BRIDGEWATER ORGANIC (FOOD WASTE) Curb side Pick-up } NEW Pilot Program for Bridgewater Residents The Town of Bridgewater, in collaboration with the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority and All American Waste, will be implementing a curbside organics (food scraps) recycling pilot-program for residents of Bridgewater the fi rst week of April, 2014. Bridgewater residents who choose to participate in the program will receive at no cost a kitchen compost collection bin, compostable liners and a curbside bin. The food waste will be taken to a local processing facility in New Milford or Danbury and be made into compost. Bridgewater will be the ONLY town in the state participating in this program and will be a leader in the state for waste reduction. More food reaches landfi lls and incinerators than any other single material in municipal solid waste, nationwide. Acceptable Food Waste Items for Curbside Pick-up Meat, Poultry (bones also) Fish (including shellfi sh) Dairy Products Flower & Vegetable Garden Waste Houseplants & Flower Bouquets Fruits & Nuts (including pits) Vegetables ***Remove bands and ties*** Bread, Pasta & Grains Sauces, Soup & Gravy Coffee Grounds & Filters Tea Bags Paper Towels & Napkins Egg Shells Plate Scrapings To sign-up for this pilot program go to: www.hrra.org Click on the link: Organics (Food Waste) Survey For more information email: JenIannucci@hrra.org
Why seperate It s easy! The value in our food scraps Instead of throwing out your food waste, spoiled foods, and leftover meats, vegetables, bread, etc., we can take this food waste and reuse it in an eco-friendly and environmentally benefi cial way. The more food waste we recycle, the less is dumped into landfi ll space or sent to waste to enegy facilties. Large amounts of organic material in landfi lls produces methane, a greenhouse gas with a stronger warming effect than carbon dioxide. We can do our part to reduce methane emissions by improving our food waste management and organic recycling efforts. Processed food waste compost produces organic fertilizers that are the green alternative to chemical fertilizers. When composted organic materials are used to nourish soil for other vegetables & grains to grow, or used as feed for livestock, the cycle of life is continued. In addition to helping the environment by recycling food waste, Bridgewater residents should save money on removal costs through organic recycling.
How It Works It s easy! Your food scraps Curb-side pickup Processing End Results Acceptable Food Waste Items for Curbside Pick-up: Meat, Poultry (bones also) Fish (including shellfi sh) Dairy Products Flower & Vegetable Garden Waste Houseplants & Flower Bouquets Fruits & Nuts (including pits) Vegetables ***Remove bands and ties*** Bread, Pasta & Grains Sauces, Soup & Gravy Coffee Grounds & Filters Tea Bags Paper Towels & Napkins Egg Shells Plate Scrapings To sign-up for this pilot program go to: www.hrra.org Click on the link: Organics (Food Waste) Survey
Getting Started It s easy! March 11, 2014 7pm Kick-off meeting at Burnham School. Collection will begin the fi rst week in April. Participants will receive their starter kits that will include a kitchen counter collection bin, 6 months of compostable bags and a magnet that reminds you what is acceptable. There will be a chance for residents to ask questions. Collection days and frequency will be announced at the kick-off meeting. Online and phone support will be available to residents through HRRA and All American Waste. There will be web support where up to date information will be available, interactive online discussions and FAQ posted. Evaluation of the program will take place after 3 months and 6 months. If it s successful, a permanant program will be put in place with your current food waste hauler. To sign-up for this pilot program go to: www.hrra.org Click on the link: Organics (Food Waste) Survey
Your part It s easy! What you will receive: Small one gallon kitchen counter collection bin. A six month supply of compostable bags. Information and resources for daily use. 5 gallon bucket for curbside. The size will allow ease of storage. The top is designed to prevent animals from getting in and to prevent odors. **Additional bags will be available upon request during the pilot program. **The most IMPORTANT part you play is placing only the items that are listed as acceptable organic material. Placing other material will be considerd contamination and will hurt the success of the program. Acceptable Waste Items Meat, Poultry (bones also) Fish (including shellfi sh) Dairy Products Flower & Vegetable Garden Waste Houseplants Flower Bouquets Fruits & Nuts (including pits) Vegetables *Remove bands and ties* Bread, Pasta & Grains Sauces, Soup & Gravy Coffee Grounds & Filters Tea Bags Paper Towels Napkins Egg Shells Plate Scrapings Your food scraps Curb-side pickup Processing End Results
