COMPOSTING OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES IN THE UNITED STATES
This publication (SW-47r) was prepared by members
of the federal solid waste management research
staff under the direction of ANDREW W. BREIDENBACH
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
1971
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". . . inefficient and improper methods of disposal of solid wastes
result in scenic blights, create serious hazards to the public health,
including pollution of air and water resources, accident hazards, and
increase in rodent and insect vectors of disease, have an adverse
effect on land values, create public nuisances, otherwise interfere
with community life and development; . . . the failure or inability
to salvage and reuse such materials economically results in the
unnecessary waste and depletion of our natural resources; . . ."
Solid Waste Disposal Act
October 1965
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
An environmental protection publication
in the solid waste management series (SW-47r)
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing- Office
Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $1
Stock Number 5502-0033
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FOREWORD
To gain more comprehensive knowledge about composting as a solid
waste management tool and to better assess the limited information
available, the Federal solid waste management program, within the
U.S. Public Health Service, entered into a joint experimental windrow
composting project in 1966 with the Tennessee Valley Authority and
the City of Johnson City, Tennessee. A high-rate composting demonstration
plant was also established at Gainesville, Florida under a solid waste
> management grant. The objectives of these projects were to investigate
t-
and demonstrate the economic and technical feasibility of composting
I ' municipal refuse. The operational experience gained there and elsewhere
Vb
are presented in this report.
Composting, properly practiced, can be a nuisance-free way to
recycle organic solid wastes without significantly polluting water and
land resources. Composting municipal refuse is technically feasible,
but it costs more than sanitary landfilling and can cost more than
incineration.
The problems that have prevented composting from becoming an
accepted method of solid waste treatment relate primarily to the inability
of local governments to accept the concept that the process should be
properly supported by adequate municipal funds, as are incineration,
sewage disposal, and water treatment. The process cannot succeed with
in
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results from the sale of salvaged material or final compost; the market
is not that large or predictable. Finally, waste disposal by composting
is not the total answer, but rather one approach to be considered in a
solid waste management system.
—RICHARD D. VAUGHAN
Deputy Assistant Administrator
for Solid Waste Management
IV
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PREFACE
FROM ITS 1966 BEGINNINGS to the present, when we near the end of
the project, our experimental research in composting has been very
much a team undertaking. It has encompassed substantial efforts
by two Federal agencies and a municipality.
We are indebted to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for
the foresight and concept of developing a composting system in a
part of the country where, if composting municipal solid waste were
successful, the soil would benefit from the application of organic
amendments. The design and operation of the facility at Johnson
City have been the sole responsibility of TVA, under Dr. 0. M.
Derryberry. F. E. Gartrell, 0. W. Kochtitzky, Carroll Duggan
(agriculturist on site) , and Virgil Rader (foreman) are just a few
of the TVA people who participated. Two Johnson City managers,
David Burkhalter and James Hosier, were responsible for the initi-
ation and implementation of the municipal contribution from Johnson
City.
For our own part, two U.S. Public Health Service officers and
a chemical engineer have served at successive times at Johnson City
as the Project Engineer. These men devoted their time and energies
around the clock. Each Project Engineer was supported by a small
staff, and these personnel were likely to become completely caught
up in the project. During his tenure, each Project Engineer
reported to a Cincinnati-based manager, four in all, each of whom
became almost as engrossed in the project as those stationed at
Johnson City. All of these workers at different times have devoted
their various skills and energies to reporting the results of the
study.
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The first Project Engineer was John S. Wiley, already well
known prior to his arrival at the project for his pilot research
on composting, which dates back to at least 1951. Gordon Stone,
who served under Mr. Wiley until the latter's retirement, succeeded
him in August 1967. When Mr. Stone, became the solid waste manage-
ment representative in what is now the Environmental Protection
Agency's Region II, Carlton Wiles, a chemical engineer, was appointed
Project Engineer, a capacity in which he still serves. For most of the
study period, Fred J. Stutzenberger was microbiologist, Donald J.
Dunsmore was staff engineer, Richard D. Lossin was chemist, and
Marie T. Presnell was administrative assistant. The chief Cincinnati-
based managers were Charles G. Gunnerson followed by Clarence A.
Clemens.
John Ruf was Project Engineer of the independent but companion
Public Health Service study in Gainesville, from which input was
gathered for this paper. Dr. W. L. Gaby and his staff at East
Tennessee State University worked closely with our personnel in
determining that compost was safe under the conditions of the study
for agricultural use.
Thus, the report, like the project itself, cannot be attributed
to only a few people but is a contribution from all of us to the
sum total knowledge of composting municipal solid wastes. The impress
of all these various curiosities, intelligences, and modes of inquiry
is reflected in this document.
—ANDREW W. BREIDENBACH
Director, Division of Research
and Development
April 1971 Office of Solid Waste Management Programs
VI
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CONTENTS
Chapter
SUMMARY 1
I BACKGROUND 5
II COMPOSTING MUNICIPAL REFUSE: PROCESSES AND TYPES
OF PLANTS 9
Composting Systems 9
Preparation 9
Digestion 14
Curing 16
Finishing 17
Storage 17
Some Recent Applications of Composting 17
European practice 17
United States practice 22
III ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL, AND MICROBIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF
COMPOSTING 25
Engineering Aspects 26
General design criteria 26
Refuse handling 27
Separation of noncompostables and salvage . 28
Comminution 29
Addition of sewage sludge and other organic
wastes 31
Digestion 35
Curing 37
Finishing 37
Storage 39
VII
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Chapter
Special Problems 3y
Glass removal 39
Plastics removal 41
Handling problems 41
Weight and volume losses 42
Epilog 43
Environmental Aspects 44
Chemical Aspects 45
Carbon-nitrogen relationship 45
Composition of compost 46
Moisture in composting 48
Composting temperatures 49
pH in composting 49
Microbiological Aspects 51
General 51
Pathogen survival in composting 54
IV ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS 57
Capital Cost 58
Windrowing plants 58
Enclosed digestion plants 62
Other countries 62
Operating Costs 64
Windrowing plants 64
High rate digestion plants 67
Total cost of composting 67
Partial Recovery of Costs 67
Compost sales 69
Sale of salvaged materials 71
Composting sewage sludge with refuse ... 72
Composting and landfill operations .... 72
vni
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Chapter
Net Cost of Composting 74
Composting Costs Compared With Sanitary Landfilling
and Incineration ..... 74
Summary 77
V AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL UTILIZATION OF MUNICIPAL
COMPOST 79
Agricultural Productivity and Soil Erosion
Control 79
Demonstration and Utilization 85
Horticultural Utilization of Compost 87
VI POTENTIAL OF MUNICIPAL REFUSE COMPOSTING IN THE UNITED
STATES 89
The Problem 89
Agricultural Effects from Compost Utilization . . 90
The Potential of Composting in Resource Systems
Management 92
REFERENCES 97
TABLES
1 Typical Composting Processes 10
2 Worldwide Distribution and Types of Composting Plants . 18
3 European and Middle Eastern Municipal Refuse Composting
Plants 20
4 Municipal Solid Waste Composting Plants in the United
States (1969) 23
5 Elements in 42-day Old Compost at Johnson City .... 47
IX
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6 Estimated Capital Costs for Windrow Composting Plants . 59
7 Estimated Investment Costs for Windrow Composting
Plants (1969) 61
8 Estimated Investment Costs for Composting Plants
(Windrowing and Enclosed Digestion Systems) 53
9 Estimated Yearly Operating Costs for Various Capacity
Windrow Composting Plants 65
10 Actual Cost of Operations for the USPHS-TVA Composting
Plant (1968) 66
11 Summary of Total Costs for Composting Plants 68
12 Actual Costs for the USPHS-TVA Composting Plant,
Johnson City, Tennessee 69
13 Estimated Net Costs of Composting 75
14 Direct Costs for Disposal of Solid Wastes 94
15 Estimated Costs for Composting Municipal Solid Wastes in
Favorable Locations 95
FIGURES
1 Allowable Moisture Content in Sludge 33
2 Sludge Dewatering Requirement 33
3 Sludge-Refuse Relationship 34
4 Types of Inertial Separators 40
5 Typical Temperature Profiles Obtained in Composting . . 50
6 Typical pH Profile Obtained in Windrow Composting ... 52
7 Effect of Cultivation on Nitrogen Content of Soil ... 80
8 Relative Yields of Winter Wheat with Different
Fertilizer Treatments 80
9 Influence of Fertilizer and Compost on Crop Yield ... 81
10 Effect of Compost on Soil and Water Retention 84
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SUMMARY
Composting, the biochemical degradation of organic materials, is
a sanitary process for treating municipal, agricultural, and industrial
wastes.
Properly managed windrow or enclosed, high-rate digestion compost-
ing, either of which may also process raw or partially digested sewage
sludge, will produce a product safe for agriculture and gardening use.
Compost cannot be considered a fertilizer. Its main value seems to be
its high organic content as a soil conditioner, which may provide poor
soils with better tilth, water-holding capacity, and improved nutrient-
holding capacity.
The present technology of composting will permit the recycling of
organic waste materials back to the soil without significant pollution
of water or land resources. Economically, composting does not compete
on a net-cost-per-ton-processed basis with either landfilling or incinera-
tion of municipal refuse. Evidence gathered from many sources indicates
that the rather high cost of producing compost is not sufficiently offset
by income from its sale to permit the process to compete economically
with other acceptable systems. For a few favored communities some of
the costs of composting may be recovered by the sale of salvageable
items. The most optimistic estimates of an income-producing market for
compost suggest that only a small fraction of the waste generated by
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a unit of population could be marketed as compost. Many feel that if
the techniques of landfilling and incineration, however, fail to keep
pace with increasingly stringent environmental protection criteria or,
manage to do so, but become more and more expensive, reflecting all the
costs associated with their processes, composting may become a relatively
more important tool in resource system management that could accommodate
various proportions of municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes.
Additional support is required for a successful composting venture. This
support has, in the past, developed from various combinations of polit-
ical, speculative, and intuitive factors.
Preliminary studies have shown that the land may be able to accept
large quantities of compost without harming its crop-producing ability.
The land could thus accept compost as part of a refuse disposal system
that recycles the organic wastes back into the soil in a highly assimi-
lable and unobjectionable form. Should such a situation occur, various
levels of government and private enterprise might find it beneficial
to approach the production, distribution, and assimilation of compost
jointly.
The factors that will influence the future of the composting process
as a municipal solid waste management tool are the net costs and benefits
of the process, as compared with other waste management processes. As
new technology is developed and priorities change on the use of land,
water, and air, the cost and usefulness of composting, as well as other
solid waste management systems, will be influenced by four factors: cost
per ton of solid waste for each alternative processing and disposal
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system; acceptance of more stringent standards for environmental quality;
availability of systems to meet the standards; public policy decisions
requiring beneficial recycling rather than land or sea disposal of wastes.
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COMPOSTING OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES
IN THE UNITED STATES
CHAPTER I
BACKGROUND
Composting is the biochemical degradation of organic materials to
a humus-like substance, a process constantly carried on in nature. For
many centuries, farmers and gardeners throughout the world have practiced
composting by placing vegetable matter and animal manures in piles or
into pits for decomposition prior to use. The first significant develop-
ment in composting as a systemized process took place in India in 1925.*
Sir Albert Howard developed a process involving the anaerobic degradation
of leaves, garbage, animal manures, and night soil for six months in
pits or piles.1 The method, known as the Indore Process, was later modi-
fied to include more turning to hasten aerobic action.2 The Indian
Council of Agriculture Research improved the method by laying down suc-
cessive layers of refuse and night soil. This system is used under the
name of the Bangalore Process.^>^ Similarly, in 1922, Beccari patented
a process in Italy using both anaerobic and aerobic decomposition in
an enclosed system.1*
^Mention of commercial products or processes throughout this report
does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
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The Beccari and Indore processes, although readily adaptable to
mechanized methods, did not attract U.S. interest for several reasons.
The time factor involved was unsuited to the American cultural pattern;
the objective was foreign to the American heritage of wastefulness and
unrelated to any recognized need; and the processes involved land areas
not suited to our urban centers and to the volume and variety of our
wastes. Furthermore, anaerobic composting accomplished nothing that
a good sanitary landfill might not do in time with less cost and trouble,
particularly when, in contrast to India, there was no demand for the
final product.
