Compost Facility Operating Guide

Abstract

Compost must satisfy customers to secure reliable and sustainable markets. Proper management of feedstock and all phases of composting are essential for the production of marketable compost. The continuity of compost production and market supply also requires proper facility and environmental management. The basis to develop site- and technology-specific composting facility management strategies and control is provided by the Compost Facility Operating Guide. a guidance developed by the Standards and Practices Committee of The Compo sting Council (USA).

The Operating Guide focus is on producing market quality compost from discarded compostable organics recovered from the Municipal Solid Waste stream. MSW contains a variety of biodegradable organics of which 30 to 60% can be returned to beneficial use by composting. This secondary resource from residential, institutional and commercial sources includes food waste, yard waste, and paper waste, especially soiled paper products and packaging. Compostable material can be source separated and recovered at curbside, or under exceptional conditions left mixed and recovered at central-sort facilities, transformed into compost. and marketed.

Composting plant design and operation relies on a variety of processing and material handling technologies, but each must provide capability to prepare for and manage the biology of composting. Certain elements are common to all composting that are key to producing consistently marketable compost. These key elements are presented in the Compost Facility Operating Guide. The Operating Guide divides the composting process into seven basic unit operations. For each unit operation, the Operating Guide identifies operating parameters, and explains the principle, objectives, operating boundaries, control procedures, control monitoring, and control sample analytical test methods.