Wildfire Waste Diversion

We are one of a select seven recycling companies nationwide that serve as incident recyclers under the “Greening Fires Initiative,” a federal contract with the United States Forest Service.

As an “incident recycler” within this initiative, WeGenerative mobilizes to federal wildfire bases of operation within 24-36 hours of the call, establishing recycling and waste reduction systems. These federal disaster-response camps resemble temporary cities with substantial personnel and waste volumes that overwhelm local waste infrastructure. WeGenerative’s role involves educating, sorting waste, and minimizing landfill while maximizing community benefit, all while maintaining meticulous record of waste diversion metrics by weight. We proudly donate surplus food, compost, and monetize recycling proceeds for charitable causes.

Our greatest achievement within these endeavors is our exceptional waste diversion rate. At the Wishon Wildfire in California in 2022, we diverted a remarkable 58% of total waste, the best in the history of the program, with 47% of that being food donations. This achievement is emblematic of our mission to turn waste into resources for community benefit. Importantly, our methods achieved diversion rates nearly double the Forest Service’s Greening Fires Initiative’s goal of 30%, setting a new standard for waste management in these demanding environments.

Our Waste Work at Wildfires