Interest in composting for the disposal or treatment of municipal
refuse arose in the early 1920's. In 1932, the first full-scale European
composting plant was established in The Netherlands by a nonprofit utility
company N. V. Vuilafvoer Maatschapij (VAM). This plant uses the van
Maanen process, a modification of the Indore process, in which unground
refuse is composted in large windrows.2 Also in the 1930's, the Dano
process appeared in Denmark, and Emerson patented a similar process in
the United States. In 1949, the Frazer-Eweson Process was developed
in the United States. In general, at least 16 types of composting proc-
esses were identified (Chapter II).
During the 1950's, basic studies and research on composting for
municipal waste treatment were conducted at the University of California,
by the U.S. Public Health Service, and at Michigan State University.5"10
A comprehensive monograph on Composting and Sanitary Disposal and Recla-
mation of Organic Wastes was published by the World Health Organization
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in 1956.-1-1 An annotated bibliography of references on composting was
also made available during this decade.12
A review of municipal composting projects throughout the world was
published in 1961 by Davies.3 Composting developments in the United
States during the 1960-1965 period, including difficulties experienced
by composting plants, were reported by Wiley and Kochtitzky.13 The Inter-
national Research Group on Refuse Disposal (IRGRD), 1956 to 196714»15>15a
also provided information on composting.
Although the feasibility of the composting process was established
by these basic studies, there were unknowns in its large-scale applica-
tion in this country. The European experience was not applicable due
to the difficulty of translating costs, differences in the character
of the refuse, and a different philosophy about composting. Most plants
constructed in the United States were enterprises that depended on
profit; they charged municipalities fees and expected to receive an
income from salvage and the sale of compost. Wiley and Kochtitzky con-
cluded that the inability to dispose of large quantities of compost at
a favorable price was probably a major factor in the closing of six of
nine plants during the period 1962-1964.13
In February 1966, the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), the Ten-
nessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the Municipality of Johnson City,
Tennessee, entered into an agreement to undertake a joint research and
demonstration project in solid wastes and sewage sludge composting.16
This report has drawn in part on the data collected and experience
gained in conjunction with this project and from a USPHS demonstration
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project at Gainesville, Florida, to provide information relative to com-
posting developments in solid waste management.17'18 Chapter I reviews
composting technology. Chapter II briefly describes processing systems
and types of plants and provides a listing of municipal composting plants
and their status as of December 1969. Chapter III deals with broad engi-
neering, chemical, and microbiological aspects of composting municipal
refuse, with and without the addition of other organic wastes. It also
presents information to help answer such questions as "Is the finished
product safe to distribute and use?" and "Are restrictions or precautions
necessary for use of compost?" Much of this chapter draws upon results
of studies conducted at Johnson City and Gainesville.
In general, the economics of composting are confusing. Lack of
reliable cost data from operating plants and a number of intangibles
are some of the factors that combine to cloud the economics of compost-
ing. This report discusses composting economics based upon information
available in 1969. Capital and operating costs for the research and
development plant at Johnson City and the demonstration plant at Gaines-
ville are provided in Chapter IV. Based on this information, cost pro-
jections for larger plants are given. A report on preliminary compost
utilization and marketing studies is presented in Chapter V. The role
composting is expected to have in future solid waste management systems
is discussed in Chapter VI.
Although portions of this report are concerned with results ob-
tained at Johnson City, it is not within its scope to present specifics
of the studies conducted. Details of the project are published separately.17
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CHAPTER II
COMPOSTING MUNICIPAL REFUSE: PROCESSES AND TYPES OF PLANTS
Composting Systems
There are more than 30 composting systems identified by the names
of their inventors or by proprietary names. In general, the systems
are classified either by the method of preparation of the refuse or by
the method of digestion. Sometimes both classification schemes are used
in the description.
In most systems, refuse is prepared for digestion by comminuting
it in raspers or in various kinds of mills, including hammermills, chain
mills, and wet pulpers. Sometimes a process is named for the type of
mill used, such as the Buhler or the Hazemag. Digestion is accomplished
in windrows, pits, trenches, cells, tanks, multistoried or multidecked
towers or buildings, and in drums and bins. There are 16 types of com-
posting processes commonly in use (Table 1).
Present day composting plants generally provide for five basic steps
in processing the refuse: preparation, digestion, curing, finishing
or upgrading, and storing.
Preparation. Processing of the refuse prior to composting involves
several operations, which typically may include receiving, sorting,
magnetic separation, grinding, and adding sewage sludge.
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The receiving equipment is designed to act as a refuse reservoir
and to provide an even flow of refuse through the plant. It usually
consists of a hopper and some device that begins moving refuse through
the plant at the rate at which subsequent operations can process it.
As the refuse leaves the receiving area, noncontestables, bulky
items and salvageable materials such as tires, large pieces of wood and
metals, rags, plastics, rubber, leather, wood, glass, nonferrous metals,
and paper may be removed by hand. Ferrous metals are removed then or
later by magnetic separators. This sorting protects the machinery, im-
proves the quality of the final product, and provides for salvage.
Ballistic separation of heavier articles and pneumatic separation of
light materials are sometimes applied after grinding.
Refuse grinding reduces particle size to facilitate handling, di-
gestion, and mixing of the materials. Some processes, for example, the
van Maanen and Dano, do not require grinding prior to digestion. In
these cases, the compost is ground prior to distribution. Some recent
work has been done in an effort to develop machinery capable of reducing
the particle size of refuse on the composting field.13
The moisture content of ground refuse is important for proper di-
gestion. Most values given for proper moisture content range between
45 and 65 percent by wet weight. Work at Johnson City has indicated that
50 to 60 percent moisture by wet weight is needed for good decomposition.17
The moisture content of the ground refuse must, therefore, be adjusted
to proper levels in preparation for digestion. Raw or digested sewage
sludge may be added in liquid form to provide moisture. This will also
13
-------
provide some additional organic, inorganic, and trace materials while
providing for a sanitary disposal of the sludge. If the amount of sludge
to be added is greater than that necessary as a source of moisture, the
sludge must be dewatered accordingly. Other wastes, such as animal and
poultry manures, and canning wastes can also be added.17
Digestion. Digestion or decomposition is carried out either in
open windrows or in enclosures. The principal objective is to create
an environment in which microorganisms will rapidly decompose the organic
portion of the refuse. Most modern plants use aerobic rather than an-
aerobic decomposition. In aerobic decomposition, microorganisms re-
quiring free oxygen degrade the waste. To furnish the oxygen, air is
introduced into windrows by turning and into enclosed systems by forced
draft and agitation. Heat, which is generated profusely, reaches 140F
to 160F (60C to 70C) or higher. The heat destroys pathogenic organisms,
weed seeds, fly ova, etc. Decomposition proceeds rapidly and does not
produce excessively unpleasant odors.
If the decomposing mass is not aerated, the free oxygen is soon
exhausted and a different microflora begins to grow. These anaerobes
obtain oxygen from the various compounds in the waste and decomposition
proceeds much more slowly. In the van Maanen system, the windrows are
anaerobic, and the composting time required is four to six months. By
way of contrast, aerobic windrow composting takes only about six weeks
and aerated enclosed systems only a matter of days. In anaerobic com-
posting systems, peak temperatures are only about 100F to 130F (38C to
55C), foul odors arise, and pathogens may survive.
14
-------
In methods having long digestion periods, the process includes a
rapid decomposition stage and a "ripening" or curing period. In the
methods involving shorter digestion, the agitation and aeration in en-
closures are carried on during the earlier, more active decomposition
period, and curing follows. Satisfactory stabilization is attained
when the compost has the characteristics of humus, has no unpleasant
odor, high temperatures are not maintained even though aerobic conditions
and desirable moisture content exist, and the carbon to nitrogen ratio
(C/N) is such that the humus can be applied to the soil.11 Although
a C/N of 20 is widely accepted as the upper limit for final application
«
to the soil, the actual availability of the carbon and nitrogen is the
determining factor and, in practice, the ratio is often higher.11
The time required for digestion depends on the initial C/N if
proper moisture, particle size, and aerobic conditions are maintained.
Studies at the University of California on the windrow composting of
mixed refuse showed the following with regard to the more active decom-
position period7*11:
Initial C/N Approximate days required
tor composting
20 9-12
30-50 10-16
78 21
If optimum conditions exist and the initial C/N is 30 to 35, refuse
will take on the color and odor of humus in 2-5 days of active decompo-
sition.7 The C/N may not, however, be lowered by the decomposition to
a level satisfactory for most uses.7'11
15
-------
In practice, refuse has a higher initial C/N than is considered
optimum. More of the carbon is in the form of cellulose and lignin,
which resist decomposition. Gotaas doubts whether materials with a
high C/N or even with one above 25, can be adequately decomposed in 3
or 4 days if they contain cellulose or lignin.11 Thus, the high-rate
mechanized digesters produce a material that is given a curing period,
which includes further digestion without aeration.
Curing. Curing time to permit additional stabilization depends
on the use to be made of compost. If it is to be used in hotbeds, where
the heat of decomposition is desirable, it can be applied as soon as
the active stabilization phase is over. Compost can be applied with
little curing to fields or gardens that are not to be planted for some
months. If planting is to take place immediately, stabilization must
have advanced to the point at which further decomposition will not "rob"
the soil of nitrogen.
In a windrowing system that calls for frequent turning for aeration,
composting can be satisfactorily carried out in approximately six weeks
with another two weeks for curing and drying.
Mechanical processes use various curing periods. The Dano process
uses as little as 7 to 10 days storage for further stabilization after
the material leaves the digester.11 In Aukland, New Zealand, however,
where Dano digesters are also used, 3 to 4 months are given to curing. 5
At Altoona, Pennsylvania, where a Fairfield-Hardy digester is used, the
curing or maturing time is one to three weeks.21'22 The Naturizer-type
plant at St. Petersburg, Florida, is reported to provide 10 days to two
weeks for curing.22'23
16
-------
Finishing. Screening, grinding, or a combination of similar processes
is done to remove plastics, glass, and other materials from the compost
that might be objectionable in its use. If the compost is to be utilized
as an erosion control measure in isolated places, it can be applied with-
out being ground or screened. For the "luxury gardening" market, such
materials must be either removed or reduced to an acceptable size. Addi-
tional upgrading, such as pelletizing or fortifying with commercial ferti-
lizer, may also be accomplished to satisfy various markets.
Storage. The demand for compost in quantity is greatest in the
spring and fall. A plant must, therefore, provide storage space for
up to at least six months of production. The compost can be stored out-
doors in piles. The storage period can, in fact, serve as the curing
phase if the compost is put into low piles until heating has ceased and
is then piled higher. Compost can be stored for later finishing or the
finished product can be stored; it may have to be placed under cover.
Some Recent Applications of Composting
European Practice. Since 1960, the literature has contained reports
of about 2,600 composting plants operating outside the United States;
2,500 are small plants in India.21* About 100 plants have operated else-
where, including Great Britain (Table 2). Nine plants have operated
in West Germany since World War II but have processed less than 1 percent
of that nation's refuse.2 On the other hand, one-sixth of the refuse
collected in The Netherlands is processed in composting plants.25 The
van Maanen type plant, which was established in 1932, is still in operation
17
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and produces 160,000 tons of the country's annual total of 200,000 tons
of compost.25
The large number of composting plants in India is the result of
an intensive program whose objective is to utilize all organic wastes
on farmland. It was started by the government in 1944 and is still being
supported. By 1959, the annual production of compost was 3.34 million
tons. The Bangalore process is most commonly used. Hand labor, which
is plentiful and inexpensive, is used extensively. Land comprises the
major portion of capital costs, since the only construction needed is
a series of trenches.
Operational and cost data on some European and Middle Eastern com-
posting plants have recently been reported.14>15>25,43-48 Only a small
fraction of municipal refuse is composted in Europe; it ranges from less
than 1 percent in West Germany to 17 percent in The Netherlands. Opera-
tional data on selected plants are available (Table 3).
At 12 plants studied by Kupchick, which serve a total of 3,136,000
people, 45 percent of the refuse processed became compost. About 70
percent of the product was sold at an average of $2.73 per ton, which
is equivalent to about $0.90 per ton of refuse processed. ^ Conditions
which favor sales are not uniformly distributed and result in a wide
range of potential revenue. Most European cities have, therefore,
selected less expensive refuse disposal methods.
Buchs and Turgi in Switzerland are of particular interest. Incin-
eration is replacing composting there but the compost plants must remain
operational so that the product remains available for those who are
willing to buy it despite its high cost.
19
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Some recent proposals and projects for composting municipal refuse
in Europe and the Middle East were unsuccessful for reasons similar to
those reported in the United States. The municipalities or other opera-
ting agencies did not choose to provide the additional financial support
required for composting and selected a less expensive disposal alternative.
(The additional support is needed to cover the increased production and
utilization costs, and it might be furnished in the future if other than
strict economic factors are considered. Some of the added costs might
be recovered in the form of the agricultural and other benefits derived
from using compost.)
