The United States produces 113 billion pounds of food waste yearly.

In response to this, composting has become a popular alternative to throwing away leftovers such as fruits, vegetables and even eggshells.

Composting has also become a new business interest for small companies.

Recycled City is a company that provides a pickup service that goes door to door collecting compostable items in the Phoenix area. Their members will travel as far as Queen Creek north Scottsdale.

The company’s website provides a list of compostable items for both home and businesses.  The compost is taken to a variety of farms to use for growing local vegetables.

We spoke with Recycled City employee, Danny Hill, at the Uptown Farmer’s Market in Phoenix where the company has a stand that sells fresh vegetables grown from their own compost of collected food waste.

“Right now we’re picking up about 10 tons a week,” Hill said.

Hill also spoke to the company’s charity element where if a resident or business owner does not wish for their compost to be returned, they have the option to donate it to a community garden.

Whether a customer lives in a residential area, owns a business, or is working the kitchen of a local restaurant, a member of Recycled City will collect the compost bins weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

North Mountain Brewery, owned by Rob Berkner, gives the brewery’s spent grain and other leftover greens to Recycled City in an effort to not waste their own waste.

Berkner teamed up with Recycled City to start a community garden but as soon as volunteer positions were not being filled, the plans came to a bitter halt. Berkner is now attempting to improve their system by using less water.

“We try to use locally grown ingredients to the best of our ability,” Berkner said.

Beckner’s business is just one of several others using companies like Recycled City to put their left overs to good use.