Denali Unveils Nation’s First Mobile Food Recycling Unit to Tackle Emergency Situations

• Innovative de-packaging unit enables rapid on-site recycling of unsalable food during operational disruptions, such as power outages or natural disasters
• Mobility provides immediate landfill diversion for grocery and food distributors
• Technology separates unconsumable food from packaging, transforming it into clean materials for compost, fertilizer, and renewable energy

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Denali, the nation’s largest organic recycler, today unveiled the first-ever mobile de-packaging solution designed to provide an immediate response to diverting unsalable food from landfill in critical retail operation situations. With millions of tons of surplus food wasted each year due to spoilage from logistical disruptions, recalls, or natural disasters, Denali’s solution can be deployed within 24 hours to on-site locations, such as grocery stores and food distributors, without the need for existing infrastructure.

The solution can quickly manage large-scale unconsumable foods, diverting it from landfills, where food comprises about 24% of the content, and generates methane emissions 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the U.S. EPA.

Each year, according to ReFED’s 2023 Food Waste Monitor, the U.S. alone generated 73.9 million tons of surplus food; and 16.3% of this surplus food in 2023 was caused by spoilage, food safety issues, or mistakes and malfunctions caused from power outages, equipment issues, deterioration, and others.

“When it comes to unexpected disruptions or natural disasters resulting in unsalable food, it’s important to act quickly and efficiently,” said Eric Speiser, Denali’s Chief Revenue Officer. “Our mobile de-packaging unit can be deployed within a day or less and can be up and running within an hour to process food waste into a clean organic stream that can be repurposed into usable products rather than filling landfills.”

In the face of extreme weather disasters and unpredictable equipment issues, Denali’s mobile de-packaging unit holds the power of its flagship de-packaging machines to quickly separate food from its packaging and then turn it into sustainable products including compost, natural fertilizer, animal feed, and renewable energy.

Due to its agile design – mounted on a trailer and capable of operating independently of existing infrastructure – including electrical power, the unit can be quickly deployed to a variety of locations facing imminent unsalable food, including retailers, grocers, food manufacturers, and distribution centers.

Denali partnered with Ecoverse, the leader in environmental processing equipment, on the design of the ground-breaking new mobile de-packaging unit.

“Ecoverse and Tiger Depack are excited to be working together with Denali to help fulfill their food waste management goals by de-packaging, separating, and diverting massive amounts of food waste from landfills,” said Ecoverse President Hugh Fagan. “Our Tiger Depack System allows Denali to capture, repurpose, and recycle valuable materials for the betterment of the environment through compost, anaerobic digestion, and animal feed.”

Today, Denali provides de-packaging services to thousands of grocers, food manufacturers, distributors, and municipalities nationwide by collecting their unsalable food and recycling it into valuable products. Denali's network of de-packaging machines can process up to 20 tons of food waste per hour and separate 97% of all food packaging from unconsumed food, including expired food products, recalled items, beverages, dairy products, food scraps, deli and bakery items, and produce.

“Innovation is in our DNA at Denali and our mobile de-packaging machine expands our capabilities to support partners in their time of need to repurpose unsalable food,” said Speiser. “We partnered with our manufacturer to refine the unit’s design, elevating its efficiencies across maintenance, cleaning, and freeze-proofing it to build a unit that is agile, easy to set up, and effective.”

In 2023, Denali recycled 14 billion pounds of organic materials, including 1.7 billion pounds of food waste. The mobile de-packaging machine is the company’s latest innovation that enables partners to divert food waste from landfills and direct it to the circular economy.

About Denali

Denali is a leading organic recycling company in the U.S. on a mission to replenish the Earth by repurposing waste. Our work is essential to keeping water clean, reducing the need for new landfill capacity, building soil fertility, helping farmers be more resilient, and reducing society’s reliance on fossil fuels. Our services and products touch thousands of acres, hundreds of locales, millions of tons of material, and nearly every person who purchases and consumes food in the U.S.