Some plants have such features as recycling of the compost, com-
plicated materials-handling or processing procedures, or the use of
inocula, which add to production expense; these reflect intensive promo-
tional efforts. On occasion, provision is made to pay the municipality
for the raw refuse; this is invariably an explicit warning of financial
problems to come. In Tehran (where construction on a partially completed
plant was halted) and Istanbul (where construction never proceeded beyond
the ground-breaking stage) published estimates of potential revenues
from compost sales ranged from half to the full wholesale value of all
the fruits and vegetables entering each city. » >
Information from Israel presents a mixed picture. Michaels reported
that in five of the seven districts which form the State of Israel, either
windrow or Dano composting plants are utilized to process refuse from
43 percent of the total population.51 The largest operating plant in
the world is the windrow plant at Tel Aviv; the newest is the Dano plant
21
-------
for 120,000 of Jerusalem's population. However, in the Ashkelon area
to the south, an existing windrow plant is to be replaced by a sanitary
landfill.
Cost figures from Europe and the Middle East are consistent with
those reported by municipal compost plants elsewhere, including plants
in the tropics, whether closed down as at Kingston in Jamaica40 or opera-
ting as at Bangkok, Thailand.5'2'53
United States Practice. Prior to 1950, composting of municipal
refuse received almost no attention in the United States. The need for
new disposal methods, accompanied by an interest in returning organic
wastes to the soil, stimulated basic studies and research on composting
of organic wastes.5"10 Eighteen composting plants were funded between
1951 and December 1969 (Table 4). As of the latter date, plants at Altoona,
San Juan, Houston, and Johnson City were operating at essentially design
capacity, those at Boulder, Mobile, and St. Petersburg were operating
on a demand basis, and the Gainesville plant had recently closed down
while alternative means of support were sought to replace the assistance
previously provided under a U.S. Public Health Service grant. One plant,
at New York, was under construction under a $1.3 million loan that had
been provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce to provide employment
in an economically stagnant area.56 Except for the Johnson City plant,
which is a Federally supported research project, present planning requires
significant sales of compost in order for the plants to be viable.
22
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24
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CHAPTER III
ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL, AND MICROBIOLOGICAL
ASPECTS OF COMPOSTING
As systematized and mechanized composting operations were developed,
engineering problems increased. Various digestion arrangements were
developed and patented, and some work was done on special grinders. In
most cases, the material-handling equipment used had been developed for
other industries and modified to process refuse. Although considerable
laboratory or small-scale work has been done in the last 20 years in
the United States and the basic technologies are known, adequate experi-
ence in design and operating compost plants has not yet been accumulated.
As a result, most plants have gone through a period of "cutting and try-
ing" with different types of machinery and plant layouts before going
into production.
The laboratory work done on the physical and chemical aspects of
composting serves as a basis for process control in full-scale plants.
The extreme heterogeneity of raw refuse and other factors, however, re-
sult in the composting of mixed municipal refuse being practiced, in-
some respects, as an art with laboratory research serving as a guide.
This chapter discusses the general engineering, chemical, and micro-
biological aspects of composting, based on observations made and data
25
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accumulated over nearly two years at Johnson City and a year at Gaines-
ville. (Separate reports present the details of the engineering, chemical,
and microbiological studies performed at these plants.)17'18
Engineering Aspects
General Design Criteria. A number of criteria must be considered
in designing and operating a compost plant. One is to obtain all the
information possible about the population to be served and the amount
and type of refuse it generates. For example, a domestic refuse high
in cellulose may make the material resistant to attack by microorganisms,57
and the composting process may have to be changed accordingly.
On a national scale, seven pounds of urban (domestic, commercial,
institutional, and municipal) solid wastes are generated per capita per
day. This figure includes garbage, rubbish, trash, ashes, demolition
debris, street sweepings, dead animals, abandoned vehicles, etc.; it
does not include industrial or agricultural solid wastes. The amounts
collected vary according to seasonal, climatic, and socioeconomic factors.
Production rates for individual areas must, therefore, be determined
by surveys.
A second design criterion is the length of the workweek. Thus,
a plant operating on a five-day workweek is required to accept refuse
at 1.4 times the rate for a seven-day design capacity.
Another factor is the number of shifts to be worked per day. To
process equal amounts of material, a plant operating on two shifts does
not need some of the large refuse-handling machinery or grinders that
26
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a one-shift operation has to use. The receiving area must, however,
allow for storage for processing during the second shift of about one-
half of the refuse delivered to the plant during the day. Digestion,
storage, and curing elements must be sized for the total tonnage received.
Refuse Handling. Plants must provide an area appropriately designed
for receiving refuse and large enough to store at least one day's deliv-
ery. The refuse moves from the receiving area to size-reducing equipment,
frequently via a picking station, where salvageable items, noncompostables,
and large items that might damage equipment are removed.
The flow of refuse from the receiving area should be controlled.
Some hoppers are discharged to an oscillating belt to achieve this con-
trol while others may use a leveling gate. Arching or bridging often
occurs in the receiving hopper and may be more acute if a leveling gate
is used.17 The operation often proceeds more smoothly if one or both
of the hopper's long sides are nearly vertical.
If the incoming refuse has been compacted, as in a transfer trailer,
it must be broken up and pushed into the hopper. A front end loader
has been successfully used for this purpose.1'
Endless moving belts are widely used to carry refuse from station
to station. When hand picking is practiced, the bed of refuse should
not be more than 6 inches deep; belt width and speed are the determining
factors. If the belt is too wide, the pickers cannot reach its center.
If the belt traverses any space outside a building, covers must be pro-
vided. They must be easily removable and high enough and wide enough
that refuse does not catch on them. Sideboards or skirts should be used
to keep refuse from falling from the belt.
27
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Ground refuse moves more easily than raw. The belts should be wide
enough or have sideboards to prevent spillage and minimize cleanup prob-
lems. Bucket elevators work well in lifting ground refuse, and screw
feeds can be used to move it horizontally in troughs. Narrow openings,
restrictions, or chutes must be avoided because ground refuse clogs easily.
In freezing weather, it may be necessary to heat the belts where
they come in contact with the end pulleys. Wipers should be installed
on the belts near the drop-off points, so that refuse, especially ground
refuse, does not stick to the returning undersides and drop on the floor.
Hoppers and bins that hold refuse or ground refuse only temporarily
should have moving belts in their floor or have openings large enough
for the refuse to be pulled by gravity through the bottom.
Separation of Noncompostables and Salvage. Most plants remove as
many noncompostables (wood, plastics, glass, metals, rags, etc.) as possible
before the refuse reaches the size-reducing equipment. If this is not
done, some picking of bulky items is necessary, either at the receiving
point or from a belt, to protect the equipment. When salvaging is prac-
ticed, the material removed is usually classified, and an effort is often
made to remove paper. At Johnson City, where no salvaging is practiced,
two pickers can handle up to 60 tons of refuse in six to eight hours.17
In Gainesville, where paper and metals are salvaged, six pickers are
used to process 125 tons per day.18
At most plants, ferrous metals are removed by magnetic separators.
These may be in the form of a permanently magnetized head pulley installed
on the raw or ground refuse belt or an overhand type that uses an electro-
magnet. If two grinders are used in series, the magnetic separator may
be located between them.
28
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Rejected material at Johnson City has averaged 26 percent by weight
of the incoming refuse.17 At Gainesville, about 10 percent is removed
as salvaged paper while another 10 to 30 percent is rejected.18 Some
composting plants are trying to salvage up to half the incoming refuse
by using special mechanical devices. Rejected, unsalvageable material
must be moved to a disposal site. A market is usually available for
paper and metal, and cans, glass, and certain plastics can be sold in
some areas.
In Europe, refuse often has a high ash content. Rotary and vibrating
screens are sometimes used to remove the ash from raw refuse before it
is ground.58
Comminution. Refuse is usually ground or shredded to improve
materials-handling and digestion operations. Most of the machines now
used were originally designed for use with homogeneous types of materials.
The most common grinding device is the hammermill. It usually con-
sists of high-speed swing hammers connected symmetrically on a horizontal
shaft and cutter bars that have grate openings through which the refuse
is forced. Refuse fed into the mill is comminuted by the application
of high tensile and shearing forces. Tensile force is applied as the
swinging hammers flail the refuse against the breaker plates. The shear-
ing forces come into play as the hammers force the refuse through the
grate openings. Hammers are of various types, and some are better suited
than others to produce the shredding action needed. Several types of
double-rotor mills have been developed in Europe,58 and at least one
is manufactured in the United States.
29
-------
Hairanermills require relatively large motors and must have the capa-
city and power to handle a flow of refuse that resists grinding; the
capacity depends on the particle size desired. It is common practice
to use two mills in series; the first produces a rough grind while the
second reduces the particles to two inches in the largest dimension.
Refuse is abrasive and the hammers must be frequently refaced. It has
been found at Johnson City that the hammers need rebuilding after 30
to 40 hours of use.17
Since hammermills operate at 1,200 to 3,500 rpm, they produce noise
and vibration. The machines should, therefore, be mounted on dampening
materials, and the feed chute should be flexible or have a flexible con-
nection.
A specialized shredder or rasper developed in The Netherlands con-
sists of a large vertical cylinder that surrounds a vertical shaft on
which heavy arms are mounted. They rotate horizontally above a perforated
floor. Pins or studs, mounted in panels on the floor and along the sides
of the cylinder, shred the refuse, and the particles then fall through
the perforations. The revolving arms are hinged and swing when they
meet resistance.
Raspers operate more slowly than hammermills and require less power,
but they have a greater initial cost and require more floor space. Per-
formance data indicate that the perforated plates and pin plates in the
10-tons-per-hour (rated capacity) rasper at Johnson City, need replacing
after grinding about 10,000 tons of refuse (approximately 1,500 operating
hours).17
30
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Refuse must build up in the grinding compartment for about 20 min-
utes before effective grinding begins. If the flow of refuse stops,
the machine runs at a diminishing rate of production until empty. It
should, therefore, be kept full throughout the day for the greatest effi-
ciency. The perforated floor acts as a sieve and retains oversize material
that can be discharged at intervals through a chute. Raspers must be
cleaned out frequently, but they are so designed that workmen can easily
enter the grinding compartment.
Since large pieces of dry cardboard may build up in the machine
and overload it, water is sometimes sprayed on the refuse either before
it reaches the rasper or after entering it. This procedure may prove
disadvantageous if sewage sludge is to be added after grinding, because
the refuse may become excessively moist if the sludge is not sufficiently
dewatered.
Wet pulpers, such as the one at Altoona, Pennsylvania, where cans,
bottles, and other noncompostable items are not normally received in
the garbage are also used to comminute refuse. They consist of a large
bowl that holds a rotatable steel plate studded with hardened steel teeth.
After the bowl has been partially filled with water and the plate is
rotating at about 650 rpm, raw refuse is dumped in. It is whirled against
the teeth and shredded. The resulting slurry, which contains about 5
percent refuse solids, is subsequently discharged through a horizontal
bar screen. It must be dewatered by 40 to 50 percent to be digested.
Addition of Sewage Sludge and Other Organic Wastes. Sewage sludge
may be satisfactorily composted along with a community's refuse. The
31
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cost is about the same, in some cases less, as for conventional systems
that use anaerobic digestion, drying beds, and subsequent disposal.17
It is usually mixed into ground refuse in mixing drums.
When using sludge, the water content of the ground refuse-sludge
mixture will normally be greater than that desired for composting unless
the sludge is dewatered somewhat. Certain factors must, however, be
considered when sewage sludge is added (Figures 1-3).
It is not practical to use sludge prior to rasper operations because
it contaminates the refuse, which may have to be later cleaned from the
rasper. Water is, therefore, often added before and during the grinding
process. The amount used has an effect on the sludge dewatering operation.
When a hammermill is used, water is added after grinding, and all of
it may normally be obtained from sewage sludge.
Raw sludge is preferred to digested sludge because it can be dewatered
more readily and has a higher nutrient content. (Digested sludge can,
nevertiieless, be used.) The amount of dewatering necessary depends on
the ratio of sludge to refuse to be processed and the initial water con-
tent of the sludge and the refuse as received. Depending on the amount
to be removed, dewatering can be accomplished in gravity tanks equipped
with vacuum filters, in centrifuges, or by using rotating cell gravity
filters. Gravity tanks with picket agitators may suffice in many cases.
In humid climates, water is removed mechanically from sludge and refuse.
