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Impact technology company Divert has announced it has broken ground on its integrated diversion and energy facility in Turlock, California. The new facility, funded in part by a $63 million municipal green bond issued through the California Public Finance Authority, will capture and turn wasted food into carbon-negative renewable energy through a method of anaerobic digestion. Ryan Begin, CEO and co-founder of Divert, said: “The wasted food crisis is a major contributor to climate change and food insecurity…For the past 16 years, Divert has been at the forefront of working to prevent waste through our sustainable infrastructure and advanced technologies. This is a transformative opportunity to scale Divert’s proven solutions in California and further accelerate our vision for a waste-free future.” The 65,000-square-foot facility will transform waste from retailers and other companies into carbon-negative renewable energy, preventing it from emitting harmful methane in landfills. It will also provide companies with data analytics giving insights on how to waste less and donate food that is still edible. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to process 100,000 tons of wasted food annually, offsetting up to 23,000 metric tons of CO2 each year. According to Divert, the facility’s renewable energy production will be enough to supply around 3,000 homes each year. California state treasurer, Fiona Ma, commented: “The green bond issued through the California Public Financing Authority is one example of how California is leading on climate change through quality, long term-green infrastructure opportunities. We applaud Divert’s commitment to tackling our state’s wasted food crisis with the development of this new facility, making strides toward a stronger economy and a better quality of life for the people that we serve, now and into the future.” Divert plans to scale to 30 facilities across the US to be within 100 miles of 80% of the country’s population in the next eight years. According to Divert, it currently manages approximately 0.5% of US wasted food from 5,400 food retail stores and intends to grow that to 5% through its expansion goals. The site is expected to be fully operational in 2024.