Sep 4, 2020
There’s more to compost than meets the eye. Many people think of compost as just dumping your veggie peels, yard waste and/or fruit rinds into a bin in your backyard, and then over time having it turn into a useful fertilizer for your garden. But did you know that you can compost a wide variety of materials outside of just food waste, and on a much larger scale? Commercial compost facilities allow us to compost a wide range of food wastes, as well as other materials like yard clippings, grease waste, and compostable bioplastic waste. Combining this with increasing awareness and education for composting at home provides an incredible opportunity for society to reduce the amount of waste in landfills, as well as create a much healthier waste product.
The basic differences between industrial compost and home compost are the volumes at which they can be performed, the conditions under which they occur, and the location where they occur. As per their names, home composting can be done in your own backyard (or anywhere in nature for that matter), while industrial composting occurs in specialized facilities where temperature and other factors can be controlled and adjusted. Home compost is meant for smaller volumes of waste (from a single household for instance), while industrial compost is for entire communities or municipalities, similar to your local landfill or dump. Industrial composting helps to divert food waste and other compostables from landfills, not only reducing the volume of waste in landfills, but helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions as well.
There are three popular methods of industrial composting: aerated windrow, aerated static, and covered in-vessel. Aerated windrows are long, tall piles of compost that are manually turned in order to allow all of the materials to spend time in the center of the pile where temperatures are highest and composting occurs quicker. Aerated static piles are similar to windrows in their set-up, however they are aerated passively by adding layers of wood chips or shredded newspaper, or an airflow pipe system. Finally, covered in-vessel composting requires the most equipment. The waste is placed into a large drum, trench, or other vessel where temperature, air flow and moisture can all be controlled. This provides a much faster compost process, however the pile must sit for a time period after the process is complete so the microbial community can balance and the pile can cool. Each method has pros and cons, but any of the three allow a community to divert immense volumes of waste from landfills, saving space and the planet.
At UrthPact, we truly believe in the power of compostables to save the planet. All of our product lines offer either commercially or home compostable versions. And we continue to move our products towards being 100% home compostable. It’s predicted that the amount of plastic in the oceans will TRIPLE by 2040 without extreme action. By moving certain industries to sustainable and compostable products, we have the opportunity to make a difference and truly save the world.
Sep 2, 2020
As 2020 continues on, plastic pollution continues to be a major problem for our planet. And the more that single-use products become a necessity for sanitation and safety, the more important it becomes for us to find an end-of-life solution that benefits our planet rather than harms it. Industrial composting may just be that answer. Industrially compostable bioplastics provide the functionality we need from single-use plastics, but are able to be transported to commercial facilities and turned into usable composts and fertilizers in under 180 days. These facilities are able to process large volumes of municipal compostable waste, allowing communities to not only invest in bioplastics, but to reduce the amount of food waste that is transported to landfills.
Two smaller scale methods of composting are on-site composting and vermicomposting. On-site composting is ideal for small organizations looking to use composting to reduce food waste. These types of compost piles are often made up mainly of food waste and yard trimmings. It requires very little time and equipment, however there is a right and wrong way to do it. Food scraps must be properly sorted and handled, and the compost process can take up to 2 years without manual turning of the pile. Vermicomposting involves adding red worms to a compost bin in order to break down the material into high quality compost called castlings. The worms help to speed up the compost process to about 3-4 months without turning. However, there is the added factor of caring for the worms, and ensuring they have the proper living environment and food sources.
On a municipal scale, there are 3 types of industrial composting: aerated windrow, aerated static, and in-vessel. Each has the ability to process large volumes of compostable waste. In aerated windrow compost, the waste is arranged into rows of long piles (4-8 feet high and 14-16 feet long) called “windrows,” which are turned regularly to provide all of the compostables time in the warm center of the pile where increased heat further encourages breakdown. This method is suitable for a wide range of wastes, including yard trimmings, grease, liquids, and animal byproducts. It can stand up to a variety of climates, and the pile can be adjusted or covered to accommodate weather patterns. The most important factor to consider with aerated windrow composting is that there needs to be a system in place to control odor, due to the open-air nature of the system.
Aerated static composting results in usable compost fairly quickly, between 3-6 months. This method works best with a homogeneous mix of organic waste (like yard trimmings and food waste) but isn’t suitable for grease or animal byproducts. In this method, waste is placed into a large pile that is split up with layers of “bulking agents,” like wood chips or shredded newspaper that allow air to pass through and aerate the pile. Air blowers and other ventilation systems can also be used to aerate the pile. Due to the passive nature of the aeration, these types of piles require constant and vigilant temperature monitoring to ensure ideal compost conditions.