Adding other organic wastes to municipal refuse before it is com-
posted appears feasible as a method to dispose of such wastes. The
composting process is apparently not affected, and the nutrient contents
of the compost may, in fact, increase.17
32
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o
o
=J
o
2
<
100
95
90
85
80
Refuse-sludge exceeds 60 percent
moisture (wet weight)
Refuse-sludge less thon 60 percent
moisture (wet weight)
10
20
30
40
50
PERCENT MOISTURE CONTENT OF INCOMING REFUSE
(wet weight)
Figure 2. Refuse is not uniform in its water content. To obtain
a desired 60 percent moisture level in the ground refuse-sludge mixture,
the amount of deuatering required will change with the change in
moisture content of the refuse. The refuse is received at a rate of
4.2 Ib per capita per day before removal of 25 percent noncompostables.
The refuse and sludge are from the same population with sludge (3
percent solids) generated at 0.119 Ib per capita per day.
100
98
96
o 94
92
90
.2 .3
.4
.5
.7 .8 .9 1.0
Ratio:
Population generating sludge
Population generating refuse
Figure 1. Assuming that a water content of 60 percent is to be
maintained in the sewage-sludge-refuse mixture, sewage from only 27
percent of the population can be handled as received, where the refuse
Is generated at a rate of 2 Ib per capita per day. However, at a per
capita generation of 4.2 Ib refuse per day, about 50 percent of the
sewage sludge generated can be handled without dewatering, assuming
3 percent solids. Refuse received with 35 percent moisture (wet weight).
Sludge solids are generated at .119 Ib per capita per day. Rejects
amount to 25 percent of incoming refuse.^
33
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250
UJ
oo
200
o »>
o
"> s.
150
O c
uo -2 100
•«• o
O en
50
20
30
40
50
PERCENT MOISTURE CONTENT OF INCOMING REFUSE
(wet weight)
Figure 3. The amount of sewage sludge (gallons) at 3 percent
solids that can be used without dewatering varies in direct proportion
to the moisture content of the incoming refuse. Actual amount of
refuse ground and mixed with sludge would be 75 percent of that
received. These proportions would result in a mixture containing
60 percent water by wet weight.
34
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Efforts have been made to have water added automatically by an
electrical-mechanical system, but such techniques have not worked well.
Experienced plant operators can often tell by the mixture's appearance
and handling characteristics when a moisture range of 50 to 60 percent
has been reached.
Digestion. Aerobic composting or digestion is carried on in windrows
or in such enclosures as aerated tanks or bins. The success of any
aerobic method depends on aeration, mixing, and maintaining the proper
moisture content. In most plants, efforts are made to maintain aerobic
conditions to avoid odors, obtain higher temperatures, and achieve more
rapid decomposition.
Experience has shown that unground refuse can be composted, but
normally it is first ground so that the particles average 1-1/2 to 2-1/2
inches in their largest dimension. This encourages rapid decomposition
either in windrows or in enclosed systems. At Wijster and Mierlo in
The Netherlands, however, unground refuse is windrowed according to the
van Maanen process, which calls for only one turning; composting takes
four to six months. In the Dano system, the refuse usually introduced
into the digester is unground. The constant turning of the drum reduces
the size of the particles as they are digested. Where windrow turners
are used, they may also shred the material as they mix it.
In the windrowing process, aeration and mixing can be accomplished
by using a front-end loader or a clamshell bucket on a crane. Turning
machines with a shoveling or screw arrangement are also used. These
turners are designed to pick up the material from a belt and place it
35
-------
on the ground. Another type turning machine, with a rotating drum on
which teeth are mounted, straddles the windrow and turns it in place.
Some preliminary turning experiments conducted at Johnson City in-
dicated that the windrow should be turned at least once a week.17 Two
turnings per week produced the best decomposition; more frequent turnings
proved less efficient because temperatures in the windrows dropped.
(Higher temperatures are needed to destroy pathogens.) The degree of
decomposition obtained was determined on the basis of appearance, odor,
and low carbon content.
In windrow composting where supplemental aeration is not normally
provided, the moisture in the material must be kept at 50 to 60 percent
by wet weight to keep maximum decomposition proceeding. If the moisture
content is higher, water fills the voids in the compost and slows the
biological process by denying it sufficient oxygen. On the other hand,
dry windrows may cool and fail to decompose properly; water is, therefore,
incorporated into the mass. In wet weather, the windrows may have to
be turned frequently to help release the moisture. Too much wetness
may cause the decomposition to become anaerobic and give rise to odors.
At Johnson City, windrows normally remain in the field for at least six
weeks and temperatures of up to 160F are maintained.17 The compost is
then moved to a curing shed where it is allowed to dry for two weeks
or longer. Experience has indicated that high relative humidity will
prevent satisfactory air drying.
In enclosed composting systems, forced or natural draft air is
provided for digestion. The material is intermittently turned in the
36
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tank by a special apparatus or constantly turned by mixers, rakes, or
the rotating digester. Digestion takes 3 to 10 days; the longer period
produces a more stable product.
As in windrow composting, insufficient oxygen in an enclosed di-
gester creates odors and slow digestion. Water content must be main-
tained at between 50 to 60 percent. This level may be higher if means
for efficient air transfer have been provided. Temperature profiles
are comparable to those observed in windrow composting.
At Gainesville, the refuse is kept for about two weeks in two par-
allel digestion tanks, each 330 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 10 feet
deep. Air is periodically introduced through perforated plates in the
bottom. The tanks are equipped with movable conveyors for removing the
compost; the conveyors can also mix the material but are not used for
this purpose.
Curing. The period of active, rapid, digestion is followed by a
slower stabilization period, called curing. In the windrowing process,
if proper conditions for decomposition are maintained, digestion and
curing form a continuum. Compost is usually removed from the field and
cured under cover. It is then ready for many uses, but further stabili-
zation or curing goes on for months.
Finishing. Compost can be used for various purposes as received
from the windrowing field or digester. Often, however, it does not
have uniform-size particles and may contain bits of plastic, glass, or
other nondecomposable objects. It is usual practice, therefore, to
finish the compost by regrinding and screening it. When these steps
37
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are taken, the moisture content should not exceed approximately 30 per-
cent by wet weight. This may vary, however, depending on the finishing
process used and the desired results. In proper climatic conditions,
air drying alone may yield a product dry enough for satisfactory finish-
ing, but mechanical dryers may have to be used in humid and wet areas.
At Johnson City, air drying has proved difficult all year, especially
during wet winter months.17
Hammermills may be used for regrinding. Screens can be rotary or
vibrating types and have perforated plate, square mesh, or piano wire
type screening elements with openings up to 1/2 inch. In the last type,
the transverse wires (which are very taut and are perpendicular to the
flow of compost) can be at least 1/4 inch apart and the longitudinal
supporting wires up to 10 inches apart.
Regrinding can precede or follow screening. In the latter case, the
material retained by the screen is sent to the grinder and then screened
again. Small particles of glass, whose presence is usually objectionable,
can be removed by machines using one or more of the principles described
later.
For some uses, such as land reclamation or erosion control in iso-
lated places, compost need not be finished. For general agriculture,
a coarse grind is satisfactory, whereas for horticultural and luxury
gardening the product must be finer. Reground and screened compost is
ready for use as a soil conditioner or may serve as a carrier for fertil-
izers and blended products. Pelletizing, especially with blending, is
sometimes done.
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Storage. The use of compost in quantity is seasonal, being more
in demand during the spring and fall. A plant must, therefore, be able
to store its production for six months or more. Curing and storage can
be combined by piling the compost after its heat has diminished or dis-
appeared. Rough compost can be stored for later grinding or the finished
product may be stored. Storing in the open may be feasible in some
cases.
Special Problems
Glass Removal. Glass removal presents a problem. Pieces and articles
of glass are broken as the refuse is collected and transported to the
plant as well as by the receiving and processing machines; complete re-
moval is, therefore, impossible. Glass crushers, often simply two
spring-loaded rollers that exert pressure on each other, are sometimes
used to break the material into small sizes.58 Hammermills can pulverize
glass particles to some extent, but a rasper's capability is minimal.
Many European plants have an apparatus that uses gravity and the
differences in the inertial energy and resiliency of particles to remove
glass (Figure 4).58 A ballistic separator impels the material horizon-
tally or at a slight upward angle. Dense and resilient particles travel
farther than those that are soft and nonresilient. Although the separa-
tion is not definitive, it is satisfactory. The "secator" relies on
gravity and particle elasticity to remove heavy and resilient bits of
material. The bounce plate is so positioned that the compost or ground
refuse lands forward of the center of rotation of the drum and is carried
39
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BALLISTIC SEPARATOR
ORGANIC PARTICLES
INORGANIC
PARTICLES
SECATOR
INCLINED CONVEYOR
SEPARATOR
BOUNCE
PLATE
PULLEY
HEAVY AND
RESILIENT
PARTICLES
LIGHT AND
INELASTIC
PARTICLES
HEAVY AND RESILIENT
PARTICLES
LIGHT AND INELASTIC
PARTICLES
Figure 4. Types of inertial separators.
40
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to the far bin. The resilient particles bounce off the plate to hit
the drum back of the center of rotation and bounce into the near bin.
In the inclined conveyor separator, the belt is made of steel plates.
Heavy and resilient particles bounce down while softer ones continue
upward and are deposited in another container.
Another type of separator, known as a "stoner," employs a diagonally
inclined, perforated, vibrating table or plate. The material to be
separated is deposited on the plate and is "fluidized" by an upward flow
of air through the plate. The lighter particles are thereby separated
from the heavier ones and are transferred across the plate, then down
to a discharge point. Heavier particles are carried upward and dis-
charged at the top.
Plastics Removal. Removing plastic film and similar items may also
present special problems. Some film can be removed by pneumatic devices,
but their development has not been perfected. Dense plastic particles
also give trouble. Small, flexible items can be deformed to allow them
to pass through a hammermill or a rasper, after which they resume their
shape in the ground refuse. Salvaging molded plastics is being investi-
gated in some areas.
Handling Problems. Compost requires special material-handling tech-
niques. It tends to stick to chutes, sides of hoppers, inside surfaces
of dump trucks, etc. One operator in this country has used a Teflon
compound on the inside surfaces of dump trucks that carry large quantities
of compost. Bulk shipments in railroad cars present unloading problems,
because the compost will not flow by gravity from conventional cars,
as do coal or crushed stone.
41
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Weight and Volume Losses. As previously mentioned, 20 to 30 percent
(by wet weight) of the incoming refuse is not compostable, and some of
this is removed. The remaining refuse is comminuted to aid the digestion
process, which, in turn, further reduces the volume. The weight lost
is in the form of the two principal products of decomposition, carbon
dioxide and water; it amounts to 20 to 30 percent of the dry weight.
Experience gained at Johnson City and Gainesville indicates that
each ton of incoming refuse will yield, after processing, about 1,000
pounds of compost having a moisture content of approximately 30 percent.17'18
The volume reduction achieved in composting has created considerable
interest in preparing refuse for landfilling by grinding it or by grind-
ing then composting it. In addition to occupying less space, the ground
material has other apparent advantages: it looks better than raw refuse,
does not contain large pieces of paper that can blow about, and is less
attractive to rodents. If it has been composted as well as ground, the
refuse has an even better appearance, gives off fewer odors, restricts
fly breeding, requires less or possibly no cover, and occupies less area.
Since it has been digested, the compost—if well composted—should subside
less and produce less gas than raw refuse. It has been estimated that
if a given amount of raw refuse were divided into equal parts, one of
which was buried untreated in a landfill and the other was first composted,
the latter would occupy 21 percent less space.60
Another source states that if refuse containing noncompostables
is ground and then composted, it can double the life expectancy of the
standard sanitary landfill for a given depth of
42
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Work being done at Madison, Wisconsin, has shown that milled refuse,
compacted to a depth of six feet with a D-8 bulldozer, takes up only
about half the volume in a landfill as unmilled refuse handled in accord-
ance with usual sanitary landfill practices.62 Further reduction in
volume may be achieved by using special compactors. It is likely that
if the material had also been composted, even less space would have been
required. At Johnson City, 42-day-old compost has 28 percent less volume
than ground but uncomposted refuse. This compost, however, does not
contain the proportion of noncompostables contained in the previously
mentioned raw refuse.17'63
These observations indicate that if refuse is milled (except items
that could jam or damage the machinery) and then composted, its volume
is reduced by at least half. Composting costs in this case would be
reduced as there would be little sorting, compost could be removed from
the digesters as soon as a practical point of decomposition had been
reached, no curing or drying period would be needed, and no finishing
would be required.
