Market Research: Determining the Specific Waste Index of Product Specific organic waste generated from the selected food industries.

Objective: Organic waste handling is an important topic in the present times and industries are working on effective disposal method. California regulations AB1826 and SB 1383 specify organic waste management practices for commercial businesses that are to be implemented by 2020. Specific Waste Index (SWI) a measurement tool is used to analyze the quantity of waste generated to aid waste mitigation in the industries. The objective of this study is to calculate the Specific Waste Index for the process specific waste (PSW) and to probe awareness of regulatory standards to understand the current scenario of the organic recycling in the brewery, winery, and dairy industry. Methods: To comprehend the process-specific waste, a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) was done for the selected industries to understand process background, quantity and nature of the by-products generated. A study design was created to define the system boundaries for the study, which aided in the creation of the questionnaire. Three questionnaires were drafted, and a pilot study was conducted to refine the survey. Survey dissemination was accomplished using paper, personal interviews, and online (Qualtrics) methods. Data from the 12 respondents was analyzed. Results: Response rates were low for all three industries at 7.69% for breweries, 15.63% for Wineries and 23.08% for Dairies. The total SWI of the industries brewery (0.452), Winery (0.685), and Dairy (0.3086) were observed. Form the total of 12 response, 7 (or 58.33%) of the respondents knew of AB1826, and 8 (66.67%) were aware of the SB 1383. Conclusion: Industries have strategies in place to mitigate waste despite the awareness of the regulations. However, Industries need to employ additional recycling techniques as the current trend is focused primarily on waste disposal. Industry-specific SWI data collected from this study will help Cholornova in providing information in their pursuit to recycle organic waste into a monetizable product.