PZW Specialist Spotlight - Wayne Koeckeritz

From hotel engineering to running his own hauling company to mentoring young sustainability professionals, Wayne Koeckeritz has seen nearly every side of the waste and composting world. Today, as a Product & Zero Waste Specialist (PZW) at Eco-Products, he helps organizations across the South and Southeast close the loop on food waste.

Wayne started his career in hospitality engineering, managing large facilities where waste was constant and food scraps were everywhere. “Working in hotels, you saw how much food was getting tossed. I realized we needed to do something better with it,” he recalls. That realization led him to launch Food Waste Disposal, a company in Charleston, S.C. dedicated to hauling food scraps to South Carolina’s only commercial composting site.

Running his own company gave Wayne a front-row view of both the challenges and opportunities in building a zero-waste program. “Customers wanted to do the right thing, but they often didn’t know where to start,” he says.

He offered them more than just hauling, he provided consultation, training and support to help businesses set up recycling and composting programs. Before long, another pattern emerged: customers asked where to find compostable plates, cups, and cutlery. To fill that need, Wayne began distributing Eco-Products packaging along with his hauling service.

“I’d drop off compostable products at the loading dock and later pick them up with the food waste to take to the compost site. It just made sense,” he says. That full-circle approach became the foundation of his partnership with Eco-Products, where he officially joined the team in 2018.

For Wayne, Eco-Products’ commitment to end-of-life solutions is what sets the company apart.

“Plenty of companies sell compostable packaging,” he says. “But most don’t think about what happens after the product is used. For us, the whole point is making sure it gets to the right place and turned into compost.” That philosophy is central to the PZW role: connecting products, purchasing, and operations to create a waste stream that really works. Wayne also values the autonomy he has at Eco-Products to build relationships in his own way.

“These programs take time. You can’t rush them. Eco-Products recognizes that and gives us the runway we need,” he says. At the same time, he appreciates the strong internal network of support. “We all come from different backgrounds, including hauling, composting and foodservice, and we back each other up. If one of us needs help with content or training materials, someone else steps in. It’s truly collaborative.”

He describes the PZW role as part educator, part facilitator and part evangelist. “You’re not just selling a product. You’re teaching people why it matters, helping them through the details, and inspiring them to stay with it even when it’s hard.”

That persistence, he says, is often what makes the difference. “I’ve had plenty of customers who were hesitant at first. But if you walk alongside them, they start to see what’s possible.” Looking ahead, Wayne sees enormous potential in places where waste streams can be controlled, such as at stadiums, arenas and other large venues. “If you manage the inputs, you can manage the outputs,” he says. “Sports and entertainment also give us a chance to reach people who may never think about composting otherwise.”

What keeps Wayne most optimistic, though, is the number of young people entering the composting field. “This isn’t a top-down movement. It’s a lot of small operators with a truck, some land, and a dream,” he says. “They’re committed, they’re doing the hard work, and they’re building something that aligns with their values. That gives me hope.”

Now based in Knoxville, Tenn., Wayne also serves as president of the Tennessee Composting Council and is active with the U.S. Composting Council. Whether he’s helping a café sort out back-of-house operations or advising a stadium on waste diversion, he brings persistence, industry knowledge and genuine enthusiasm.

“I’ve been in this space for more than 13 years, and it still excites me,” he says. “Because every time we turn food waste into compost, we’re closing the loop. And that’s what makes the work so rewarding.”