Compost U™ Course Catalog

During the webinar, a root cause approach to managing composting odors through better understanding and control of process conditions will be introduced. This talk will identify a set of easily measured key process variables that largely determine the intensity of odor emissions from composting facilities. Also covered will be how odor is measured to reduce subjectivity and basic odor mitigation steps to consider in process design and during operations. Then the focus will shift to speaking about community and neighbor interactions around odor. Community and neighborhood opposition to any manufacturing operation generally centers around traffic, noise and odor issues. For composting operations, odor is the single greatest issue that closes compost facilities. Surrounding physical characteristics and neighboring land uses are critical factors to be considered when selecting a compost site. Once the site is selected, establishing a trusting governmental entity and relationship with the neighbors can reduce negative interactions with neighbors and save a considerable amount of staff time.
Speakers: Ginny Black, Tim O’Neill
Duration: 71 minutes
Credits: 1.25
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Join the Compost Research & Education Foundation as we explore the growing movement for more sustainable funerary practices through composting of human remains. In this first session of our 2-part webinar series, we’ll provide an overview of this unique way of composting, from process considerations to compassionate handling of the deceased.
Speakers: Jean Bonhotal, John Paul, Michael Bryan-Brown, Bob Rynk
Duration: 107 minutes
Credits: 2
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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The Italian Compost and Biogas Association – CIC (www.compost.it) is an association of public and private companies, local authorities and others involved since more than 30 years in the production of compost and biogas from organic waste, as well as producers of machinery and recycling equipment, producers of fertilizers, research bodies etc. Currently almost 100 composting and anaerobic digestion facilities in Italy are associated to CIC, treating about 70% of the all the organic waste collected in the country.
Speakers: Massimo Centemero, Marco Ricci
Duration: 32 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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A study initiated in January 2023 assessed the temperature stability of compost during two-day shipping, aiming to reduce shipping costs. The study evaluated two types of transport coolers, varying quantities of Ice Brix, and different external temperature regimes. Results indicated that a 1:1 ratio of Ice Brix to compost with 40% placed at the bottom and 60% on top, along with transport coolers with 2” side walls, effectively maintained compost shipping temperatures below 7°C for up to 50 hours. Additionally, the Compost Analysis Proficiency Program (CAPP) within the US Composting Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance Program was discussed, which involves blind compost sample analysis by participating laboratories, with reports generated for statistical analysis by Dr. Robert Miller, the Program Director.
Speakers: Robert Miller
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The Test Method for the Examination of Composting and Compost (TMECC) is undergoing an update to version III v 3.5 to align with advancements in testing technologies and methodologies since its release in 2002. A review protocol checklist has been developed, and subject-area experts will assist in updating the protocols to ensure they remain current and relevant to the composting industry.
Speakers: Tera Lewandowski
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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In the past year, the USCC Seal of Testing Assurance Program has made significant strides in enhancing its database, improving user experience, and leveraging program data for growth. Updates include features, functionality, and a revamped logo with branding guidelines set to launch in 2025. Additionally, a partnership with the American Society of Landscape Architects offers opportunities for market development through education and awareness initiatives.
Speakers: USCC Staff
Duration: 3 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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In this presentation, Unless Collective, a startup apparel brand dedicated to eliminating plastic pollution, shares findings from large-scale trials conducted with their composting partner, Agromin from Oxnard, CA. The trials aimed to prove that textile waste, including post-consumer and post-industrial materials, can be efficiently composted to create healthy soil products. Through these trials, they demonstrated that textile waste can indeed be composted safely and effectively, without negatively impacting the quality of the finished compost. This presentation discusses the trial process, key conclusions, and outlines the next steps needed to scale opportunities for composting textile waste as part of a circular economy approach.
Speakers: Steve Richardson
Duration: 6 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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In this session, Ryan Cooper, VP of Circular Economy Solutions at Rubicon, will discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing cost-effective organics recycling in grocery stores. With diverse material streams, complex logistics, and unforgiving delivery schedules, grocery stores face unique obstacles in improving landfill diversion. However, emerging depackaging technologies and collaboration between food distributors and composters offer promising solutions. Cooper will explore how technology, innovation, and collaboration are driving positive results for both the bottom line and the environment in the grocery industry.
