Going green: Sendik's grocery stores turn food waste into energy



MEQUON -- Sendik's stores are going green. The grocer has installed InSinkErator's Grind-2-Energy systems in all 12 of its metro Milwaukee stores.

The system takes food waste and grinds it into a sludge. That sludge is then taken to a bio-digester where it is converted into energy.

Sendik's officials say the systems are already paying off.

"We use to utilize eight compactor pickups per month at our Mequon location. We are proud to say that we are now down to one compactor pickup a month. All of this waste product is now been diverted from landfill and turned into usable energy," said Mark Kahl of Sendik's.

Whatever is left over from the bio-digester is also put to use. That goes to farms for fertilizer.