Epilog. Only general engineering problems, and some solutions,
have been discussed. Although many plants have had to use a "cut and
try" approach to design, construction, and operation, there does exist
sufficient knowledge to permit a good engineering design of compost plants.
The problems are varied, and many have offered a new challenge to the
design engineer. However, with proper techniques the problems can be
overcome. It would be reasonable to expect, as in the case with many
past products, that if compost plants become popular, along with good
43
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product development programs, equipment, buildings, and engineering,
problems will become more routine and relatively less expensive to handle.
It is not intended to imply that the actual cost of composting will de-
crease in the future. It may be possible, however, that the differences
that exist today between the cost of composting and the costs of other
refuse treatment methods may decrease in the future.
Environmental Aspects
Composting plants may affect the surrounding environment and the
neighborhoods in which they are situated, because they are potential
sources of odors and may provide breeding places for flies and rodents.
Good management, especially the maintenance of aerobic conditions in
the composting refuse, can, however, minimize the odor problem. Managers
should insist on meticulous housekeeping and avoid holding unground ref-
use from one day to another.
Adult flies and fly larvae and pupae are brought into a plant with
the refuse, especially if the collection system does not provide frequent
pickups. At the receiving point, the application of a residual insecti-
cide around the unloading apron and on the walls of the receiving building
has successfully killed larvae migrating from the refuse.17 Grinding
also destroys many of the larvae and pupae.
Flies are also attracted to fresh ground refuse, and they may breed
during the digestion period if proper conditions are not maintained.
On the other hand, the temperatures reached in aerobic composting are
lethal to fly larvae and eggs.11 Care should, therefore, be taken to
44
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ensure that all portions of the windrows reach these temperatures.
This can be done b\ proper shaping and piling prior to turning. If the
windrows are turned approximately every three days, this may also aid
in controlling flies by breaking their life cycle.11'17 The judicious
use of an insecticide will also help.17 Rodents can be controlled with
poisons and by denying them hiding places.
Noise and dust may be hazardous to the workers. Since hammermills
can generate intolerable noises, they should be isolated from the build-
ing by dampening materials. Materials falling into a metal-sided reject
hopper from a picking station may also cause excessive noise. Lining
with wood or some other soft material can ameliorate this condition.
In areas where much coal is burned, ash-impregnated refuse may be
a problem because of the dust generated. The same could be true if street
sweepings are part of the refuse.
Chemical Aspects
Carbon-Nitrogen Relationship. The rate at which organic matter
decomposes is determined principally by the relative amounts of carbon
and nitrogen present. In living organisms, the ratio is about 30 to
1 and, theoretically, this should be the optimum ratio in municipal ref-
use also.11 In actual practice, however, it is much higher. Composting,
nevertheless, can successfully create a product suitable for agricultural
use, since it is pathogen- and nuisance-free and is produced in a reason-
able length of time from refuse having initial carbon-to-nitrogen ratios
ranging from 21 to 78.5t+
45
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As composting proceeds, the causative organisms use the carbon for
energy and the nitrogen for cell building. The C/N becomes smaller with
time, since the nitrogen remains in the system while the carbon is re-
leased as carbon dioxide.
If fresh or insufficiently decomposed compost, with high carbon
and low nitrogen values, is applied to soil, the continuing microbial
activity could, in theory, rob the soil of nitrogen if the ratio exceeds
20:1. In practice, however, a higher ratio can be tolerated if the carbon
is not readily available to the organisms, i.e., is in the form of paper.11*57
Experience at Johnson City indicates that refuse with an initial
ratio of between 39 and 49 will decompose in about six weeks into a com-
post with a ratio of between 28 and 35, a median reduction of 27 percent.
The product is safe with respect to health, has a satisfactory appearance
and odor, and is comparable to that produced by other plants and systems.17
In preliminary experiments at Gainesville on refuse and refuse-sludge
mixtures, the initial ratios generally ranged from 57 to 68. After di-
gestion, the span was 54 to 59, a 6 to 14 percent reduction.1*3
Composition of Compost. The composition of compost varies widely,
and data have been collected on the values of certain constituents ob-
served at Johnson City (Table 5). Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
sodium, and calcium occur mostly in a combined form; iron and aluminum,
and possibly magnesium and copper, are present primarily as uncombined
metals. The values found for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium,
and percent ash correspond to those found by investigators of other
composts,65
46
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TABLE 5
ELEMENTS IN 42-DAY-OLD COMPOST AT JOHNSON CITY
Element
Carbon
Nitrogen
Potassium
Sodium
Calcium
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Iron
Aluminum
Copper
Manganese
Nickel
Zinc
Boron
Mercury
Lead
Percent dry weight
(average)
Containing sludge
(3%-5%)
33.07
0.94
0.28
0.42
1.41
0.28
1.56
1.07
1.19
<0.05
<0.05
<0.01
<0.005
<0.0005
not detected
not detected
Without sludge
32.89
0.91
0.33
0.41
1.91
0.22
1.92
1.10
1.15
<0.03
<0.05
<0.01
<0.005
<0.0005
not detected
not detected
Range
(all samples)
26.23 - 37.53
0.85 - 1.07
0.25 - 0.40
0.36 - 0.51
0.75 - 3.11
0.20 - 0.34
0.83 - 2.52
0.55 - 1.68
0.32 - 2.67
47
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Gotaas has reported that the organic content of compost is between
25 and 50 percent by dry weight11; at Johnson City, it has been 60 to
70 percent for finished compost.17
Compost is not a fertilizer but is comparable to a good topsoil
because of its nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content. Since it
has a high organic content, it helps to provide good tilth, water-holding
capacity, and nutrient-retaining capacity when mixed with poor soils.
Although such elements as iron and aluminum occur in relatively
high amounts, they are present as metals and metal oxides and should
not pose any problems. Aluminum is a major constituent of most soils,
and causes difficulties only in very acid soils, those with a pH well
below 5.0.
As is the case with fertilizers, liming agents, and other materials
placed on the soil, consideration should be given to the effects of
soluble salts present in compost and drainage must be provided so that
they do not accumulate in the soil.
Moisture in Composting. To achieve the greatest decomposition,
the water content of compost should be maintained at 50 to 60 percent
by wet weight, and aeration should be provided. As water is added, the
compost becomes more compact and this reduces the amount of air present.
Anaerobic conditions then arise and objectionable odors are created.
If too much water is introduced, the material becomes difficult to handle
and to dry for finishing. On the other hand, if the mositure content
falls below 50 percent, high temperatures are achieved in the center
of the mass and it gives off few odors, but the rate of decomposition
slows.
48
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Composting Temperatures. Temperature readings made in a composting
mass may indicate the amount of biochemical activity taking place. A
drop in temperature could mean that the material needs to be aerated
or moistened or that decomposition is in a late stage.
It has been noted that the windrowing method produces a typical
temperature profile. Temperatures between 150F and 160F (66C to 71C)
are easily reached and maintained for about 10 days (Figure 5). Tempera-
tures between 140F and 150F (60C to 66C) can be kept for about three
weeks. Temperatures of up to 170F (77C) have been observed in the center
of a composting mass. Time-temperature relations are important in free-
ing the compost of pathogens.17 At Johnson City, it has been found that
a single weekly temperature reading will help determine if composting
is progressing normally and that temperatures necessary to destroy patho-
gens are being maintained. '
At Gainesville, the compost has sometimes reached 180F (82C) on
the sixth day of composting in open-tank digesters. Forced aeration
is used at this plant, but agitation is provided only intermittently
or not at all.18
On the Fairfield-Hardy digester at Altoona, Pennsylvania, tempera-
tures between 140F and 160F (60C and 71C) are normally attained and
occasionally rise to 176F (79C). In this enclosed system, the compost-
ing material is continually agitated for 7 to 9 days; forced aeration
is used.
Composting pH. The initial pH of refuse at Johnson City is usually
between 5 and 7 unless a large amount of alkaline material is present.
49
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50
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On an average, the refuse is at least three days old when It arrives.
The pH drops to 5 or below in the first two to three days of composting
and then begins to rise; it usually levels off at about 8.5 and remains
there as long as aerobic conditions are maintained (Figure 6). If the
compost becomes anaerobic, as it does when stored in deep piles at Gaines-
ville, the pH drops to about 4.5.18
Ordinarily, pH is not used for process control, but if an operator
knows the normal pattern it follows, he may be alerted to the presence
of unusual substances if differences are noted.
Microbiological Aspects
General. Composting as a microbiological process is the conversion
of biodegradable organic matter to a stable humus by indigenous flora,
including bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, which are widely distributed
in nature. In composting, however, such selective factors as moisture
content, oxygen availability, pH, temperature, and the carbon/nitrogen
ratio determine the prevalence and succession of microbial populations.
As Waksman, Cordon, and Hulpoi have pointed out in extensive studies
on the aerobic composting of manure and other organic matter, a variety
of microorganisms has a number of specific functions, all of which are
interrelated in the total process.66 During the course of composting,
both qualitative and quantitative changes occur in the active micro-
flora; some species multiply rapidly at first, change the environment,
and then disappear to allow other populations to succeed them.
51
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When composting begins, the mesophilic flora (microorganisms able
to grow in the 77F to 113F (25C to 45C) temperature range) predominate
and are responsible for most of the metabolic activity that occurs. This
increases the temperature of the composting materials, and the mesophilic
populations are replaced by thermophilic species, those that thrive at
temperatures about 113F (45C). This rise in temperature is influenced
to a great extent by oxygen availability. When municipal refuse is com-
posted at Johnson City, for example, windrows kept for the most part
aerobic reach temperatures up to 167F (75C) and produce few objectionable
odors. When a windrow is allowed to become anaerobic through lack of
turning, however, the temperature peaks at about 130F (55C) and drops
much lower after the first two weeks of composting.
Even though composting materials usually contain a wide range of
active flora, many attempts have been made to develop an inoculum of
microorganisms that would speed the decomposition process. Their use
has, however, usually proved to be of little value.11 Nevertheless,
it would seem worthwhile to study the merit of adding nitrogen, phosphorus,
or other elements to supply essential nutrients for the active flora
in the composting of straw, paper, and other materials that, alone, are
nutritionally unbalanced. 7,68 -p^g ^ey £0 successful composting in the
United States may well depend on acquiring the ability to degrade the
increasingly high concentrations of cellulose found in solid wastes.57
Advances in this area appear to depend on the gathering of more knowledge
about the functions of specific flora in the composting process, a field
in which relatively little research has been done.
53
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Pathogen Survival in Composting. Studies conducted at Johnson City
and by Morgan and MacDonald indicate that properly managed windrow com-
posting turns out a product that is safe for agricultural and gardening
use.17»69 Proper management consists of keeping the moisture content
at between 50 and 60 percent by wet weight, maintaining aerobic conditions
by turning the material periodically, and assuring that the windrows
are throughly mixed.
Specifically, investigations made at Johnson City in conjunction
with East Tennessee State University showed that:
1. Pathogenic bacteria that may be associated with sewage
sludge and municipal refuse were destroyed by the composting
process after being inserted into windrows;
2. There was a consistent, inverse relationship between
the number of total and fecal coliforms in the compost and
the windrow temperatures recorded. A heat range of 120F to
130F was sufficient to reduce the coliform populations
significantly, often to a level at which they could not be
detected by the Most Probable Numbers Method. Significant
numbers of coliforms reappeared, however, when the tempera-
ture dropped during the last stages of the composting process.
3. M. tuberculosis was normally destroyed by the 14th day
of composting if the temperature had averaged 149F (65C).
In all cases, the organisms were destroyed by the 21st day.
4. Composting that attains a temperature range of 130F or
higher for as little as 30 minutes also deactivates the
polio virus.
54
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5. There are no references in the literature to any sani-
tation workers having been infected by fungi as a result of
handling solid wastes. This suggests that there should be
no restrictions put on the use of compost.
No extensive studies regarding pathogen survival in
mechanical composting systems in the United States have
been completed, but there are indications that the product
is safe to use if it has been properly mixed in a
mechanical digester-composter and then cured.
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CHAPTER IV
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Composting in the United States has not been looked upon as a method
of waste disposal but as a business; as such, it has had an unsuccessful
history. Considering it as a disposal method, the expectation of a
profit or an income to balance the cost adds a burden not imposed upon
landfilling or incineration. Thus, one deterrent to more widespread
development of composting as a means of municipal solid waste treatment
in this country has been this widely advanced premise that composting
must produce a profit, or at least pay its own way. No other method
of waste disposal or treatment is expected to accomplish such a goal.
In the last 20 years, the technology of composting municipal refuse
has been investigated rather intensively, and there is the knowledge
and equipment to enable engineers to design mechanized compost plants
and to produce compost. Although corresponding information on costs
is much less satisfactory, it has become increasingly apparent that com-
posting is not an inexpensive method of refuse treatment.