Speakers: Ryan Cooper
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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BPI has petitioned the USDA to address barriers preventing compost from being approved for organic agriculture due to small contaminants like compostable stickers or food scrap bags. This session will delve into the petition effort and offer insights on how stakeholders can engage with the USDA to overcome these limitations.
Speakers: Clifton Passow
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Northeastern University, located in Boston, has maintained a thriving composting program since 2006, diverting an estimated 839 tons of food waste to composting in 2022. The program’s success is attributed to a collaborative approach, with active participation from students. This case study will offer insights into the university’s composting initiative, highlighting its growth through collaboration, ongoing challenges, and emerging opportunities.
Speakers: Susan Higgins
Duration: 35 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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In 2019, Maryland Environmental Service and the Maryland Aviation Administration initiated an organics collection program for restaurants at the Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Starting with a pilot program involving eight restaurants, the initiative has expanded to over 50 establishments, collecting more than 3,000 pounds of organic waste per week. This session will discuss program development, outreach efforts, and the unique challenges of collecting organics in secure airport areas, offering guidelines and methods for effective waste management in airport environments.
Speakers: Melissa Filiaggi
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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A Zero Waste University: Implementing a Compost Expansion Program at a Large University
Speakers: Dominique Hadad
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Indianhead, a composting company in St. Augustine, Florida, has implemented the Good Neighbor Pilot Program (GNPP) to address challenges stemming from population growth. The program combines education, communication, and abatement projects to tackle issues such as odor complaints and nuisance problems in newly developed neighborhoods. With Florida experiencing rapid population growth and increasing urbanization, Indianhead aims to educate locals about composting and waste management, involving the community in conservation efforts. The presentation will cover Indianhead’s journey, challenges encountered, and strategies for community engagement and success.
Speakers: Zachary Villaverde, Heather Lane Neville
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The City of Key West collaborated with Jacobs to develop a biosolids composting pilot project at the Key West Wastewater Treatment Plant. This project aimed to address the significant hauling and disposal costs of wastewater solids and yard waste materials. The aerated static pile (ASP) composting method was employed, following approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The pilot study, conducted from February to March 2022, was supervised by trained personnel and aimed to produce Class AA biosolids compost. This presentation will share the results of the pilot study, including analytical data on the compost product and insights from compost marketing efforts to assess the feasibility of establishing a full-scale composting program in Key West.
Speakers: Todd Williams
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) oversees organics recycling facilities in the state and is in the process of updating the Organics Recycling Rule (Chapter 62-709, F.A.C.) to promote more organics recycling statewide. With approximately 300 registered/permitted organics processing facilities, FDEP’s rule changes include clarifying definitions, adding new feedstocks, and requiring an operations plan for registered facilities. The FORCE project, managed by Kessler Consulting, Inc., supports organics recycling efforts by providing education, research, and resources. Miriam will lead an interactive session exploring the FORCE website (www.floridaforce.org), offering participants valuable tools and information to advance organics recovery programs and goals.
Speakers: Lauren O’ Connor, Randy Rudd
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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In this session, Atlas Organics shares insights into their strategic expansion into Florida over the past three years, focusing on key reasons for choosing the state, unique challenges faced, and opportunities presented by the growing organic waste recycling industry. The presentation discusses the abundance of organic waste in Florida, favorable regulations, and the company’s vision for the future. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the current state of composting in Florida and the factors contributing to success in the region.
Speakers: Jim Davis
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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CMA will share comprehensive data from in-field testing of compostable products, categorizing results by substrate type and composting technology. The presentation aims to debunk common misconceptions surrounding substrate performance and facility variations. Specifically, it will challenge assumptions regarding disintegration uniformity across composting technologies, the superiority of fiber products over biopolymers in disintegration, and the belief that biopolymers do not break down effectively in composting environments.
Speakers: Janet Thoman
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The study conducted by Eastman, CMA, and WeCare Denali involved a windrow composting trial of various compostable materials, including cellulosic, PLA, and paper-based products. The trial also included a negative control for comparison. The evaluation was conducted using both mesh bag and bulk-dosing methods to assess the composting process and the disintegration of the materials. The insights gained from this study likely provide valuable information on the decomposition rates, performance, and environmental impact of these compostable products under real-world composting conditions.
