On September 20, the City issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a public-private partnership to collect and process food waste from recreation centers as well as residents and businesses with whom the chosen vendor has contracts. The winning bidder would be responsible for equipping a municipal property to compost food waste from up to 156 Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) recreation centers and any other outside clients that the vendor chooses to service.

The City estimates that nearly 150 tons of food waste could be captured from PPR sites per year. The contractor would be allowed to sell finished compost generated at the facility, provided at least 25%, or 165 cubic yards (whichever is greater), goes to PPR sites.

The contract would be valued at $1, with the City providing access to land, utilities, and organic waste feedstock from recreation centers. Under its current terms, the contract would run for one year with the option of three one-year extensions at the City’s discretion.

The City is looking for the chosen contractor to supply and maintain all bins, handle collections, take a lead role in public education efforts, and be responsible for managing contaminants or residuals. Optional services such as a waste characterization study and annual audits will also be factors in the selection process. Applicants are expected to have at least three years experience with each of the contract requirements.

The City is working closely with Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection on the project, which will serve as a pilot site to create a first-of-its-kind urban composting permit. If the project proves successful, a state-wide permit for urban composting could be created for Pennsylvania.

Vendors must register in PHLContracts in order to submit a proposal. View the vendor registration guide here and the guide for creating and editing quotes here. Click here to view the full RFP.