Welcome to the Haul of Fame, a weekly series from Rubicon in which we sit down with a hauler partner to talk about their company, their community, and how they’re collaborating with Rubicon in our mission to end waste.
Food Recycling Solutions is a food scrap and composting hauler based out of Northwest Arkansas that has commercial and residential customers in the Bentonville, Rogers, Springdalle, Fayetteville, and Bella Vista regions. Formed in early 2019 with one truck and 64-gallon containers, Food Recycling Solutions is working to divert food waste from the landfill to create all-natural compost and fertilizers, and a more responsible environment. In 2020, the company is looking to expand its fleet and employee headcount, while also looking into other recycling and diversion opportunities.
Richard Ims, Owner of Food Recycling Solutions, sat down with Rubicon to talk about his company and mission for the Haul of Fame.
How does Rubicon’s mission to end waste match-up to Food Recycling Solutions’s own company mission?
Food Recycling Solutions: Rubicon’s mission aligns perfectly with Food Recycling Solutions (FRS). We are both on a mission to end waste. The mission of FRS is to greatly impact landfill diversion by recycling as much as possible.
How does Food Recycling Solutions distinguish itself from the competition?
Food Recycling Solutions: We offer custom solutions along with our partner company, Food Loops, to provide our region with staffed zero-waste events, compostable dinnerware sales, and comprehensive recycling offerings. We think we are the one-stop shop for all things composting and food waste in the Northeast Arkansas area.
What is the view of Food Recycling Solutions when it comes to participating in the circular economy and helping build a more sustainable future?
Food Recycling Solutions: Northwest Arkansas throws out approximately 80,000 tons of food waste every year, which we estimate is about one-third of the local landfill here. Our five-year goal is to divert 50% of that, or 40,000 tons. From that diversion, we will create all-natural compost for area gardeners, farmers, and landscapers—a true circular economy solution that helps the entire community.
How has the Rubicon technology in your fleet of vehicles helped you and your drivers in their everyday job?
Food Recycling Solutions: The Rubicon technology platform helps keep us on track since we add accounts regularly. We can update the dashboard and use the data in real-time to communicate any updates and changes to the driver right through the app. For a growing small business like ours, Rubicon’s technology saves us a significant amount of time and resources.
What is one of the oddest items or the largest amount of something you have been asked to compost?
Food Recycling Solutions: We were recently asked to divert 2.5 tons of coconut cream.
Where does Food Recycling Solutions see itself five years from now?
Food Recycling Solutions: We will grow Food Recycling Solutions into a business with more than a dozen trucks in our fleet, helping to divert at least 40,000 tons of food waste per year from the local landfills.
Lori Sullivan is Vice President of Hauler Operations at Rubicon. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.