Finally, covered in-vessel composting takes up less space than windrows and can accommodate virtually any type of organic waste. The waste is fed into a covered drum, silo, trench, or similar set-up, which allows for complete control over temperature, air flow, and other variables. The material is mechanically turned for aeration, and compost is created in just a few weeks. Due to this high speed of formation however, the compost then needs time to allow the microbial activity to balance and the pile to cool before it is usable. While this method provides the most control over the compost and a fast turnaround, it is the most expensive of the 3 methods due to the technology requirement.
Not only does composting provide a better end-of-life option for bioplastics and other materials, it can divert a huge volume of waste away from landfills, where that waste can be converted into something new and usable for agricultural and other purposes. Up to 50% of the waste that is currently being landfilled could be composted instead. When food waste breaks down in landfills, it does so anaerobically, meaning that it does so without oxygen present. This process releases methane gas, an extremely harmful greenhouse gas. The compost process brings oxygen into the equation, allowing carbon to be sequestered away in the final compost material rather than released into the atmosphere.
Besides providing usable fertilizers and compost, industrial and commercial compost facilities provide twice the number of jobs currently created by the recycling industry, and triple the jobs created by landfilling. There are also a huge range of environmental benefits provided by composting that cannot be matched by either recycling or landfilling. Composting on the municipal level can help communities to reduce their waste volumes and protect the planet. Commercially compostable products and packaging are the first step towards creating a fully circular economy for single-use products, and saving our planet from the plastic noose that is continually tightening around it.
For more information on bioplastics and the compostable future, CLICK HERE.
Aug 7, 2020
What is compost? We’ve been hearing that word a lot recently in the bioplastic industry, as compostable materials have been surging in popularity in recent years. Compost is defined as “a mixture that consists mainly of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land.” More simply put, compost is decayed organic matter: basically broken down food scraps, lawn cuttings, and other nature- or plant-based materials that have been discarded and decomposed by both the elements and microorganisms. Compost is used to fertilize soil, and add nutrients that support plant growth and help microbial communities flourish. It’s a great alternative to chemical-based fertilizers. The composting process opens the door for us to be able to create products with a completely circular lifecycle.
There are two main types of compost: industrial (aka commercial) compost, and home (aka backyard) compost. The two types of compost are distinguished by the conditions under which they occur. Industrial compost occurs at much higher temperatures than can occur in nature and requires a specialized community of microorganisms in order to break down the materials added to the pile. Normally, industrial composting is done in a special facility where these conditions can be met. Home compost can occur in any backyard compost pile, or in a variety of other natural environments. It occurs at ambient temperatures and with natural communities of microbes. Materials that are home compostable have a truly circular lifecycle, as they contribute back to the Earth they came from.
Of all of the waste that humans produce that is transported to landfills, over 50% of it is made up of materials that could be composted. This means we could reduce the volume of waste in landfills worldwide by 50 PERCENT! This would not only reduce the size of landfills worldwide but also reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. In landfills, compostable materials will biodegrade anaerobically (without oxygen) and release methane gas, a very common greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. In a compost setting, materials biodegrade aerobically (with oxygen), and sequester away carbon in the nutrient-rich compost that is created through the composting process, instead of releasing the harmful methane gas. Compost also has a variety of other benefits, not only for the soil and the soil ecosystem but for a variety of other industries as well.
We have often seen recycling as the solution to our waste problem. But recycling is inefficient and not a completely circular process. Recycling is more akin to downcycling, as products made from recycled materials are often of a much lower quality than the originals. As waste continues to pile up, we need a better solution to the plastic pollution crisis. Compostable materials are exactly that. Many home compostable bioplastic materials will not only break down completely in home compost but also in landfill and marine ecosystems as well. By encouraging communities to implement composting programs, the community will not only save money but the planet as well.
Aug 5, 2020
Up until recently, recycling has been a great method of addressing plastic pollution in our society. It allows us to get a few more uses out of a product or material rather than simply just throwing it away. But realistically, material can only be recycled once or twice before it is of too low a quality to be recycled again. And, products made from recycled materials are usually of a lower quality than were the original products. Compostable bioplastics provide the opportunity for products to be remade indefinitely, creating a fully circular economy for packaging and other products. Here are 10 reasons why compost is better than recycling:
- Composting costs less . Collection and disposal costs for recycling are 7 TIMES HIGHER than those for composting (about $166 per ton for recycling vs. about $23 per ton for composting). Plus, compost done at home is absolutely free!
- Allows for more usage out of a material. Materials can normally only pass through the recycling system one to two times. This is due to the fact that the recycling process reduces the quality of traditional plastic materials every time they pass through the system, which essentially makes recycling actually downcycling. Composting on the other hand creates a nutrient-rich fertilizer that can then be used to grow a feedstock to create brand new material.
- Better beginnings. Compostable materials come from natural sources, like corn starch, sugar cane, and canola oil. Their production processes are carbon neutral, meaning they don’t have negative effects on our planet. The production of traditional plastic materials on the other hand releases a variety of toxic and unhealthy chemicals into the atmosphere.
