Orange County

Business owner hopes to use composting to help Orlando reach zero-waste goal

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Old banana peels, bagels and crackers may look like garbage, but Charlie Pioli sees something else.

“I see soon-to-be black gold,” said Pioli, the owner and founder of O-Town Compost.

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He drives around collecting food waste set out by 200 paying customers.

Pioli said he’s motivated by knowing that the EPA estimates that food waste is the largest category of material placed in municipal landfills. Orange County estimates it generates around 120,000 tons per year.

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Pioli said he wants to help Orlando meet its zero-waste goal by 2040.

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.

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