Vanguard Renewables Acquires Generate Upcycle, Forms North America’s Largest Food Waste-To-RNG Platform
Acquisition Nearly Doubles Vanguard's Capacity, Bringing The Combined Platform To 19 Facilities Across The US And Canada
Vanguard Renewables has signed an agreement to acquire Generate Upcycle’s North American operations, combining two food waste-to-renewable natural gas (RNG) producers into what the companies call North America’s largest platform of its kind. The deal, announced September 21, 2026, is expected to close October 1, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
Once the deal closes, Generate Upcycle’s anaerobic digestion and advanced depackaging facilities in upstate New York and Ontario, Canada, will join Vanguard Renewables’ portfolio, bringing the combined platform to 19 facilities. The transaction also gives Vanguard Renewables its first foothold in Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations market.
The acquisition is expected to nearly double Vanguard Renewables’ operating capacity, adding approximately 565,000 tons 513,000 tonnes) of annual food waste processing capacity and 1.1 bcf of annual RNG production. The companies point to a large addressable market. The US alone generates more than 70 million tons (64 million tonnes) of food waste each year, most of which still goes to landfills.
“Landfill diversion represents one of the largest opportunities in the resource recovery market, and scale and integration have become essential to realizing its full potential,” said Mike O’Laughlin, chief executive officer of Vanguard Renewables. “By bringing together Vanguard Renewables and Generate Upcycle, we’re creating more recovery pathways for customers, expanding our presence across strategic growth markets in the Northeast and Canada, and providing more reliable, long-term solutions for organic material diversion.”
Vanguard Renewables said the combined company pairs Generate Upcycle’s operating expertise in food waste recycling and RNG production with its own integrated model spanning feedstock sourcing, logistics, processing, and commercialization.
“Generate Upcycle has built one of the strongest food waste-based anaerobic digestion operations in North America,” said Bill Caesar, president of Generate Upcycle. “By combining forces with Vanguard Renewables, we are creating a platform with the operational know-how and financial backing needed to support long-term growth and success.”
Vanguard Renewables, headquartered in Weston, Massachusetts, builds, owns, and operates on-farm anaerobic digesters that convert food, beverage, and agricultural waste into pipeline-ready RNG, with sites across the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast. The company is a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), part of BlackRock. Generate Upcycle operates five sites across the US and Canada and describes itself as North America’s largest producer of RNG from food waste, with additional lines in renewable electricity, fertilizers, and soil amendments.
