Closed Loop Systems enriches soil and prepares for the future

By Jill Kemp  •  A new waste management company is diverting waste from landfills and operating renewable waste solutions.

“What if I told you people were throwing gold in the garbage?” says Jacob Fox, CEO of Closed Loop Systems. “You would probably be pretty surprised, but the fact is that thousands of tons of raw materials are dumped into landfills that are just as valuable or even more valuable than gold.”

Typically, it takes 100 years to build an inch of soil. When farmers till the soil, the machines that process this are essentially killing microorganisms and the soil is reduced each year that it is farmed. In fact, soil is a living organism and dirt is inert.

“Regenerative agriculture is a key to our future,” Fox says. “It’s practicing agriculture in a way that improves the soil year after year. Essentially, we are in a top-soil crisis. It’s a fact that global soils have lost 50 percent of their top soils through farming and experts believe we only have 60 years of good farming left.”

A 2016 Hobart & William Smith Colleges graduate, Fox has ambitious plans to produce less waste and create better soil for local crops. This will be achieved through vermicomposting, where earth worms process large amounts of waste in trenches that sit six feet in the ground. The result is a good product with fewer gasses and smells escaping. Unlike traditional composting, which usually takes two or three months, top-soil creation is a six-to-eight month process. The resulting soil will be used on athletic fields and sold to local farms and landscapers.

“Top soil cycles our air, cleans and stores our water, grows our food and holds our land together,” Fox says.

Closed Loop Systems is hoping to transform waste into a resource. The company is going to handle all the city and town of Geneva’s waste. Next, Fox and his team will be creating a closed waste system in Cortland. It is part of the company’s mission to help communities reduce environmental footprints.

For $15, individuals can purchase a year of recycling at the station. It’s easy to start. Simply get a five-gallon bucket and start collecting food scraps.

Once success has been documented, the company plans to pursue additional projects. In five years, Closed Loop Systems expects to have facilities across the state and potentially in other states too. Fox has already connected with 20 municipalities that are interested.

“Our plan is to build facilities all over New York State,” Fox says. For more information, go to Closed Loop Systems.