This chapter considers the monetary aspects of composting. Further
research in the use of compost in agriculture and land management may
help to furnish a gauge by which to measure economic benefits not now
quantified. Elements of the cost of disposal by composting, expressed
57
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as a gross cost per ton for processing raw refuse, and the credits that
may accrue from salvage, the sale of compost, and other considerations
are discussed.
A reader attempting to discover the cost of composting is confronted
with an array of costs ranging from about $2.50 to $20.00 per ton of
refuse processed.70'7 Cost figures for individual plants are available
but variations in size, methods of operation, plant complement and wage
scales, number of shifts, accounting systems, financing details, land
costs, and final disposal make comparisons almost impossible. Until
recently, the principal source of such information was Europe. To apply
costs developed in Europe or elsewhere to composting in the United States
is even more difficult. Because of this lack of reliable cost data on
the construction and true operating costs of composting plants in general,
the major portion of the information that follows is based on observations
of the U.S. Public Health Service—TVA Composting Project, Johnson City,
Tennessee, although it is limited to the general conclusions and aspects
of costs as derived from these observations.
Capital Cost
Windrowing Plants. Estimates of the capital costs for various capa-
city windrow composting plants, based on the actual costs encountered
for the Johnson City composting plant, range from $16,560 per ton of
daily capacity for a 50-ton-per-day plant to $5,460 per ton of daily
capacity for a 200-ton-per-day plant on a two-shift operation (Table
6.) The estimates of the total yearly capital investments for these
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plants on the basis of cost-per-ton-of-refuse-processed, range from $6.15
for the 50-ton-per-day plant to $2.01 for the 200-ton-per-day plant on
two shifts.
The actual initial capital costs for the USPHS-TVA Composting Plant
were $18,580 per ton daily capacity (Table 7). On a per-ton-refuse processed
basis, the yearly capital investment cost is $12.98 (at 34 tons per day
in 1968). Operated at the design capacity of 52-tons-per-day, the yearly
capital investment cost would have been $6.88 per-ton-refuse processed.
The capital cost of $965,980 for the Johnson City plant is subject
to some qualifications. A high proportion (38 percent of plant cost)
is in buildings, partly because of the multi-story design with equipment
installed on the second- and third-floor levels. More ground-level
floor space and simpler framing, as used in common mill buildings,
with installation of machinery independently of the structure would have
permitted a less expensive structure. Similar reductions were used in
the cost projections for the other plants. A case in point is the 150-
ton-per-day plant at Gainesville, Florida, where the cost of the building,
estimated at $150,000, is approximately 11 percent of the total plant
investment.
These cost estimates include equipment for processing sewage sludge
from the population generating the refuse. Since these composting plants
include sludge processing equipment, caution must be exercised; costs
developed here cannot be directly compared with capital costs of landfills
or incinerators that do not include equipment for sludge processing.
60
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Enclosed Digestion Plants. Enclosed digestion plants are similar
to windrowing plants with respect to receiving, sorting, grinding, adding
sewage sludge, final grinding and screening, curing, and storage. Plants
of both types require area for the storage of compost for curing and
stockpiling. Seasonal use of compost makes stockpiling necessary. The
estimates for the windrow plants include land for storage, in rectangular
piles 15 feet high, of 6 months' production. Land required for the com-
posting area is also important. Land costs used in the estimates were
$800 per acre; this figure is consistent with land values near the John-
son City plant. By way of comparison, land near the Gainesville plant
costs about $4,000 per acre.
Comparing the capital costs per-ton-refuse-processed for the diges-
tion systems of a 150-ton-per-day windrowing plant with those of an enclosed
type plant, shows that, although the windrowing plant requires more land,
capital cost per ton processed will be less for a reasonable range of
land prices. Many of the other costs associated with these plants would
be similar (Table 8).
Other Countries. Capital costs reported in 1965 for European plants
vary from $0.76 to $1.91 per ton of raw refuse processed using the wind-
row methods. For enclosed systems, the range was $1.18 to $3.98.4L*
It must be noted again that it is difficult to compare plant costs
because of such factors as variations in size, type, and operation. Com-
parisons with foreign plants are even more difficult. The complexity
of construction will, of course, influence costs. In warm climates,
heating of buildings may not be necessary. For windrowing plants, the
62
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TABLE 8
ESTIMATED INVESTMENT COSTS FOR COMPOSTING PLANTS
(Windrowing and Enclosed Digestion Systems)
T - 150-ton/day capacity
Item of cost •* c J—
Windrowing Enclosed
Construction and equipment $185,500.00* $300,800.00+
Depreciation^ 9,280.00 15,040.00
Interest (7i%)5 8,660.00 14,040.00
Capital cost per ton
daily capacity 1,237.00 2,005.00
Total cost per ton
refuse processed 0.46 0.75
Land 9,300.00 2,640.00
Interest (7i%) 430.00 120.00
Cost per ton daily capacity 62.00 18.00
Cost per ton of refuse
processed11 0.01 <0.01 (.003)
Total cost
Per ton of daily capacity 1,300.00 (1,550.00)# 2,023.00
Per ton of refuse processed 0.47 (0.52)# 0.75
*Based on costs from PHS-TVA Composting Plant at Johnson City, Tennessee,
and land at $800 per acre.
^Based on costs from composting plant at Gainesville, Florida, and land
at $4,000 per acre.
fStraight line depreciation of equipment and buildings over 20 years.
§Average yearly interest, bank financing over 20 years.
'"Computed from interest only; land is assumed not to depreciate.
//Computed with comparable land values estimated at $4,000 per acre.
63
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size and spacing of the windrows will influence land requirements. In
wet periods and in humid climates, mechanical dryers may have to be in-
stalled.
Operating Costs
Windrowing Plants. Estimates of the yearly per-ton-of-refuse-
processed operating cost for windrow plants of varying capacities, again
made by projecting the actual costs encountered in operating the compost-
ing plant in Johnson City, ranged from $13.65 for the 50-ton-per-day
plant to $8.70 for the 200-ton-per-day plant on a two-shift operation
(Table 9).
Actual costs for operating the Johnson City composting plant in
1968 were $18.45 per ton of refuse processed (Table 10). The nature
of the research conducted there and the inability of the Johnson City
municipality to deliver enough refuse for operation at full-plant capacity
are some of the reasons for the seemingly high cost. A cost of $13.40
per ton of refuse processed was projected for operating this plant at
full-design capacity (52 tons per day) in 1969, with some modifications
for the research work being conducted. Labor expenses for 1968 amounted
to about 75 percent of the operating costs. In 1969, they accounted
for approximately 78 percent.
Up to 30 percent of the refuse delivered to a compost plant is non-
compostable. If salvaging is not practiced, all of this material should
be disposed of in a sanitary landfill. An estimated cost of from $.50
to $1.00 per ton of refuse processed must then be added to operational
64
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costs. If the compost must be eventually disposed of in a landfill, the
additional cost per ton of refuse processed may reach $0.50.
High-Rate Digestion Plants. Operating cost data for many of the
high-rate digestion plants is incomplete, adding to the difficulty in
comparing costs. Yearly operating costs per ton of refuse processed
for the Gainesville plant were $7.56 for 157 tons per day and $6.94 for
346 tons per day.18 Operating costs for some European plants have ranged
from about $1.51 to $2.76 per ton of refuse processed.^
Total Cost of Composting. The estimated total costs per ton of
refuse processed for various composting plants ranged from $3.85 to $20.65
(Table 11). The range for windrowing plants, estimated from data obtained
from the USPHS-TVA project, however, was from $11.23 for a 200-ton-per-
day plant to $20.65 for the 50-ton-per-day plant. The total cost for
the high-rate digestion plant at Gainesville was estimated at $10.53
per ton of refuse processed at 157 tons per day and $8.58 per ton of
refuse processed at 346 tons per day.
The $32.31 per ton cost of composting municipal refuse at the USPHS-
TVA composting plant (Table 12) is subject to the qualifications as stated
in the discussion of its capital and operating costs. The projected
cost of $21.16 per ton of refuse processed at full operating capacity
is also subject to the same general qualifications.
Partial Recovery of Costs
The cost of composting municipal refuse may be reduced in several
ways. Direct returns are possible if compost and salvageable material
67
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TABLE 11
SUMMARY OF TOTAL COSTS FOR COMPOSTING PLANTS*
Capacity
(tons /day)
50
100
100
100
157
200
200
300
300
300
300
346
Number
of
shifts
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
?
1
1
2
Type
plant '
W
W
W
HR
HR
HR
W
HR
W
HR
HR
HR
Capital cost
(per ton/day)
16,560
10,000
8,530
5.40070
8,830
4,80070
5,460
8,60072
5,00072
5.00073
4.50070
4,420
Cost per
Capital
6.12
3.68
3.15
1.66
2.97
1.48
2.01
2.76
1.53
1.45
1.38
1.64
ton refuse
Operating^
14.53
10.62
11.22
-
7.56
-
9.22
-
5.00
2.40
5.12
6.94
processed
Total
20.65§
14.30§
14.37§
-
10. 5311
-
11.23§
-
6.53#
3.85
6.50
8.58**
*Cost data provided for plants other than Johnson City and Gainesville,
were used without adjusting to current economic conditions.
%, windrowing; HR, enclosed high-rate digestion.
tin the case of the 50-, 100-, and 200-tons-per-day windrowing plants, an
estimated cost of $0.88, $0.72 and $0.52 per ton of refuse received has been
included for landfilling rejects.
^Projected from Johnson City composting project data, at 26,000 tons per year
per 100 tons per day capacity (260 days), straightline depreciation of equipment
and buildings over 20 years. Bank financing at 7i percent for 20 years. Includes
disposal of rejects into landfill.
^Actual data from Gainesville plant with interest at 7£ percent over 20
years, at 45,000 tons per year (286 workdays). Includes sludge handling equipment
and disposal of noncompostables remaining after paper salvage.
//Actual data from Mobile, Alabama, composting plant. Components of costs
not known.^
**Gainesville plant at 90,000 tons processed per year.
68
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are sold. An indirect benefit may derive from processing sewage sludge
with the refuse and disposing of it as a component of the compost.
TABLE 12
ACTUAL COSTS FOR USPHS-TVA COMPOSTING PLANT,
JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE*
Capital cost- Cost per ton refuse processed
Tons per day per-ton daily
capacity Capital Operating^ Total
34 18,580 $12.98 $19.33 $32.31
(7,164 tons/year)T
52 18,580 $6.88 $14.28 $21.16
(13,520 tons/year)§
*Based on actual costs of Johnson City composting plant with 7-1/2
percent bank financing over 20 years. Equipment and buildings depreciated
over 20 years (straight line). Operating costs based on actual costs for
calendar year 1968.
'Includes costs for landfilling rejects.
fActual processing for 1968 operations.
^Operations projected to full capacity.
Compost Sales. The price at which compost can be sold depends on
the benefits to be obtained from its use and what customers are willing
to pay for such benefits, which have yet to be accurately ascertained.
One source estimated a benefit value of $4.00 per ton of compost for the
first-year application on corn.71* In this case, the value of the benefit
might pay only for hauling. However, corn is a relatively low-priced
crop, and the compost may have more value in other uses. Benefits from
using compost over a number of years and residual benefits over a period
of time from one application may increase its value. TVA is conducting
studies on the use of compost to help answer some of the questions re-
lating to its value.
69
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Compost has been sold for horticultural use, and viniculture may offer
a market in some areas. Conditioning or improving the product by screening,
pelletizing, bagging, and providing well-planned sales promotion and
distribution may result in a greater gross return. Compost may also be
sold in bulk, finished or unfinished, as well as fortified with chemical
fertilizers.
The University of California estimated in 1953 that farmers would
pay from $10 to $15 per ton71; in fact, they showed little interest. A
plant in San Fernando, California, sold compost in 1964 at $10 per ton.75
Other sources estimated a bulk selling price of $6.00 per ton in 1967.70'72
In 1968, a St. Petersburg plant attempted to sell compost for commercial
agriculture at $9.00 per ton. The Lone Star Organics Company, Houston,
Texas, was reported by one source to have sold compost at $12.00 per ton
and at $6.00 per ton by another source.72 The Gainesville plant has sold
compost for about $7.00 per ton. This was for a ground, unfortified, un-
pelletized product.
