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<br />TfiE BIGGER P1CTl.RE
<br />YARD TRIMMINGS
<br />COMPOSTING TRENDS
<br />A BioCycle
<br />~~llllfil S1lrUey~~
<br />fitlds that many
<br />operatior:s are
<br />rrrllltifaceted,
<br />offering wood
<br />i cltippirlg arld
<br />rxlrtdliilg services
<br />as well as
<br />CO1til10Stiil~
<br />1 , Norn GolAstein
<br />-:'~~ nnA lim Glenrt
<br />•
<br />
<br />TS BF. F.\ more than ten yeah sinm
<br />yard trimmings composting orfa mn-
<br />trolized :tale entered the \IS51' man-
<br />agement arcn;t. Since then, the total
<br />numMr of sitrc hat grown to•mrndous-
<br />lv -from 651 in 199N to more than
<br />3.500 in 1999. according to RinCvrlr's
<br />annual 'Starr of Garbage In America- sur-
<br />cec. Uvrr~that time. m:my fanlitirs hoer
<br />evolcrd from handling primarily leaves lna
<br />wider moms ..Ccard trimminy,•: (rc•dstxkc, in-
<br />cluding gr;r><, hru•h and wand n•siduals.
<br />Tu get a better a•nv of what i. going nn at
<br />the nation's c:vd tnmmings eumposting
<br />sites. Ru~('yrlr rnnducti•d a,nndom sun~rc of
<br />facditir.. dunng [he suntmrrof 1999. 1'rojrcts
<br />were divided into cheer catrgnrics: small.
<br />publicly mvned/operated: large publicly
<br />oumed/openlyd; pnvately' owmd/ol>rrrtrd.
<br />Thi. introductnn' article provides a sum-
<br />mary of the :un'ry n•sul L:.lh~rr lhr next few
<br />usurs, wr will (cxvs nn wmv sp[rific areas oC
<br />yard trimmings compnsling. mcludingrnllx-
<br />tion, transportation and materials handling;
<br />feedstxk grinding, promssing and scorning:
<br />and mulch and compost markets.
<br />AfROl1GMIWT, tiET110DS, GfMER1TORS SERVICED
<br />The data discussed hrrc'is based on re-
<br />spon-ses from ten small public sites. 14 large
<br />publir sites, and 1'? private facilities,
<br />Throughputs at these operations ranged a.:
<br />follows: Small public - About 300 tpy to less
<br />than 5,000 tpr; Largt• public-About 15,000
<br />to 20.000 tpv to 100,000 tpy: Private - AMu t
<br />3.:,00 tpy to rn~rr 100.000 tpy.
<br />The majonty of pubhch• owned and oprr
<br />aced projects utilize windrows to compost
<br />yard trimmngs. O( the smaller oprratioac,
<br />half turn with a frontcnd loadrrand halfucr
<br />a commercial turner. Of the larger public
<br />sites, four use afront-end loader to turn piles
<br />and nine u.r a turner. Inlrrestingly, the pri-
<br />valrly ran fauhUes split aerate between
<br />windror~.v-turned with a loader, windrows
<br />fumed with a turner, and static piles.
<br />Operatan were asked to estimate, by per-
<br />centage. the amounts of the i~erious ttpr+ of
<br />yard ramming fredstxks receiytd. Theca
<br />gorirs listed on the questionnaire cv
<br />Irave+. grass, brush and woody materia
<br />~greatcr than four inches in diameters. Four
<br />of the small public operations take primarily
<br />leaves, one receives a large perrnntage oC
<br />Feu.:. cheer mceit'e fairly equal amounts of
<br />gr;t:: and leavty and one reports that mare
<br />than 50 percent of incoming feedstdks are
<br />brush and woodyresi ass tone sitedidn't an-
<br />saver this questionl.~ the 14 large publie
<br />site., five note that leaves tromprise the bulk
<br />o(the throughput. four reported an equal
<br />split betuern grass and leaves, three reteice
<br />more than 50 percent brush and wood end
<br />two take roughly equal amounts of all ferd-
<br />stxks. \ine o(the 1'I privately operated sites
<br />estimated throughput quantities. Five han-
<br />dle an even mix of leaves, grass. brush and
<br />wood; one takes primarily leaves and anoth-
<br />rrtakes ahigh percentage ofgnss. Tw'o take
<br />' similar amounts ofleax•rs and Bras+.
<br />Duuc o: uos, EGOI-rENT, ~ultlcETs
<br />Faeilitirs were asked about how• materials
<br />are received. The four categories listed were
<br />bulk, paper hags, plastic bags, and biodegrad-
<br />able plastic bags. By far, most facilities report
<br />rrcciving ~matcrial in bunk tsmall publir-
<br />nine; large public-14; private-ten 1. Fite
<br />large public site., five private facilities and
<br />am small cite take material in paper bag.. A
<br />handful it.vo small, four large and two pri-
<br />vate+ accept fi•adstoeks in plastic hags: two
<br />private sites retrice biodrgradnblr plastic
<br />bags. Seventeen of [hr 36 facilities report
<br />they o~rtly rrtrivr mntrrial in bulk.
<br />The qurstionnairc n•qurstrd details pn
<br />processing and product finishing. Sir small
<br />public, ten large publir and ten private sites
<br />reported having grinding equipment. Thr
<br />majority of the large public and the private
<br />site, have scorns, while only nnc .mall pub-
<br />lic oprntion has scorning rquipmrnt Onr
<br />.mall public, five large public and six private
<br />operntiorn do end product blrndrng. Five
<br />sites tthrrr lorge public and two pneates bag
<br />compost and/o[ blends are bagged.
<br />Operators were ackcd to identify compact
<br />marketc by highest volume and greatest dol-
<br />lar valor. In terms of volumo, retail sales to
<br />the public was the leader. followed by «'holr
<br />sale to landscapers, wit blrnden and nun-
<br />eries.Six projrrts =-all small public facilitir+
<br />- give their compost and/or mulch back to
<br />rewdents. Five noted they use• material.for
<br />public works projects. The highest value mar-
<br />keU arc retail, followed by landscapers and
<br />scil blrnden. Only one futility noted that its
<br />highest vaWe market is nurseries. '
<br />Compost priors range a. follows: 14'hnJr-
<br />salc: Small public~~6-Si/rv: large public-
<br />S3•SI'>/q•: private-$-1-SZ~t/cv. Retail: Small .
<br />public-$i•$;IQ/Cy; Large public-Sf-$2Q/q;
<br />Private~S6•Si0ln•.
<br />RmCvr(e editors asked operators bbout
<br />ituxdian' w•n'im oRrred. Cntrgorirs indud•
<br />cd wrpd chipping, mulching and selling fire-
<br />wood. Six small public, five large public and
<br />fine private sites oRer wood chipping ser-
<br />yiees; mulching is oRrred by them small pub•
<br />tic, eight large public and seven private facil-
<br />ities. Only them sites, all large public, make
<br />fircyvtwd availnhle for sale. ^
<br />tirt•n1r+t:~ 1999
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