), an initiative designed to engage and educate students, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities about sustainability and climate action. 

Campus Sustainability Month: A Focus on Food Waste Recycling at New England Colleges and Universities

Vanguard Renewables, a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, today held a groundbreaking ceremony for its newest renewable natural gas project at The Moyer Family’s Oakmulgee Dairy Farm in Amelia Court House, VA.

Vanguard Renewables Breaks Ground on its First Organics-to-Renewable Gas Facility in Virginia

Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery, one of the most innovative, woman-owned wineries on the east coast, is the first vineyard in Virginia to partner with Vanguard Renewables® to enhance sustainable winery operations.

Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery Announces Partnership with Vanguard Renewables

While biogas has only come into the modern public periphery in the last few decades, it has actually been utilized throughout history. Evidence of the use of biogas goes back to as early as the 10th century BC, where its combustion was used to heat the bathwater of the ancient Assyrians.

The History of Biogas

Our partner Fancypants Baking Co.’s recent Instagram Reels video went viral, now having over a million views!

POV: You Turn Your Cookie Crumbs Into Renewable Energy

The U.S. is catching up to growing international pressures, with state and local governments across the country enacting organic waste bans and waste recycling laws.

Sustainability in Legislation: The Rise of Organic Waste Bans

Manure management is a critical aspect of sustainable agriculture, particularly for smaller dairy farms where resources and space are limited. Methane, a greenhouse gas that is a leading cause of climate change, is released when manure is stored in open lagoons and land applied on the farm’s fields. According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), “Livestock - primarily beef and dairy cows – account for the vast majority of agriculture methane emissions,” which is why organizations like the EDF are working to help farmers mitigate as much methane as possible. 

Sustainable Manure Management for Small Dairy Farms: The Challenges and a Farm Powered® Solution 

 The Challenges and a Farm Powered® Solution 

Sustainable Manure Management for Small Dairy Farms:   

Vanguard Renewables®, a leading provider of organic materials management solutions and renewable gas production via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kent Bartley as the President of its Organics Solutions Division

Vanguard Renewables Names Kent Bartley as President of its Organics Solutions Division

In a delicious display of environmental consciousness, Domino’s has partnered with Vanguard Renewables to tackle the growing issue of food waste.

Domino's: A Recipe for Sustainability

From left to right: Doug Vaccari, Managing Director, Diversified Infrastructure at BlackRock; Neil H. Smith, CEO of Vanguard Renewables; Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock; Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies; John Hanselman, Chief Strategy Officer at Vanguard Renewables; Olivier Guerrini, VP Biogas at TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies and Vanguard Renewables, a Portfolio Company of BlackRock’s Diversified Infrastructure Business, Join Forces to Develop Renewable Natural Gas in the United States

Milk Specialties Global, a nutrition ingredients manufacturer, is the most recent food and beverage manufacturer to join Vanguard Renewables® Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA). The FPSA was launched in 2020 with founding members Unilever, Starbucks, Dairy Farmers of America, and Vanguard Renewables and has since grown to more than 20 national and regional food and beverage companies.

Milk Specialties Global Joins Vanguard Renewables' Farm Powered Strategic Alliance

Vanguard Renewables Recognized as Finalist for  Circular Technology at the 2024 Global Energy Transition Awards 

Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council says the Pioneer Valley has untapped potential as a clean energy hub. 

Western Massachusetts: A Model Clean Energy Hub in the Making Led by Farmers and Visionaries

Creating pathways for companies and institutions to responsibly recycle organics and to reach net zero carbon emission targets since 2014

Vanguard Renewables Celebrates a Decade of Clean Energy Innovation

AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in the UK, is partnering with Vanguard Renewables, a U.S.-based developer, owner, and operator of farm-based anaerobic digestion projects, through an agreement to procure renewable natural gas (RNG) for AstraZeneca’s U.S.facilities for the next 15 years or more.

AstraZeneca and Vanguard Renewables U.S. RNG Agreement

In a previous article, I wrote about circularity and the importance of companies acknowledging the life cycle of their products. But I didn't touch on EPR, Extended Producer Responsibility, by which producers of products are given the responsibility financially and, in some cases, physically for the disposal of their post-consumer products - including packaging, which is one of the most significant aspects of our planet's waste problem. It begins when a company makes a product and sends it to market, but what really matters is how we deal with not just the packaging but also the product. 

The Un-Waste Economy: Extending the Planet's Life Expectancy One Product at a Time 

Foremost Farms is the most recent company to join a national movement to turn food waste into renewable energy 

Vanguard Renewables Welcomes Foremost Farms USA to the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance

BOSTON, MA - Vanguard Renewables®, a leading U.S.-based renewable energy company, is excited to announce that The Sugarman of Vermont has joined the New England chapter of the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance.