Facts Three Simple Steps: Place your kitchen compost container in a convenient location in your kitchen. You can line your container with approved liners. Just add food... Collect food scraps while preparing meals, scraping plates and clean ing the fridge of leftovers - every little bit counts. Empty your kitchen container, including the liner, into your Wheeled Compost cart. Place your roll cart out for weekly pickup. Cost: What will the pilot-program cost for residents: This pilot program is being sponsored by All American Waste and the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority and will not cost residents to participate during this period. If the program becomes permanent, will there be a fee? After the program has been evaluated and the cost of the program is compared to the saving of tipping MSW, a fee structure will be determined by the waste hauler, if any. The cost savings of seperating organic material: Did you know that it cost $84.45 per ton for MSW (Municipal Solid Waste also known as regular garbage) in the HRRA region to dispose of it to be burned at a in state waste reduction burn plant. It only cost $40-60 per ton to dispose of organic food waste. This should mean a savings to your hauler and a savings to you. Pick-up Schedule: All American Waste will detemine when the service day will be scheduled. They will inform the public at the informational meeting scheduled on March 11th. Organic waste will be picked up weekly by a split truck. This will allow the company to pick-up your Single Stream Recycling one week with the organics and MSW on the other week with the organics. Participation: This is a voluntary program but we are asking as many Bridgewater residents to participate as possible. If a resident does not want to participate but would like to save money on their MSW disposal, AAW is offering one free month of service for those residents who can prove they have an active operating backyard composting system.
Tips It s easy! Kitchen compost container Did you know you can collect food scraps in a variety of containers? To collect food scraps in your kitchen, you can try one of these items you may already have in your household: Empty yogurt container and lid Tupperware type container Kitty litter pail or other lidded pail/bucket Anything with a snug fi tting lid that will fi t under your sink or on your kitchen counter. Tips for your kitchen container: Store your kitchen container under the sink or on the counter so it is easy to access. Line it with newspaper, paper bags or approved compostable bags. Frequently empty the contents including the liner into your green Portland Composts! roll cart. The more often you empty your container, the less time food scraps spend in your kitchen. Tips for messy, stinky or wet food scraps: Drain as much liquid as possible from food before putting in your container. Wrap the food in newspaper and then place in your container. Place food scraps in a container in the freezer and add them to the roll cart the night before your pickup. Empty and rinse out your container frequently, and sprinkle baking soda in it or rub vinegar on the inside of the lid to avoid odors and fruit fl ies. Do not set your kitchen container out at the curb. Optional kitchen container liners: Newspaper Paper bags Approved compostable bags*
Your Back Yard It s easy! The Composting Process One of the most important steps for evaluating composting options is to become familiar with how the composting process works. Before you begin composting or start a composting program, you should understand the fi ve primary variables that must be controlled during composting. These include the following: Feedstock and nutrient balance. Controlled decomposition requires a proper balance of green organic materials (e.g., grass clippings, food scraps, manure), which contain large amounts of nitrogen, and brown organic materials (e.g., dry leaves, wood chips, branches), which contain large amounts of carbon but little nitrogen. Obtaining the right nutrient mix requires experimentation and patience and is part of the art and science of composting. Particle size. Grinding, chipping, and shredding materials increases the surface area on which the microorganism can feed. Smaller particles also produce a more homogeneous compost mixture and improve pile insulation to help maintain optimum temperatures (see below). If the particles are too small, however, they might prevent air from fl owing freely through the pile. Moisture content. Microorganisms living in a compost pile need an adequate amount of moisture to survive. Water is the key element that helps transports substances within the compost pile and makes the nutrients in organic material accessible to the microbes. Organic material contains some moisture in varying amounts, but moisture also might come in the form of rainfall or intentional watering. Oxygen flow. Turning the pile, placing the pile on a series of pipes, or including bulking agents such as wood chips and shredded newspaper all help aerate the pile. Aerating the pile allows decomposition to occur at a faster rate than anaerobic conditions. Care must be taken, however, not to provide too much oxygen, which can dry out the pile and impede the composting process. Temperature. Microorganisms require a certain temperature range for optimal activity. Certain temperatures promote rapid composting and destroy pathogens and weed seeds. Microbial activity can raise the temperature of the pile s core to at least 140 F. If the temperature does not increase, anaerobic conditions (i.e., rotting) occur. Controlling the previous four factors can bring about the proper temperature. www.epa.gov/compost More detailed information, including diagrams can be found at www.hrra.org/compost
