Vanguard Renewables opens River Falls AD facility

Vanguard Renewables has opened a new anaerobic digestion and advanced depackaging facility in River Falls, Wisconsin, providing food and beverage companies across the Minneapolis-St. Paul region with a sustainable solution for food waste disposal.
The facility, located at Peterson Family Dairy, a fourth-generation farm in Pierce County, can process up to 275 tonnes of food and beverage waste per day and will generate 289,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas (RNG) annually - enough to power 53,000 homes and businesses each year.
The RNG produced will help power pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca's US research and manufacturing facilities, supporting the firm's commitment to reducing emissions and advancing sustainability.
Kent Bartley, President of Organic Solutions at Vanguard Renewables, said: "Vanguard Renewables gives food and beverage companies a turnkey solution to simplify organics recycling and reduce risk. We combine deep industry expertise with full-service capabilities, from managing logistics with our own fleet to providing real-time data for compliance and reporting. Our approach makes organics recycling simple and reliable."
The opening comes as food and beverage companies in Wisconsin and Minnesota face growing regulatory pressure to manage organics responsibly and recover packaging materials.
Both states are advancing policies such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging and commercial organics diversion requirements, driving demand for compliant solutions.
The River Falls facility features advanced depackaging technology to handle both bulk and packaged food and beverage products.
Unlike other disposal methods, the site uses anaerobic digestion to convert food waste into renewable energy, creating what the company describes as a circular solution for businesses and the environment.
The facility is already processing more than 50 waste streams from over 30 customers in the region.
This marks Vanguard Renewables' second location in Wisconsin, joining its operational site in Eden serving the Milwaukee area, and expanding the company's ability to serve food and beverage manufacturers and retailers across the Midwest.