Vanguard Renewables Announces that The Sugarman of Vermont Joins  The New England Chapter of the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance

Farm Powered anaerobic digestion is a powerful process that recycles organic waste, mainly food and beverage waste from the manufacturing sector and dairy cow manure, into renewable natural gas (RNG). It’s a pretty simple process – think of it as a giant Crock-Pot that is full of methanogens – which are naturally found in cow manure - that gobbles up the food waste and the manure and creates biogas. That biogas is then cleaned, upgraded, and becomes a powerful tool to fight climate change – renewable natural gas. A drop-in replacement for fossil natural gas and is one of the tools in our toolbox to mitigate climate change.

Demystifying Farm Powered® Anaerobic Digestion: Harnessing the Power of Waste

Those of us in the sustainability space have been talking about “circularity” or the “circular economy” since at least the early 2000s. However, the idea of a circular economy was first put forth in an essay by economist Kenneth E. Boulding in 1966.

Closing the Loop: Rethinking the Economy and Saving the Planet 

President Biden has set an ambitious goal of 100 percent clean electricity by 2035, but is that achievable? It is the challenge of our generation and one of the most exciting business opportunities ever presented to the United States. Much like John F. Kennedy’s call for a man on the moon, the potential for creating longstanding U.S. hegemonies in power generation and conduction abound. 

The Future – It’s Electric! But Are We Ready?

Expanded collaboration with Vanguard Renewables aims to significantly increase the productivity of US renewable natural gas generation

AstraZeneca to leverage its global industrial-scale manufacturing and digital capabilities to boost US renewable natural gas productivity 

Costa Fruit & Produce is New England’s largest purveyor of produce and specialty foods for fine dining establishments 

Massachusetts-based Costa Fruit & Produce Joins the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance

The research, development and production of medicines is an energy intensive process. As part of our transition to net zero, we have announced a series of innovative partnerships which are decarbonising our operations, expanding access to renewable energy and contributing to the circular economy.

Powering emissions reductions with clean heat and renewable energy

Vanguard Organics Site at Goodrich Family Farm in Salisbury, Vermont. Courtesy of Vanguard Renewables

The dairy giant and other industry leaders are partnering with Vanguard Renewables to mitigate climate impacts by using anaerobic digesters on dairy farms.

Danone joins corporate alliance to turn food waste into renewable energy

Danone North America is the latest company to join the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance founded by Vanguard Renewables, Unilever, Starbucks, and Dairy Farmers of America 

Danone North America Joins National Movement to Turn Food Waste into Renewable Energy

The program brings New England-based companies together to collaborate on eliminating food waste from landfills by recycling it into renewable energy on regional dairy farms via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion. It is a shared mission to redirect food waste, fight climate change, and help to support dairy farmers across the region.

Vanguard Renewables Announces Massachusetts-based 88 Acres Joins the Farm Powered Sustainability Heroes Program

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, AstraZeneca (AZN) is partnering with Vanguard Renewables to enable the delivery of renewable natural gas (RNG) to all of its sites in the United States by the end of 2026.

Vanguard Renewables announces innovative partnership with AstraZeneca to decarbonize United States medicines manufacturing

On episode 184 of The Green Insider, Neil Smith, CEO of Vanguard Renewables, discusses food waste, manure, landfill, carbon accounting, natural gas prices, and the carbon intensity (CI) score. Neil also talks about repurposing methane for good. This episode features another informative podcast on RNG.

Expansion Nationwide to 150 RNG Sites are in the Plan

Executives at two major biogas companies said the industry needs to hone its message to investors and streamline its business model in order to play a more significant role in the renewable energy mix of the future.

WasteDive: Biogas industry leaders advocate for standardization, facilities streamlining for long-term growth

These New Englanders have found a way to help the planet and convert more than 9,000 tons of cow waste annually into electricity.

How Dairy Farmers Are Turning Manure Into Money

The CEOs of Vanguard Renewables and Nature Energy said that the industry could be poised for a large role in the renewable energy mix of the future if it’s able to become more attractive to investors.

Biogas industry leaders advocate for standardization, facilities streamlining for long-term growth

Vanguard Renewables is proud to announce that CFE Seafoods, located in Auburndale, MA, is the latest New England food and beverage manufacturer to join the Farm Powered Sustainability Heroes Program (FPSH)

Vanguard Renewables Announces CFE Seafoods Joins the Farm Powered Sustainability Heroes Program

In 2019, 54.2 million tons of food was wasted in the United States. That is equivalent to 130 billion meals wasted. 27.6 millions of these tons went to a landfill, where they provided no value to society. A significant portion of this food could have been donated to hungry people, animal feed, composted, or sent to anaerobic digestion. The immense amount of food waste across the country requires various creative solutions. The latest trend: upcycling ingredients.

Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle: Cookies at Fancypants Baking Co

Breweries across the Northeast are stepping up to help fight climate change in a big way, and one of the latest breweries to join the fight is Sloop Brewing Co., based in East Fishkill, NY.