Your Back Yard It s easy! Benefits of Composting Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. Promote higher yields of agricultural crops. Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils. Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste. Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff. Avoids Methane and leachate formulation in landfi lls. Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air. See Innovative Uses of Compost: Bioremediation and Pollution Prevention. Provide cost savings of at least 50 percent over conventional soil, water, and air pollution remediation technologies, where applicable. See Analysis of Composting as an Environmental Remediation Technology Reduces the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Serves as a marketable commodity and is a low-cost alternative to standard landfi ll cover and artifi cial soil amendments. Extends municipal landfi ll life by diverting organic materials from landfi lls. Vermicomposting Through this method, red worms-not nightcrawlers or fi eld worms found in gardens- are placed in bins with organic matter in order to break it down into a high-value compost called castings. Worm bins are easy to construct (they are also commercially available) and can be adapted to accommodate the volume of food scraps generated. Types of Waste and Waste Generators: Worms will eat almost anything you would put in a typical compost pile (e.g., food scraps, paper, plants). Vermicomposting can be ideal for apartment dwellers or small offi ces that want to derive some of the benefi ts of composting and reduce solid waste. It is frequently used in schools to teach children conservation and recycling. Climate or Seasonal Considerations: Worms are sensitive to variations in climate. Extreme temperatures and direct sunlight are not healthy for the worms. The optimal temperatures for vermicomposting range from 55 F to 77 F. In hot, arid areas, the bin should be placed under the shade. By vermicomposting indoors, however, one can avoid many of the problems posed by hot or cold climates. The primary responsibility is to keep the worms alive and healthy by providing the proper conditions and suffi cient food. Requirements: Vermicomposting has only a few basic requirements, among them: worms, worm bedding (e.g., shredded newspaper, cardboard), and a bin to contain the worms and organic matter. Maintenance procedures include preparing bedding, burying garbage, and separating worms from their castings. Results: One pound of mature worms (approximately 800-1,000 worms) can eat up to half a pound of organic material per day. It typically takes three to four months for these worms to produce harvestable castings, which can be used as potting soil. Vermicomposting also produces compost or worm tea, a high-quality liquid fertilizer for house plants or gardens. www.epa.gov/compost
Commercial Compost It s easy! In-Vessel Composting Organic materials are fed into a drum, silo, concrete-lined trench, or similar equipment where the environmental conditions-including temperature, moisture, and aeration-are closely controlled. The apparatus usually has a mechanism to turn or agitate the material for proper aeration. In-vessel composters vary in size and capacity. Types of Waste and Waste Generators: In-vessel composting can process large amounts of waste without taking up as much space as the windrow method. In addition, it can accommodate virtually any type of organic waste (e.g., meat, animal manure, biosolids, food scraps). Some in-vessel composters can fi t into a school or restaurant kitchen while others can be as large as a school bus to accommodate large food processing plants. Climate or Seasonal Considerations: In-vessel composting can be used year-round in virtually any climate because the environment is carefully controlled, often by electronic means. This method can even be used in extremely cold weather if the equipment is insulated or the processing takes place indoors. Environmental Concerns: In-vessel composting produces very little odor and minimal leachate. Requirements: In-vessel composters are expensive and might require technical assistance to operate properly, but this method uses much less land and manual labor than windrow composting. Results: Conversion of organic material to compost can take as little as a few weeks. Once the compost comes out of the vessel, however, it still requires a few more weeks or months for the microbial activity to stabilize and the pile to cool. www.epa.gov/compost
