Jean BonhotalCornell Waste Management Inst.cwmi.css.cornell.edu

Compost OperationsCompost OperationsIntegrating Composting into Waste Management Plans

Easy On-site Composting!Turn lawn and yard trimmings and food scraps into rich compost your plants

will love.

Main Working Pile

Finished Compost

Composting at School

Making compost takes some care; add greens, brown, water and air.

Keep a store of browns near to add throughout the year.

Make your pile come alive. Encourage microbes to help it thrive.

You need a lot, to get it hot.

If your pile gets too dry, add water, don’t let it die!

Let fresh air flow through your pile, for an earthy smell all the while. Mix or turn to add more air to make fresh compost you can share.

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Take it slow, nice and steady, give compost time to get ready.

Curing Pile

Composting – How It Works

Ingredients - Kitchen•Vegetable peels & seeds•Fruit peels & seeds•Coffee grounds•Egg shells•Nut shells•Any other vegetable or fruit scraps•Waste paper

1. Microorganisms are the key to composting. Creating the proper habitat for them, with a balance of moisture, air and food, makes them more efficient at processing organics. Decomposers differ in their need for temperature zones and types of organics.

2. Diverse types of organic material will provide the habitat for many decomposers. Layer the material: start with a layer of carbon (dry brown material) then a layer of nitrogen (manure, food scraps). Continue in this manner until your pile or container is 1 cubic meter or larger. If you have a large amount of organic material, you will build a windrow, a long narrow pile, 1-2 meters high x 2 meters wide x as long as there is space.

3. The organics should be moist so the microorganisms can digest the material. Moisture comes from the wet, nitrogen rich materials in the pile. Some piles may need more. Rain may help give the compost pile the moisture it needs. If you want to capture more moisture from rain, keep the top of the pile flat or make an indentation to channel the water. If the pile has too much moisture make a peak on top and the rain will run-off. To check the moisture, take a handful of the compost mixture and squeeze it in your hand. If water runs out it is too wet, if the mixture falls apart when you open your hand it is too dry, if the ball holds its shape and only a drop or two of water comes out, it is the correct moisture level to produce compost.

4. Make sure enough air is getting into the pile. The pile or window can work without turning if the material has enough natural airspace, that is why we mix or layer carbon (dry, brown materials) with nitrogen (wet manure, food scraps). If the material is too dense, the pile may need to be turned to break the material up which will increase airspace. Turning also serves to mix the material which can speed the process.

5. When the microorganisms are working they give off heat. As there are millions of them processing organics, the temperature of your pile will increase to 104-149°F. This indicates that the process is working. As long as there is food, air and moisture the pile will stay hot. When it cools down that indicates the pile is going into a curing phase and completing the cycle.

6. The compost process can take 6 months to 2 years depending on all of the variables: air, moisture, food and amount of undigested carbon in the pile.

Do Not Add:*Grease, fats, oils*Fish, meat, bones*Dairy*Pet or human feces*Treated wood

Cover with brown layerGreen

Brown

Third layer: green

Second layer: brown (dry leaves)First layer: sticks 4”-6”

Feed Your Soil!

Ingredients - Yard or Garden •Waste hay or straw•Sticks & leaves•Clean sawdust•Rice hull•Weeds & other garden waste•Manure

A. Wood chip or stick base with plenty of air space.B. Leaves and/or straw or other carbon completely covering green material.C. Steam rising off the pile.D. Air pulled in/out from chimney effect* (arrows).

D

C

A

B

* Chimney effect: as the pile heats up, warm air rises upward creating a partial vacuum and, fresh air flows in to replace it. This requires air space in the base of the pile.

Grass & yard

trimmings

Leaves

Coffee grounds, egg shells, peels

Food scraps

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-Static Pile or Windrow -Forced Air Compost-Turned Windrow -Rotating Drums-Combo Static/Turned -Vermicompost units

Many options are available for producing compost:

Composting Composting SystemsSystems

D

C

A

B

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Which system works where?• Space available- neighbors• Containment or not• Time and energy available• Static, Turned or Vermi-compost• Finances• How putrescible(odiferous)is the waste

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All Methods Require Balance:

• Moisture• Aeration• C:N Ratio• Temperature

Compost Bin Sales

D

C

A

B

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Holding bins

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Restaurant worm bin

New Orleans

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Three bin turning unit with removable front boards.

Simple Containment

Plans for 2-binSystem -6’x6’x6’

Students at South Lewis Composting-These have been installed Some in North country school Districts

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St. John’s University

Rotating Drums

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Composting Drum @ boarding school with 300 people in

residence, livestock, and green

residuals

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Vokashi-Fermentation

Process

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Earth Tub- institutions

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Earth Bin

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West Irondequoit Central School – Earth Bin

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Tropical Vermi-Composting

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Slabwood vermi compost container

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Vermi in an old feed trough

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Vermi compost in an old water container with an outlet hole to collect nutrient rich leachate

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Cayuga Compost

NYS Prisons42 Compost Sites

Multi Bin System

Cornell Compost site installed

in 92 expanded 2002

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Composting at the urban

farm in Brooklyn

Forced aeration

Turned

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Gov’s Island

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Aerated Compost

Forced Air Composting --Ulster

Heat Transfer

Simple Aeration SystemSunset View Acres

x

Adding Manure Bank

Diamond Hill Custom Heifers4-5 million BTU/day

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Recycling Recycling Organics Makes Organics Makes

Good Sense!Good Sense!

Healthy Soils = Healthy Food!http://cwmi.css.cornell.eduhttp://cwmi.css.cornell.edu