Vanguard Renewables, a national leader in organics recycling and renewable energy production, announced the acquisition of E-Z Recycling, a Minnesota-based food and beverage waste recycling company. The deal strengthens Vanguard Renewables’ presence in the Midwest and adds critical depackaging capabilities to its expanding anaerobic digestion network, further enabling the conversion of food waste into renewable energy.
Minnesota is a key hub for food and beverage manufacturing, supported by strong logistics infrastructure and a regulatory environment focused on reducing landfill waste through organics recycling and improved packaging recovery. Vanguard Renewables currently operates an anaerobic digestion facility in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region and recently announced a second facility in Meeker County through a partnership with CenterPoint Energy. At these sites, food waste is converted into renewable natural gas for use in local energy systems.
E-Z Recycling, located in St. Paul, is one of the region’s leading depackaging facilities. The site processes up to 125 tons of food and beverage waste per day across three full processing lines. Recent upgrades are expected to increase total capacity to more than 300 tons daily. The facility includes 7,200 square feet of processing space and access to more than 25,000 square feet of storage. It provides secure product destruction, advanced material recovery, and chain-of-custody documentation to support compliance and brand protection requirements.
As part of Vanguard Renewables, the St. Paul facility will serve as an additional outlet for customers seeking cost-effective organics recycling solutions in the Twin Cities area. Andy Rausch will remain actively involved in the business as Principal Operations Manager, continuing to lead facility operations.
Vanguard Renewables, headquartered in Weston, Massachusetts, provides end-to-end organics recycling solutions including depackaging, processing, and anaerobic digestion. The company converts food, beverage, and agricultural waste into renewable natural gas and is expanding its footprint across the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast while developing additional facilities nationwide. By diverting organic waste from landfills, Vanguard Renewables aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting domestic energy infrastructure and regenerative agriculture.
KEY QUOTES
“This acquisition represents our commitment to creating a fully integrated, circular solution for food and beverage companies across the Midwest. By adding E-Z Recycling into our network and combining their depackaging expertise with our anaerobic digestion infrastructure, we’re expanding the solutions available to our customers while setting a new standard for sustainability and compliance in the region.”
Mike O’Laughlin, CEO, Vanguard Renewables
“For more than 40 years, we’ve built our business on doing what’s right for our customers, our community, and the environment. Joining Vanguard Renewables strengthens our operations, expands the ways we can support customers, and accelerates our impact across the Midwest and beyond. Our shared commitment to these values gives me confidence in the future, and we’re excited to begin this next chapter.”
Andy Rausch, Owner, E-Z Recycling