Commercial Compost It s easy! Aerated (Turned) Windrow Composting Organic waste is formed into rows of long piles called windrows and aerated by turning the pile periodically by either manual or mechanical means. The ideal pile height, which is between 4 and 8 feet, allows for a pile large enough to generate suffi cient heat and maintain temperatures, yet small enough to allow oxygen to fl ow to the windrow s core. The ideal pile width is between 14 and 16 feet. Types of Waste and Waste Generators: This method can accommodate large volumes of diverse wastes, including yard trimmings, grease, liquids, and animal byproducts (such as fi sh and poultry wastes), but only with frequent turning and careful monitoring. This method is suited for large quantities, such as that generated by entire communities and collected by local governments, and high volume food-processing businesses (e.g., restaurants, cafeterias, packing plants). Climate or Seasonal Considerations: In a warm, arid climate, windrows are sometimes covered or placed under a shelter to prevent water from evaporating. In rainy seasons, the shapes of the pile can be adjusted so that water runs off the top of the pile rather than being absorbed into the pile. Also, windrow composting can work in cold climates. Often the outside of the pile might freeze, but in its core, a windrow can reach 140 F. Environmental Concerns: Leachate is liquid released during the composting process. This can contaminate local ground-water and surface-water supplies and should be collected and treated. In addition, windrow composting is a large scale operation and might be subject to regulatory enforcement. Samples of the compost should be tested in a laboratory for bacterial and heavy metal content. Odors also need to be controlled. The public should be informed of the operation and have a method to address any complaints about animals or bad odors. Other concerns might include zoning and siting requirements. Requirements: Windrow composting often requires large tracts of land, sturdy equipment, a continual supply of labor to maintain and operate the facility, and patience to experiment with various materials mixtures and turning frequencies. Results: This method will yield signifi cant amounts of compost, which might require assistance to market the end-product. Alternatively, local governments can make the compost available to residents for a low or no cost. might involve signifi cant costs and technical assistance. Having a controlled supply of air enables construction of large piles, which require less land than the windrow method. Results: This method produces compost relatively quickly-within 3 to 6 months. www.epa.gov/compost
Commercial Compost It s easy! Aerated Static Pile Composting In aerated static pile composting, organic waste is mixed together in one large pile instead of rows. To aerate the pile, layers of loosely piled bulking agents (e.g., wood chips, shredded newspaper) are added so that air can pass from the bottom to the top of the pile. The piles also can be placed over a network of pipes that deliver air into or draw air out of the pile. Air blowers might be activated by a timer or a temperature sensors. Types of Waste and Waste Generators: Aerated static piles are suitable for a relatively homogenous mix of organic waste and work well for larger quantity generators of yard trimmings and compostable municipal solid waste (e.g., food scraps, paper products), which might include local governments, landscapers, or farms. This method, however, does not work well for composting animal byproducts or grease from food processing industries. Climate or Seasonal Considerations: Like windrow composting, in a warm, arid climate, aerated static piles are sometimes covered or placed under a shelter to prevent water from evaporating. In the cold, the core of the pile will retain its warm temperature, but aeration might be more diffi cult in the cold because this method involves passive air fl owing rather than active turning. Some aerated static piles are placed indoors with proper ventilation. Environmental Concerns: Since there is no physical turning, this method requires careful monitoring to ensure that the outside of the pile heats up as much as the core. One way to alleviate bad odors is to apply a thick layer of fi nished compost over the pile, which can help maintain high temperatures throughout the pile. Another way to deal with odor, provided that the air blower draws air out of the pile, is to filter this air through a biofi lter made from fi nished compost. Requirements: This method typically requires equipment such as blowers, pipes, sensors, and fans, which www.epa.gov/compost