Speakers: Rahul Shankar
Duration: 38 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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The presentation discusses the outcomes of the Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP), an international research initiative allowing composters to field test compostable foodware and packaging in real-world settings. It highlights the findings on the disintegration of compostable items across various facilities in terms of scale, geography, and technology. Additionally, it provides a sneak peek into an upcoming open-source database slated for launch in 2024 and outlines future directions stemming from the research, such as test method evolution and standardization efforts.
Speakers: Emily McGill
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The presentation will provide a summary of key learnings from a pilot conducted by the Composting Consortium in partnership with 10 composters across the country in 2023. This includes disintegration rates of over 30 types of food-contact compostable packaging, insights from using two test methods, and findings from testing at different composting sites with various methods. Additionally, key insights on pile conditions that facilitate the disintegration of compostable biopolymers and fiber will be shared.
Speakers: Paula Luu
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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There is a critical need for accessible composting solutions. In this session, Let’s Go Compost, a 501(c)3 non-profit focused on making composting free and accessible, Founder and Executive Director Lauren Click will speak to the “A” in DEIA – accessibility. Low-income communities, often less responsible for climate change, are disproportionately affected by its impacts. Learn how composting facilities can work to offer accessible composting options and take a vital step towards both mitigating climate change and promoting equity – all while meeting stakeholder needs and ensuring profit and revenue goals.
Speakers: Lauren Click
Duration: 37 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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The presentation will outline the USCC’s efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) within the compost industry. Initiatives such as the DEIA Scholarship, Town Halls, Professional Benchmarking Study, Microbusiness Innovation Corner, and DEIA online training module will be discussed. These initiatives aim to enhance understanding and implementation of DEIA principles among members, programs, state chapters, and at the annual conference.
Speakers: Renee Wallace
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The presentation will discuss two large-scale process-controlled vermicomposting facilities located in Torreon, MX, and Avon, New York, USA, focusing on their siting, design, construction, and initial operations. These facilities produce high-quality vermicompost suitable for high-value horticultural production. Various design and operational factors impacting vermicompost volume, quality, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability will be explored. The author has collaborated with researchers to scientifically examine vermicompost products’ potential in plant production and disease suppression, aiming to understand microbial mechanisms, develop usage guidelines, and create shelf-stable liquid vermicompost extracts.
Speakers: Tom Herlihy
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Florida Crystals has established an agricultural composting facility that utilizes sugarcane by-products as feedstock, contributing to sustainable farming practices. By recycling sugarcane biomass into compost, the company reduces reliance on purchased fertilizers and closes the nutrient loop within its farming system. The facility’s design minimizes carbon emissions by utilizing conveying systems for feedstock transport instead of trucks. Through these efforts, Florida Crystals demonstrates a commitment to responsible farming and environmental stewardship.
Speakers: Shiva Ahrens
Duration: 16 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The objective of achieving circularity in the organic feedstock economy is to minimize landfill diversion of organic materials and promote their reuse in composting facilities and digesters. With landfills nearing capacity worldwide, it is crucial to divert organic and recyclable materials to sustainable disposal methods. Composting these materials enriches soil health, supports food, feed, and fiber production, and mitigates global warming. Deadstock, clothing waste, and food scraps, often rejected by landfills, represent valuable resources that can contribute to a healthier agricultural ecosystem.
Speakers: Jean Bonhotal
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Learn your most important elements for your State Chapter’s legal compliance
Speakers: Nisha Thakker
Duration: 49 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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Project, The Vision, Commitment to Sustainability, Ecological Preservation, Community Engagement, Why Shift to Sustainable Landscapes, Business Case.
Speakers: Richard Levey
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Conventional Practice, Landscape Impacts, Water Supply Impacts, Water Quality Impacts, Sustainable Landscaping Alternatives, Soil Restoration.
Speakers: Pierce Jones
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Compost Specifications, Benefits to disturbed urban soils, Practical application and equipment, application rates, and Development of Post-Construction Soil Standards / Ordinances.
Speakers: Darren Midlane
Duration: 16 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Present findings from a recent research project as a collaboration between UF/IFAS and UCF. Compost Amendments versus urban-only soils – Alter urban soils to improve plant health, reduce water needs, and support biodiversity – Plant Quality, Water Use, Flowers and Pollinators.