Altoona FAM, Altoona, Pennsylvania, sold a pelletized product in
1966-67 for $16.50 per ton (bulk basis) and $42.50 pei ton in 40-pound
bags. In the 1967-68 season, orders were taken at $20.50 per ton in
bulk.72
Because of the prices that might be obtained from the luxury garden-
ing market, a few favored municipalities may expect to operate a self-
supporting compost plant. Note, however, that the markets being promoted
for existing plants include areas with distances up to 1,000 or more miles,
indicating a diffuse, low-level demand at this time. Also, the price
70
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obtained must absorb costs of final conditioning and marketing. Possibly,
$3 to $7 could be obtained at the plant for compost in bulk. Since the
yield of compost (30 percent moisture) is about 50 percent of incoming
refuse, the revenue from sales would be approximately $1.50 to $3.50 per
ton of raw refuse processed. Although this income is used for discussion,
the possibility must be considered that all or part of the compost cannot
always be sold.
Sale of Salvaged Materials. The income from salvaging depends on
the cost of salvaging operations, the volume of salable materials, and
the prices paid for the recovered materials. There may, however, be no
market for salvaged materials in some localities. One source has stated
that salvage can be practiced to at least the break-even point if a 300-
ton-per-day capacity plant is located near an industrial city.73
Materials most easily salvaged for which a market often exists are
paper, metals, rags, and glass. There may develop a market for some type
of plastics. Actual data on the income possible from salvaging are few.
The plant at Gainesville is equipped to salvage and market paper and
metals. In 1968, paper was sold at $15 to $20 per ton. Shredded cans at
destination could have been sold for $20 a ton, but shipping charges made
this impractical. Although few rags were salvaged, they brought $18 per
ton at the plant, baled. Projections for this plant have shown an expected
net income from salvaged paper of $1.50 per ton of refuse processed.
A feasibility study for a 300-ton-capacity composting plant in
Michigan assumed that paper would be salvaged in the amount of 15 percent;
metal and cans, 9 percent; and glass, 10 percent of incoming refuse.
71
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Paper was assumed to be salable at $10 to $15 a ton, metal and cans at
$8 to $12 a ton, and glass at $8 to $10 a ton. The estimated income from
the salvage of each category was $1.80, $0.90, and $0.80, respectively,
per ton of refuse received, totaling $3.50.72
The price of paper, for which there is the greatest market, can fall
to as little as $5 per ton. At these times, such plants as the Gaines-
ville installation and the hypothetical one mentioned above would obtain
an income from paper of only $0.40 to $0.75 per ton of refuse received.
According to one source, the total to be expected from salvaging without
sophisticated equipment might be in the range of $1 to $2 per ton of
refuse received.70
Composting Sewage Sludge With Refuse. A composting plant may be
operated to obviate part of the cost of handling the sewage sludge re-
ceived from the population it serves. For a 200-ton-per-day plant
processing all of the sludge from the population generating the refuse,
the estimated savings could range from 0 to $35 per ton of sludge solids,
depending on degree of treatment. Based on this estimate, the credit
to composting would be from 0 to $1 per ton of refuse processed. These
estimates are based on data from the windrowing plant at Johnson City.
Savings might be greater for plants using high-rate enclosed digesting
systems.
Composting and Landfill Operations. There is interest in reducing
landfill requirements by grinding and composting refuse prior to de-
positing into the fill. The crushing of cans and bottles, the reduction
in size of other noncompostables, and the reduction of the volume of
72
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organic material by digestion will reduce the volume of the refuse. The
digestion results in a less noxious material, less gas production in
the fill, and possibly less subsidence. The compost is less attractive
to rodents and insects and its appearance is more acceptable to most
people. Less cover will be needed as it may be applied only to prevent
a fire hazard and to keep small pieces of plastic film, shards of glass,
and bits of metal from showing, as compost for landfilling would not
be finished to remove these.
It has been stated that with good compaction, the landfill volume
required will be about half that required for well compacted, unground
refuse. More work will be required in this area on the compactibility
of compost. Organic materials tend to be springy on compaction.
Landfill sites are becoming scarcer near urban centers especially
due to the resistance of citizenry to such operations. When sites are
found at greater distances the same difficulty is often experienced where
people do not want the city's refuse disposed of in their area. Compost-
ing may offer a solution in some cases. The reduction in volume can
result in savings in handling costs, and sites nearer to cities may be
tolerated where predigested material is deposited.
It would thus appear that composting may effect savings where hauls
are long, but will not provide savings in land costs unless they are
very high. Where the availability of land is the problem and not the
cost, composting could extend the life of landfills. Well digested,
but unfinished compost could be used for fills in many places in a com-
munity and the unused product could be put into landfills. The recovery
73
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of salvageable materials would reduce the volume of material to be com-
posted and to be disposed of by landfill.
Net Cost of Composting
Estimates of the net cost of composting municipal refuse have been
developed (Table 13). Although the costs for processing sewage sludge
have been included, no credit was given to the composting plant for savings
which might be realized by not processing the sewage at a sewage treatment
plant.
The net costs estimated for the windrowing plants range from $18.65
(per ton of refuse processed) for the 50 ton-per-day plant to about $7.73
(per ton of refuse processed) for the 200 ton-per-day plant on two shifts.
Net costs for the high-rate plant at Gainesville, Florida, were estimated
at $6.90 (per ton of refuse processed) at 157 tons per day to about $3.45
(per ton of refuse processed) at 346 tons per day (Table 13).
Composting Costs Compared with Sanitary Landfilling and Incineration.
Even with an income from compost and, in some cases, from salvage sales,
most composting plants show a deficit or an expected deficit. Based
entirely on economic considerations, most composting plants would not,
at this time, be able to compete with sanitary landfilling as a refuse
treatment method.
As with compost plants, the operating costs reported for incinerators
vary greatly, due to the same factors that cause differences in composting
costs, land values, labor costs, residual disposal, etc. For incinerators
constructed after 1950, averaging a daily input of 375 tons, the operating
74
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costs have been reported at $3.27 to $4.05 per ton.76 A 168-ton-per-day
incinerator reports a total cost of $6.40 per-ton-processed,77 while a
300-ton plant is estimated at $5.20 per ton.
Investment costs of municipal incinerator plants are currently in
the range of $7,500 to $10,000 per ton of capacity based on 24-hour op-
eration.78 The average for those in operation in 1968 was $7,100 per
ton of capacity.82
Although references to incinerators with costs between $3,000 and
$5,000 per ton of daily capacity can be found, those now being planned
are more complicated and costly because of new or contemplated air pollu-
tion control measures. Costs to achieve these new criteria may have
the effect of almost doubling the price for small incinerators and adding
at least 30 percent to the cost of larger plants.77 An 800-ton-per-
day plant considered for Washington, D.C., was estimated at $4,500 to
$5,400 per ton of daily capacity. The additional cost per ton for in-
stalling air pollution control equipment was $2,800 to $3,700.79
In comparing cost of compost plants to incinerators, note that a
direct comparison is not correct for incinerators operating continuously
for 24 hours, as most of the compost plants considered operate only on
one 8-hour shift. Also, the composting plant cost includes sewage sludge
processing equipment not included in incinerators.
Thus, although the capital costs for composting plants are greater
than those for landfilling, they fall in the range expected for incin-
erators. Some compost plants in the 300-ton-per-day size range may equal
some incinerator costs without the benefit of income from salvage and
76
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compost sales. At present, however, indications are that many will not.
The 150- and 200-ton-per-day plants may compete economically with incin-
eration if there is an assured market for compost and salvaged materials.
Plants under 100-tons-per-day capacity appear uneconomical.
The accurate prediction of a market for compost and salvage materials
and the intensive cultivation of this market is thus essential in de-
termining the economic potential for a given compost plant and will help
determine whether incineration is less expensive than composting for a
given community.
Summary
This chapter considered primarily the economic factors in conjunction
with composting. At this time, composting cannot compete economically
with sanitary landfilling when the net costs are compared. However, the
larger size plants fall into the cost range which may be expected for in-
cinerators operating with appropriate air pollution abatement devices.
A burden has been placed on composting which has not been imposed on
sanitary landfilling and incineration: a premise that composting must pay
its own way. This has led to many compost plant failures and has probably
deterred many municipalities from composting their refuse.
There are intangibles such as nuisance-free disposal associated with
composting that have not been quantified. These intangibles, once quanti-
fied, may induce a community to compost even if the product must be dis-
posed of by giving it away. If this becomes the circumstance, there may
still be a benefit to the public of a kind which cannot be credited to
other refuse disposal methods.
77
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CHAPTER V
AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL UTILIZATION OF MUNICIPAL COMPOST
Agricultural Productivity and Soil Erosion Control
An excellent review of plant and soil relationships and the results
of studies on compost utilization are contained in a recent paper by
Tietjen and Hart.80 The following discussion of benefits and limitations
of composting related to agricultural productivity and soil erosion con-
trol draws heavily upon that paper.
Plants can grow in almost any type of soil, but its fertility is
closely related to the amount of organic matter it contains and partic-
ularly to the amount of nitrogen present. Organic matter includes humus,
living plant roots, bacteria, fungi, earthworms, insects, etc. When
a virgin soil is cultivated without being fertilized, its organic content
and yield are reduced with time (Figure 7). High productivity can be
maintained if manures or chemical fertilizers are applied in the amount
and at the time the crop needs such nutrients. Over long periods, higher
yields result from the use of combined chemical and manure fertilizations
(Figure 8). This was confirmed over a 9-year period in which chemical
fertilizers with compost added were applied to soils (Figure 9). In-
creased crop yields may, however, be obtained more economically if chemi-
cals alone are added.
79
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PERIOD OF CULTIVATION
(years)
Figure 7. Effect of cultivation on nitrogen content of soil.80'81
Soil repeatedly cultivated without fertilization for replenishment of
nitrogen.
Manures plus chemical
fertilizer
100
90
so
70
60
50
Chemical fertilizer alone
Manures alone
No fertilizers
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
PERIOD OF CULTIVATION
(years)
Figure 8. Relative yields of winter wheat with different fertilizer
treatments.
80
80
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81
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With regard to supplying plant nutrients, compost neither performs
as well as chemical fertilizers nor meets the legal requirements estab-
lished by several States for designation as a fertilizer. A typical
compost contains approximately 1 percent nitrogen, one-quarter percent
phosphorus, and one-quarter percent potassium. The slightly higher
values that result when sewage sludge and municipal refuse are composted
together are derived from the sludge.
The type of soil is an important factor to be considered in evalu-
ating how the continued use of a chemical fertilizer will affect pro-
ductivity. If the soil is low in organic matter, the continued use of
chemical fertilizers that do not have an organic amendment may decrease
crop yields over a period of time. The benefits of using compost to
supply organic matter to various types of soils, and the other benefits
that might be derived from its continued use over a long period of time
have not been adequately defined.
Tietjen and Hart point out that yields are not the only consideration
in evaluating the benefit of compost. They report the following addi-
tional information on the 9-year experiment mentioned above. The nutrient
levels of the crops were measured each year. Potatoes grown on composted
plots averaged 6 percent more nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium per
pound of crop harvested than those grown on uncomposted but fertilized
plots. On an average, compost-grown rye and oats had 4 percent and 9
percent higher nutrient contents, respectively. These are significant
increases.
82
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Organic matter affects the physical characteristics of soil. Bene-
fits that may be obtained by the addition of humus (from compost) to
soil are improved workability, better structure with related resistance
to compaction and erosion, and increased water-holding capacity. Improved
workability is generally described as tilth; it is measured by the farmer
in terms of easier plowing or cultivation which results in savings of
power and time. Better structure and improved water-holding capacity
are particularly important for erosion control on steep slopes. Compre-
hensive research on erosion control of hillside vineyards was conducted
by Banse at Bad Kreuznach, Germany. The results of his field tests on
compost applied every three years to a 30° vineyard slope showed that
compost was very effective in reducing erosion (Figure 10).80
Tietjen and Hart indicated that it is difficult to put an economic
value on compost applications for improvement of soil physical properties.
They concluded that an improved water-holding capacity has not yet been
related definitively to either increased yield or reduced irrigation
requirement, nor has improved soil workability been related to a lower
plowing and cultivation cost.80 In basic agriculture, maintenance of
acceptable soil physical properties and prevention of erosion are obtained
economically through such practices as crop rotation (often with legumes,
green manuring, contour farming, and fallowing). Although compost applica-
tion might improve soil physical characteristics or erosion control still
further, an economic analysis to prove the worth of composting has not
yet been made.
83
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100
COMPOST APPLIED
(tons per acre)
150
Figure 10. Compost applied every three years to vineyard slopes at
Bad Kreuznach, West Germany was found to be effective in preventing soil
erosion and water runoff.8^5
84
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The preceding examples of potential benefits from compost utiliza-
tion are derived from Europe where compost has been used more extensively
than in the United States. There is, therefore, a need for quantitative
data on its costs and the benefits in this country.