Beer Me: Breweries in the Northeast are Leading the Charge on Sustainability

Unilever, a company driven “to make sustainable living commonplace,” is taking action to reduce their carbon footprint in both the operations and value chain of their ice cream products. The global system of food production accounts for 35% of all global emissions with 17.3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases released each year, according to EPA research.

Warmer Freezers, Lower Emissions

Great Lakes Cheese Joins National Movement to Turn Food Waste into Renewable Energy

Vanguard Renewables was awarded the 2022 Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) Environmental Sustainability Leadership Award at NERC’s Fall Conference recently held in Connecticut.

Vanguard Renewables Receives Environmental Leadership Award from Northeast Recycling Council

The conversation recently made its way to Washington, DC — where the Environment Subcommittee of the House Committee of Oversight and Reform discussed calls to reform federal policies that unjustly favor corporate agribusiness, often at the expense of family farmers.

Can Regenerative Agriculture Regenerate the US Food System?

New England Natural Bakers, Fancypants Baking Co., and Sloop Brewing Co. Sign as Founding Members

Vanguard Renewables Launches Farm Powered Sustainability Heroes Program

Vermont Creamery is the latest company to join the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance founded by Vanguard Renewables, Unilever, Starbucks, and Dairy Farmers of America

Vermont Creamery Joins National Movement to Turn Food Waste into Renewable Energy

At a recent Sustainable Brands virtual event, leaders from the CPG, restaurant and IT industries highlighted how they sold important ideas and ambitions around impact and responsibility internally, and how that translates to external success.

How the Sustainability Journey Can Be a Powerful Tool for Change

When Neil Smith was asked to come out of retirement last year to head a burgeoning US renewable natural gas (RNG) company, the former CEO of an international power company didn’t hesitate.

INDUSTRY TRENDS: RNG Firm’s Growth Aimed at ‘Repurposing Methane for the Good’

It all started in the second grade, a time when kids were starting to become independent and find their own identity. My identity became Sarah Jordan, Farmy Girl.

Sarah Jordan, Farmy Girl

When companies make bold commitments to sustainability, we all win. Here, we share lessons learned and ongoing challenges from three very different corporate sustainability journeys — to show others on the front lines that they are not alone.

How to Sell Sustainability as a Key Measure of Business Success

Over the 4th of July weekend, Danielle Goodrich-Gingras, Co-owner and Herdswoman at the Goodrich Family Farm, shared a photo on social media that showed that the farm’s corn crop is already taller than she is – appearing to be about 6 feet high.

Corn: Knee-High by the 4th of July? Not on the Goodrich Family Farm!

TEST

Dairy farming has quickly evolved for sustainability. Here are just a few examples of how innovative dairy organizations and farmers are working to fight climate change by reducing their impacts, improving soil health and using regenerative agriculture.

A Sustainable Moo-vement: How the Dairy Industry is Fighting Climate Change

Our food and agriculture systems are fundamentally broken. It’s no exaggeration to say that the warming planet, social inequities, and health epidemics bear this out. However, there’s real hope. We can heal ourselves, our communities, and our planet when we begin to participate once again in the creation of healthier food systems.

Our Healing Begins in the Soil

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Vanguard Renewables Breaks Ground on Renewable Natural Gas and Organics Recycling Facility in Minnesota

Vanguard Renewables Celebrates Milestone Completion of Three Renewable Natural Gas Projects Alongside Partners

New Research Unveils Golden Opportunity for America's Heartland to Extend U.S. Energy Dominance

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Food Waste Policy Is Accelerating. Can Infrastructure Keep Pace?

Food Waste Moves From Backroom Problem into Boardroom Opportunity

The Case for U.S. Food Waste Biomethane to Supply Emerging Global Demand

Vanguard Renewables Breaks Ground on Renewable Natural Gas and Organics Recycling Facility in Minnesota

Vanguard Renewables Celebrates Milestone Completion of Three Renewable Natural Gas Projects Alongside Partners

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Vanguard Renewables Breaks Ground on Renewable Natural Gas and Organics Recycling Facility in Minnesota

Vanguard Renewables Celebrates Milestone Completion of Three Renewable Natural Gas Projects Alongside Partners

New Research Unveils Golden Opportunity for America's Heartland to Extend U.S. Energy Dominance

News and Insights

Food Waste Policy Is Accelerating. Can Infrastructure Keep Pace?

Food Waste Moves From Backroom Problem into Boardroom Opportunity

The Case for U.S. Food Waste Biomethane to Supply Emerging Global Demand

Vanguard Renewables Breaks Ground on Renewable Natural Gas and Organics Recycling Facility in Minnesota

Vanguard Renewables Celebrates Milestone Completion of Three Renewable Natural Gas Projects Alongside Partners

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