- Can be done in your backyard. The entire compost process can be done for free in your home! This is not only cost-saving but will provide healthy soil for a home garden.
- Higher quality products. Because recycling produces lower-quality materials, the products made from those materials are also of lower quality. But compostables are always fresh materials, meaning a higher quality product for the customer.
- Decreases the volume of waste in landfills. Over 50% of the waste taken to landfills can actually be composted, the bulk of which is food waste. If we removed this waste and composted it, we could greatly decrease the amount of land space that is currently occupied by landfills.
- Creates nutrient-rich soils. Compost is made of decaying organic matter, which provides a wide variety of nutrients to the soil. These nutrients can then help to support plant growth and strong microbial communities.
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions. When compostables break down in landfills they release methane gas, which is one of the most common greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contributing to global warming. However, if those compostables are properly composted, then the carbon that makes up the methane gas is sequestered away in the soil, rather than released into the atmosphere.
- Increases biodiversity. Compost in the soil helps to attract a variety of microorganisms to assist in the composting process, as well as contribute to the microbial and insect biodiversity in the soil. Increased biodiversity indicates an overall healthier ecosystem.
- Compost protects from soil erosion. Having a healthy layer of compost helps to prevent valuable and fertile topsoil from being eroded away by wind or rain. This retains the fertility of the soil for future seasons.
While compost may seem like a new process to us, it’s not. Composting is a completely natural process that has been occurring on Earth since the first plants appeared. We have the ability to take advantage of this process so that we can not only have the convenience of single-use products but protect our planet as well. It provides such a wide range of opportunities that we currently aren’t making use of. Recycling was a great step in recognizing we needed to do something to alleviate the plastic pollution problem, but now we need to continue to build on the knowledge that we’ve obtained. We need to take action to continue protecting the planet, especially now. Compostables and composting are key opportunities to achieve this goal, and we need to continue developing and understanding these processes to protect our planet.
May 8, 2020
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The 3 R’s. Basically the everyday American’s system for living a “greener” lifestyle. But are the 3 R’s really working to solve the plastic crisis that’s sweeping our planet? Reduce and reuse definitely — they eliminate single-use plastics at the source, decrease demand, and allow us to produce fewer single-use plastic products that will inevitably end up in oceans and landfills. But is recycling the solution on the back end? Is it really helping to eliminate plastic waste in our oceans and landfills? We’ve treated recycling like a cure-all for the plastic disease taking over our planet when in reality, the system is struggling, and barely catches a small fraction of the total plastic waste produced and disposed of yearly.
Let us break it down for you. When plastic gets recycled, it very rarely is truly recycled into a product of the same quality as it was previously. Most often, things are downcycled into a product of lesser quality. Most plastics can only handle one extra life cycle through this process. They then are no longer suitable to be recycled and are disposed of in a landfill or incinerator. So, while we get a little bit more time out of that material, we still reach the same end result. The recycling system is also much more complex than most people think. There are 7 different types of plastics, all of which must be sorted from each other during the recycling process. And most small objects, like straws and bottle caps, quite literally slip through the cracks and are too small to be recycled. Materials also have to be cleaned in order to be recycled, so anything with food remains on it is often sorted out for landfill disposal.
In 2017, the US produced over 35 million tons of plastic waste. Of that plastic waste, only about 3 million tons were recycled, and about 5.5 million tons were combusted with energy recovery. The other 26.5 million tons were landfilled. Clearly, we’re doing something wrong. So what’s the solution? If we can’t rely on recycling to make a better end-of-life for single-use plastic products, what can we do? The first thing is to realize that single-use packaging isn’t the problem. The problem here is that we chose to make products meant to be used for 5 minutes from a material meant to last for hundreds of years. The true solution to the plastic epidemic is changing the material: bringing on the bioplastic future.
Compostable bioplastics solve the issue of our overflowing landfills and polluted oceans. PLA (polylactic acids)-based compounds will break down in commercial compost settings in under 3 months. Materials in the PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) family will break down in home compost in under a year, as well as in landfills and marine environments if it accidentally ends up there. Between these two materials, we have the ability to completely change the face of the single-use industry. Not only do compostables have a better end-of-life than petroleum-based plastics, but they have a better beginning-of-life too. There are no toxic chemicals involved, no usage of “old carbon.” And their life cycles are completely circular, as the compost created at the end of their lives can be used to support the growth of the sugar cane, canola plants, or starches they are made from.
The 3 R’s were a great place to start. But it’s now time to adjust our thinking for the ever-changing society we live in and the planet we live on. Recycling can’t do it alone. The system is too complex and selective to actually make a dent in the amount of plastic waste we produce yearly. By beginning the transition to bioplastics, we will be making a greater impact on the planet than we can imagine. Mother Nature is depending on us, and it’s time we stepped up and did something about it.
