composting at school massachusetts department of environmental protection jan. 13, 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Composting at School Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Jan. 13, 2015
Why Compost?
• Reduce waste requiring disposal• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
sequester carbon in the soil (as humus)• Recycle nutrients and organic matter for
plants – great for gardens!• Saves money in avoided disposal costs
and reduced purchases of soil amendment• Great educational opportunity
How Much Compostable Material is in the Massachusetts Waste Stream? About 25%
Food Waste ; 15.2
Textiles ; 5.8
Compostable Paper ; 5.2
Wood – Treated ; 4.5Uncoated Corrugated Cardboard/Kraft Paper ;
4.4
Other Recyclable Paper ; 4.4
Carpet and Carpet Padding ; 4.1
Prunings, Trimings, Leaves and Grass ;
4.1
Bulky Materials ; 3.8
Other Film means plastic film ; 3.3
Other “brown goods”; 3.3
Bulk Rigid Plastic Items ; 3.1
Bio-Hazardous ; 2.9
Solid Waste Master Plan
• Food waste /other organics ~24% of disposal
• > 1 million tons per year (food, compostable paper, yard waste)
• Goal to divert add’l 350,000 tons/year of organics from disposal by 2020
• Funding for capacity development (esp. organics-to-energy projects)
Food Waste Disposal Ban• Food waste and vegetative material• Commercial/institutional generators that
dispose of 1 ton food waste or more per week
• Schools with fewer than 4,000 students are not likely to dispose 1 ton per week
• Ban effective October 1, 2014• Assistance available at
http://www.recyclingworksma.com
Applicable Regulations310 CMR 16 - Site Assignment
Regulations for Solid Waste Facilities
• Schools that compost on-site (of anything other than garden/yard waste) are exempt from permitting under the solid waste regulations (310 CMR 16.03(2)(c)2), but must:
• Notify their local Board of Health and regional office of MassDEP 30 days in advance of starting the program, as a “Small Composting Operation not at a Residence.”
• The notification form you may use is on the MassDEP website at http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/service/approvals/notification-exempt-recycling-and-organics-management.html.
What can be composted?
• Anything that was once alive, including:• Food waste;• Paper and paper products (paper plates, napkins,
cardboard, coffee filters, etc.);• Yard waste – leaves, pine needles, grass clippings,
weeds, prunings, woodchips, sawdust;• Manure • Seaweed and the list goes on
but exactly which organic materials are composted depends on the composting system used.
How many ways are there to compost?
• Many, including:• On-site in bins, containers, buckets, worm bins,
and piles• Municipal and on-farm in windrows, piles or
drums• Commercial systems in enclosed containment
vessels• Aerobically, which produces CO2 and humus• Anaerobically, which produces CH4 (methane)
and happens inside our stomachs
Food Scraps
• Greater potential for odors than leaves and yard waste
• Fruit, vegetables – least odorous• Meat, dairy – more odorous and
pathogenic
Green Team Resources
Website – www.thegreenteam.org
FREE to Green Team Members:• Lesson plans and activities• Compost bins • Worms• Recycling equipment• Lending Library• Food Waste Reduction Guidance at
http://www.thegreenteam.org/recycling-facts/food-waste-reduction/
More Resources
Web Sites
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/recycle/reduce/composting-and-organics.html
http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/composting.htm
http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2718&q=325344&deepNav_GID=1645www.mastercomposter.com
Soil and Compost Testing LaboratoryUniversity of MassachusettsAmherst, MA 01003-8010413-545-2311; 413-545-1931 faxhttp://soiltest.umass.edu
Books• Minnich, J. and Marjorie Hunt. 1979. Rodale
Guide to Composting, Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA
• Appelhof, Mary. 2000. Worms Eat My Garbage, 2nd Ed. Flower Press, Kalamazoo, MI.
Journals• Biocycle, pub. JG Press, Emmaus, PA.
• Organic Gardening, pub. Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA.
Contact InformationAnn McGovern
Mass. Dept of Environmental Protection
One Winter St.
Boston, MA 02108
617-292-5834
Sumner Martinson
617-292-5969
MassDEP regional offices:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/about/contacts/