How Cogent Helped Northwell Health Build a True Zero-Waste Kitchen Program
- conor2327
- Dec 5
- 3 min read
At Cogent Waste Solutions, we believe that successful sustainability programs start on the ground: inside real teams, real kitchens, and real workflows. That’s why we partnered with Northwell Health’s Staten Island University Hospital to implement a fully integrated zero-waste organics program in one of the busiest hospital kitchens in New York.
Recently, our team visited the Northwell kitchen to see the program in action. What we found was a high-volume culinary operation—approximately 5,000 square feet, staffed by 65 chefs and kitchen personnel—running a seamless, well-adopted food-waste diversion system that dramatically reduces the waste once destined for landfills or waste-to-energy facilities.
Turning Daily Prep Into Daily Impact
The kitchen produces between 400 and 450 patient meals per service, along with 2,000–2,300 total daily covers across the hospital. That amount of food production naturally generates a significant amount of fruit and vegetable scraps. But under the new Cogent-supported workflow, those scraps are no longer considered trash. Instead, they’re treated as a valuable commodity for organics recycling.
Every prep station is equipped with clearly labeled organics bins, and kitchen staff have been trained by Cogent to understand what belongs in each stream. Anything grown from the earth—fruit scraps, vegetable trimmings, leaves, stems—goes directly into the organics bin instead of the trash.
The result? Each full bin diverts close to 200 pounds of material from the landfill. And because the Northwell team embraced the program, these bins fill quickly and consistently.
“It was very easy to implement,” one chef explained. “With the whole team supporting it, everyone understands exactly why we’re doing this.”
A Culture Shift That Pays Off
Before Cogent partnered with Northwell on this initiative, the kitchen’s recycling diversion rate floated around 20–22%. Within months of integrating the food-waste program, the diversion rate climbed to 36–40%, a jump of nearly 20 percentage points.
That improvement came from a combination of:
Hands-on Cogent training
Repetitive reinforcement during huddles and daily briefings
Clear signage and properly sized bins
Simple, intuitive workflows that fit naturally into how chefs already work
“We met with the team a couple times through our huddles,” a Northwell manager shared, “and it was a seamless transition.”
Custom Solutions for Any Size Facility
Not every operation is as large or complex as a hospital kitchen, but every operation can benefit from a smarter waste system. At Northwell, Cogent engineered a custom-built compactor configuration for garbage, single-stream recycling, and cardboard. Each unit was designed to fit the building’s existing dock layout and traffic flow.
And this level of customization isn’t exclusive to major hospitals. Cogent builds containerized solutions for operations of every size, including:
Small restaurants
Corporate cafeterias
Retail and education facilities
Multi-tenant commercial buildings
Municipal sites
Whether you need compactors, containers, tailored separation systems, or a fully designed dock-side solution, Cogent can build exactly what your operation requires.
As we emphasize with every client: no customer is too big or too small.
A Partnership Built for Long-Term Success
Northwell’s two-year success story is a model of what can happen when a committed team is paired with tailored equipment, clear processes, and Cogent’s hands-on guidance.
“We’re glad to help society,” Northwell's Chef Don told us. “And it’s been very successful. We haven’t had any issues.”
That’s the goal—programs that not only work, but continue to work every single day.
Ready to Transform Your Waste Program?
If your facility is looking to improve diversion rates, reduce hauling costs, or implement an organics program, your local Cogent Waste Solutions professional is ready to help. We’ll visit your site, assess your needs, and design a customized system that fits your operation exactly.
Reach out to us today to see how Cogent can build a waste solution that works for you.
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