Although there has been considerable speculation about the values
of trace elements, qualitative evidence indicates that the benefits de-
rived result from the humus component when compost is applied to lawns.
There is sufficient information regarding commercial agriculture.82
Demonstration and Utilization
None of the compost produced at the Johnson City plant has been
sold. Prior to March 1969, the then Bureau of Solid Waste Management
asked TVA to restrict the uses to which it was put pending the evaluation
of possible health hazards. These restrictions and the lack of a suit-
able finished product limited the activity of TVA's Division of Agri-
cultural Development in its utilization studies.
Where owners agreed to abide by such restrictions, 4,691 tons of
compost were placed on 208 demonstration areas and two experimental sites
between July 1, 1968, and May 31, 1970. The latter, which are at Johnson
City and Muscle Shoals, Alabama, are "in-house" or TVA undertakings.
The demonstration areas are on public lands or private farms whose owners
have agreed to allow the agriculturist to supervise the application of
compost and to follow the progress of the plantings. Many were selected
because they were depleted, nonproductive, or problem areas where fertil-
izer alone had not been successful. In each case, the farmer has planted
an untreated area for comparison purposes.
85
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The bulk of the material used in Fiscal Year 1969 was neither re-
ground nor screened and represented 80 percent of the total produced
during the year. About 57 percent of the demonstration areas was estab-
lished between mid-March and the end of June 1969.
Tobacco is grown on 81 of the demonstration plots, corn and grain
sorghum on 23, garden vegetables on 35, grass or sod on 23, shrubs and
flowers on 24, fruit trees on 5, and soybeans on 1. Erosion control
and land reclamation are studied at 5 plots. Three golf courses and
8 miscellaneous plots are also involved. Both of the experimental sites
have 52 test plots, 12 x 30 feet each, to which compost is applied at
a rate of 4 to 200 tons per acre; a fertilizer additive is used some-
times. One site is in corn and the other in grain sorghum.
The rate of application on the demonstration plots ranges from
10 to 100 tons per acre for corn and 5 to 30 tons per acre for tobacco.
By evaluating the experimental sites over a 3-1/2 year period, TVA ex-
pects to determine the merits of various application rates of compost
and fertilizer.
Three other soil improvement demonstrations deserve special mention.
Two involve erosion control and the reclamation of strip mine spoil
bank areas. One project is being conducted in cooperation with TVA's
Strip Mine Reclamation Section and the other with the Southern Soil
Conservation Committee in Mercer County, West Virginia. In the third
demonstration, approximately 100 tons of compost were shipped to Oak
Ridge National Laboratory and used as a soil amendment to help estab-
lish a growth of white clover for special ecological studies. Radioactive
86
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solid wastes had been buried at the site under very poor soil, and
earlier efforts to grow vegetation on this soil had been unsuccessful.
During the first 16 months of operations at the Gainesville plant
(March 1968-June 1969), 17,514 tons of compost were produced and 1,774
tons were sold. Another 5,841 tons were donated for various public
uses, leaving over 55 percent to be stockpiled or disposed of in some
manner. The proximity of the St. Petersburg compost plant has undoubt-
edly restricted the amounts that can be utilized, and some compost was
shipped up to 170 miles away. It has been applied at rates varying
from 1 to 10 tons per acre at citrus groves, 16 tons per acre for straw-
berry crops, and up to 100 tons per acre for pine and fern seedlings.
Observations indicate that growth, crop yield, and erosion control im-
proved. Long-term information is required to determine benefit-cost
relationships. Some results from Northern Florida, however, have indi-
cated that at least 20 tons per acre of compost must be used to achieve
meaningful benefits.
Horticultural Utilization of Compost
The demonstrated benefit of compost applied to lawns has been pre-
viously mentioned. The "luxury" market, which includes private lawns,
gardens, golf courses, hothouses, and similar applications, is governed
by an entirely different set of factors from those that apply to agri-
cultural markets. The luxury market is small-scale, labor-intensive,
more sensitive to aesthetic, conservationist, and emotional considera-
tions, and less able to evaluate extravagant promises of benefits that
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are claimed by advertisers of competing products. In contrast, large-
scale agriculture is characterized by the need for showing profits over
short periods of time comparable to that considered by other industries.
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CHAPTER VI
POTENTIAL OF MUNICIPAL REFUSE COMPOSTING IN THE UNITED STATES
With present technologies of solid waste production and disposal,
together with currently effective economic and environmental constraints,
most communities are not willing to fund the cost of composting their
municipal refuse. Other chapters in this report have identified the
factors upon which this decision is based.
The Problem
In 1967, there were an estimated 260 million tons of solid wastes
generated by urban domestic, commercial, institutional, and municipal
sources. The 1970 level is estimated at approximately 300 million tons.
With a 50 percent yield, this would provide 150 million tons of cured
compost. (The other 50 percent would be accounted for almost equally
by weight lost during composting and material sorted from the incoming
refuse as salvage or rejects to be disposed of separately.) Cured com-
post typically contains 30 percent water and weighs about 600 pounds
per cubic yard. The volume of the 150 million tons of compost produced
would, therefore, be 500 million cubic yards. The fraction of municipal
compost that can be marketed depends upon the costs of producing and
applying it, relative to the benefits derived from using it.
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Compost is not a fertilizer but a soil conditioner. Some feel
that its important value lies in its organic matter, which may improve
the physical properties of the soil. Observations indicate that it will
make soil easier to till, increase its porosity, raise its moisture-
absorption and -holding ability, and prevent the leaching out of nutrients,
including fertilizer. It also increases the biological activity in
the soil, which stimulates plant, growth. Although compost is not a
fertilizer, it can be blended with chemical fertilizers.
It is generally accepted that the cost of composting and the need
to enrich the product or supplement it with chemical fertilizers restrict
its marketability to buyers in the specialty fertilizer field. In this
respect, municipal compost is in competition with aged cattle manure
from dairies and feed lots and with peat moss.
Agricultural Effects from Compost Utilization
Although there are some benefits and some drawbacks associated with
the utilization of municipal refuse compost, the economic realities
associated with commercial agriculture or horticulture, which would be
affected the most, have discouraged the widespread production and consump-
tion of compost. Even barnyard manures, which are relatively rich in
nitrogen, have become a disposal problem because their assumed cost-
benefit ratios compare unfavorably with those of chemical fertilizers.
Organic materials, including compost, have been cited by Kilmer as "the
nearest thing to a cure-all for soil problems that we have."83 Municipal
compost, however, is at a disadvantage, because it has low nitrogen values
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and contains plastic and glass fragments. Since World War II, the avail-
ability of artificial fertilizers has "... led to the situation in
which nitrogen from chemical fertilizers is cheaper than that from manure,
even if only handling charges of the latter are taken into account . . . ."81t
It is probably valid to state that the farmer has followed the established
practice of industrial or commercial solid waste producers and determined
that waste disposal practices with the least immediate expense must
be followed in order to maintain his competitive position. Like his
urban counterpart, the farmer has assumed that environmental problems
resulting from inadequate disposal techniques will be solved when "research"
provides an effective method, hopefully at no increase in cost.
A dilemma results from accepting the validity of compost systems—
they turn out a product that may have some value but they cost more
to operate than the end product is apparently worth. McGauhey suggests
that this dilemma be solved by postponement. Conversion of "a "low-
value waste material that nobody wants into a low-value resource that
nobody wants" should be deferred. This can be done, McGauhey suggests,
by placing solid wastes in landfills until their value warrants mining
and recovering them.82
Bowerman has recommended that composting be applied to regional
solid waste management in the Fresno, California, area.85 He proposes
that poultry and livestock manures with low carbon-nitrogen ratios be
mixed with municipal refuse and composted. The product, along with
that resulting from fruit and vegetable processing wastes, would be
applied to the land at a rate of 75 tons per acre per year. According
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to Bowerman, 20 percent of the nation's municipal refuse could be proc-
essed and disposed of in this way by the year 2000. Digested sewage
sludge could also be disposed of onto the land. Except for its sugges-
tion that a market might be developed for the compost, the proposal
is an example of a rather advanced systems approach to regional solid
waste disposal problems based on existing technology.
The Potential of Composting in Resource Systems Management
Resource systems management is defined as directing and maintaining
the development and utilization of air, water, mineral, and living re-
sources and their interactions under steady-state conditions. This
means that proper incentives and recycling technologies must be found
to ensure that elements, compounds, mixtures, and total energy maintain
essentially their historical distribution in time and space.
The economics of scale that are utilized in resource development,
processing, transportation, and disposal become diseconomies at that
point at which materials are finally returned to the environment. These
diseconomies are minimized by returning residuals to the environment
through dispersed rather than concentrated mechanisms. Engineering
control can provide greater initial dilution or dispersion. For example,
a large number of factory chimneys or stacks discharging steam and carbon
dioxide to the atmosphere is preferred on both economic and environmental
grounds to a single stack through which a combined discharge of carbon
dioxide and water would go. Modern sewers that discharge sewage treat-
ment plant effluents or cooling waters into marine or lake waters have
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multiple discharge ports spaced over perhaps a half-mile, not just a
single port at the discharge end. On land, farming of digested sewage
sludge, oily sludge from refinery operations, or livestock manures pro-
motes more rapid assimilation by the environment than if these wastes
are concentrated in a small area. The organic residual of municipal
refuse may also be rapidly assimilated by the soil provided that it
is dispersed and has good physical, chemical, and sanitary characteristics.
Compost is amenable to such initial dispersion and assimilation.
Although the utilization of compost from municipal refuse has been
successful for a long time in a number of foreign countries, results
in the United States have not been encouraging because of economic con-
siderations. Because Americans have an attitude that composting plants—
unlike other methods used to process or dispose of wastes—must operate
at a profit or at least break even,82 all of them have either shut down
or are operating under some sort of subsidy. The latter development
is enthusiastically supported by some conservationists.8^ The comparative
costs for different methods of refuse disposal vary from zero to $50
per ton (Table 14).
A community may or may not be geographically located to maximize
salvage of paper, metal, and other materials at a compost plant. Net
costs of $8 to $12 per ton may be expected in favorable locations (Table
15).
The factors that will influence the future of the composting process
as a municipal solid waste management tool are the costs and benefits
of the process, as compared with other municipal solid waste management
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TABLE 14
DIRECT COSTS FOR THE DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTES*
^. , ., , Dollars
Disposal method
per ton
Promiscuous dumping and littering Cr
Open dump, usually with burning -2 to 2
Sanitary landfill 1 to 3%
Incineration, current technology 8 to 14?
Incineration, with air pollution control 9 to 151
Composting 8 to 30
Sea disposal of bulk material § 1 to 10
Sea disposal of baled, barreled, or otherwise
contained material 7 to 50#
*Costs are for the middle 80-percentile range for disposal only; they
do not include collection, transportation, or indirect environmental costs.
"''The cost to the public for removal and subsequent disposal is from
$40 to $4,000 per ton.
$For installations featuring heat recovery, add $3 per ton.
§Wet weight basis; for example, sewage sludge at 95 percent moisture,
dredging spoils, waste oils.
//Costs are at dockside; higher costs are those associated with toxic
or otherwise hard-to-handle wastes.
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processes. The present and potential technology of composting will
permit organic materials to be recycled back into the soil without sig-
nificantly polluting water or land. The cost is, however, higher than
that associated with other acceptable management methods. On the other
hand, changes in designated priorities on the use of land, sea, or air
may occur as per capita waste generation rates rise. For example, a
decision by Southern Californians to eliminate backyard incineration
of household refuse led to a reevaluation of other alternatives available
at the time. Similar incidents may well happen.
TABLE 15
ESTIMATED COSTS FOR COMPOSTING MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES
IN FAVORABLE LOCATIONS
_ ^ Plant input
Costs • K
50 tons/day 300 tons/day
Operating and capital $10-20/ton $8-12/ton
Income
Paper, metal, and miscellaneous
salvage
Compost
Net cost
Range
Probable
0-2
0-4
4-20
12
2-5
0-2*
1-10
8
*Costs are per ton of refuse processed; assuming a typical 50 percent
compost yield, the actual sale prices for the compost would be twice the
values shown.
The potential usefulness of all solid waste management systems,
including those that employ composting, will be influenced by changes
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during future decades of the value assigned to, or the emphasis placed
upon, any of the following four factors: the acceptance of more stringent
standards for environmental quality; the availability of systems to
meet these standards; cost per ton of solid waste managed for each avail-
able system; public policy decisions requiring beneficial recycling
rather than land or sea disposal of wastes.
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