Natural Upcycling

05/28/2026

Last week, members of our leadership team attended the ReFED Food Waste Solutions Forum; and left energized.

It's always meaningful to gather with people who are doing serious, sustained work on food loss across the supply chain. We reconnected with longtime colleagues and met new faces working on problems we care deeply about. That kind of cross-sector exchange is irreplaceable. One highlight: ReFED and World Wildlife Fund presented new research, "Upstream Food Loss Across Beef and Dairy Supply Chains in the U.S.", which examines where and why losses occur at the on-farm, transport, slaughter/harvest, and pre-processing stages of beef and dairy production.

Natural Upcycling was proud to contribute as a stakeholder interview participant in that work. Food that doesn't make it to consumers represents both environmental and economic loss. That's exactly the problem we've been working on since 2014. The report reinforces what we see every day: the opportunity isn't just at the back end of the food system. It runs through the entire chain. We're grateful to ReFED and the WWF for doing the unglamorous work of mapping it rigorously.

If you're working on loss reduction in animal agriculture, please reach out.

Executive Summary of the Report: https://hubs.la/Q04jdVcJ0

05/19/2026

Welcome to Natural Upcycling, John!

John Wenzler brings passion to the Natural Upcycling team. A proud Michigan State Spartan (Go Green!), John's love for the environment took root early through MSU's RISE program, a residential initiative on studies of the environment that shaped the way he sees his work and his place in the world.

From those academic roots, John spent nearly two decades sharpening his sales skills in the competitive world of vertical transportation in New York City. He put in the work, built real relationships, and developed the kind of consultative instincts that only come with time. Now settled on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, he has traded the city skyline for something he values even more: time with family, the dogs, and work that means something.

Joining Natural Upcycling as a Sales Representative, John is focused on growing this market with the same energy and relationship-first approach that has defined his career. His genuine enthusiasm for sustainability makes him a natural fit for our mission, and we could not be more excited to have him on the team.

05/07/2026

This week is International Compost Awareness Week! This year's theme couldn't be more fitting: Compost! Feed the Soil that Feeds Us.

At Natural Upcycling, this isn't a once-a-year conversation. It's the work we do every day.

Food waste is the single largest category of material ending up in landfills. When organic material breaks down there instead of being properly composted or diverted, it releases methane; a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO₂. The good news? The solution already exists. It just needs to scale.

That's why food waste diversion matters. Not just for soil health. Not just for emissions. But because the system that feeds us depends on us sending nutrients back to the earth instead of burying them.

If your business, institution, or community is generating organic waste and it's going to the landfill; let's talk. There's a better way, and we'd love to help you find it.

🌱 Happy to the composters, haulers, farmers, and advocates doing this work every day. You're building the soil that feeds us all.

04/23/2026

Ten years ago, we started with a simple idea: Food waste doesn't belong in a landfill.

Today, thanks to our partnership with Wegmans Food Markets, we've diverted over 500 million pounds of food waste from landfills — and counting.

Wegmans didn't just give us a contract. They gave Natural Upcycling the foundation to grow, scale, and prove that sustainability and business can work hand in hand. That kind of partnership changes what's possible.

Here's to the next 500 million. 🌱

04/22/2026

Earth Day is a good reminder that where organic waste ends up matters more than most people realize.

Landfill waste isn't neutral. Decomposing organic material produces methane; one of the most potent greenhouse gases there is. Donation, composting, animal feed, and energy recovery all prevent that from happening.

The infrastructure exists. The pathways exist. The work is making sure they're connected.

04/20/2026

We showed up to the NYS Organics Summit last week with a simple goal: Walk the talk.

Our trade show giveaway? A product made from a one of our customers; not something off a shelf.

We collected food scraps from the conference itself. And we were featured on the conference tours.

This is what it looks like when the work and the values align.

Creating a sustainable future for our community. One upcycled load at a time.

04/13/2026

The NYS Organics Summit is one of our favorite times of year, and we're excited to be all in for 2026.

April 14–16, Natural Upcycling will be onsite providing organics recycling for the event, connecting with folks at our exhibitor booth, and welcoming anyone who wants to see our work up close during Thursday's tours.

If you're attending, stop by and say hello. This is the community we're built for.

04/09/2026

Another mention of Natural Upcycling's work! We are the food waste diversion partner mentioned in this video.

Ten years ago, Wegmans asked themselves: What more could we do?

What followed was a decade of commitment to zero waste, and we're proud to be part of that journey as their major food waste diversion partner.

When donation isn't an option, Natural Upcycling steps in. Through composting and organics recycling, we help ensure that food never has to end up in a landfill.
The results speak for themselves: Wegmans has grown their recycling rate from 62% to 89% across 114 stores and donated nearly 37 million pounds of food last year alone.

They call it the sustainability triple win. We call it exactly why we do this work.

Here's to 10 years of Wegmans Zero Waste and to what the next decade holds.

04/03/2026

Thrilled to be part of this conversation! Natural Upcycling's own Harry Cohen will be joining an incredible panel of industry leaders at the Organics Recycling Conference to discuss how the organics diversion market has evolved — and where it's headed.

If you're in the industry, this is a session you won't want to miss. The history of this market is still shaping the models and technologies we use today, and there's a lot to learn from the people who helped build it.

See you there! ♻️

We’re excited to announce a new session at the Organics Recycling Conference!

Early Market Development will explore how the organics diversion and recycling market evolved and how that history continues to shape today’s marketplace, diversion models and technologies.

🎤Panel featuring:
• Harry Cohen, CEO/Founder, Natural Upcycling
• Todd Mathes, President, Denali
• Brian Paganini, Vice President of Organics, Circular Services
• Rick Shipley, CEO, Nutrition 101 LLC

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain perspective on the industry’s past and what it means for its future!

🔗 View the full agenda & register: https://buff.ly/DyLlITa
______

03/26/2026

Last week we showed waste butter fat from a dairy processing facility. This is what it becomes: dehydrated milk powder for animal feed.

The process is straightforward. The fat is dehydrated under controlled conditions until the moisture content drops enough to make it shelf-stable and usable as a feed ingredient. What was a disposal problem becomes a nutrient source.

This is one example of something we see across a lot of waste streams: the material isn't the obstacle. The pathway is.

The dairy industry generates dozens of byproduct streams like this one. Some have well-established pathways. Others are still being figured out. Either way, landfill shouldn't be the answer.