Speakers: Brooke Moffis
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Soil, often seen merely as a medium for plant growth, is a vital living resource essential for sustaining life. However, human activities and climate changes can degrade soil health, leading to reduced capacity to support plant growth and ecological diversity. One key indicator of degraded soil is low soil carbon content, which can take years to improve with conventional practices. Alternatively, amendments like compost and biochar can quickly increase soil carbon levels, leading to improvements in soil health. Additionally, microbial inoculants are emerging as a promising approach to enhance soil microbial communities and boost soil carbon inputs, ultimately revitalizing degraded soils.
Speakers: Thomas Ducey
Duration: 37 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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Biochar, a by-product of pyrolysis, offers numerous benefits to soil health, including improved root penetration, water retention, and nutrient retention. Its application in horticulture, particularly in citrus and tomato production, has shown promising results in increasing fruit yields and improving soil quality. However, the effectiveness of biochar application depends on optimal application rates and frequency, with higher rates generally yielding better results. Mixing biochar with compost can further enhance its benefits, leading to improved crop production and soil health.
Speakers: Monica Hampton
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The study aims to assess the viability of utilizing frass from Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) as a compost ingredient by evaluating its composition and impact on compost quality. Four experimental compost piles with varying ratios of BSFL frass and sheddings, along with other nitrogen feedstocks, were developed and analyzed for pH, nutrient content, stability, and maturity. The research seeks to provide insights into the effective utilization of insect rearing waste for compost production.
Speakers: Dhanush Kenchanna
Duration: 13 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Scott, from Waste Management (WM), will offer insights into the management of organic processing sites across the US and Canada. He will discuss strategies for ensuring compliance with regulations, enhancing operational efficiency, and promoting consistency among teams. The presentation will highlight methods and tools employed by WM to measure and communicate site performance, as well as provide visibility into operations for senior management.
Speakers: Scott Gamble
Duration: 40 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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Matt Cotton, a veteran compost facility consultant, will provide insights into crafting a comprehensive Operating Plan for composting facilities. The session will cover fundamental elements such as documenting operating procedures, ensuring regulatory compliance, minimizing site impacts, and maintaining records. Additionally, it will delve into essential health and safety principles, addressing odor, stormwater management, and fire prevention within the operating plan framework.
Speakers: Matthew Cotton
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Discover how Recology’s environmental team in the Pacific Northwest transformed compliance challenges into opportunities by building a robust compliance program for their three compost facilities in Oregon. Learn how strategic partnerships with operational staff and proactive compliance management have enhanced relationships with regulatory agencies, the public, and customers. Explore how this approach adds value to the company beyond regulatory adherence, turning compliance into a superpower.
Speakers: Ame LeCocq
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Join us on a journey to Silver Springs Organics, where safety is a top priority, evidenced by their remarkable 11-year incident-free record. Explore the key elements that contribute to their strong safety culture, including retention strategies, servant leadership principles, and intentional safety practices. Learn from their experiences and discover actionable insights to foster a safe working environment in your own organization.
Speakers: Mike Houseman
Duration: 15 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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In this session, Composter Erin Skelly, responsible for safety and compliance at a 70,000 ton per year composting facility in Shakopee, MN, will provide insights into the unique safety challenges of composting operations. Topics include recommended personal protective equipment, best management practices for general site safety, safety regulations, and potential hazards such as airborne particulates, compost fires, and equipment-related risks. The session aims to help participants identify and mitigate potential dangers while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a vigilant safety culture.
Speakers: Erin Skelly
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This presentation outlines the top safety hazards encountered in composting operations, such as smolders, mobile equipment, and risks related to pedestrians and spotters. It discusses mitigation techniques implemented to address these hazards, including establishing policies and procedures for equipment distance, emergency materials management, and proper protective equipment. The presentation emphasizes the importance of continually evolving safety protocols to enhance the safety culture within composting facilities.
Speakers: Alston Sandzen
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The presentation features the results of PFAS remediation efforts undertaken on a series of contaminated animal mortalities at a Central Maine Farm using composting as the management tool. The talk will focus on materials and methods utilized, compost process monitoring and testing results, lessons learned and future PFAS remediation efforts and management directions.
Speakers: Mark King
Duration: 27 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This presentation addresses the increasing regulatory and legal scrutiny surrounding PFAS in compost and composting facilities. Despite PFAS being present in organic materials used in compost, the rush to regulate it may not be scientifically justified. The talk examines current regulations and legal challenges facing the compost industry and proposes using sound science to demonstrate the benefits of composting outweigh perceived risks. The speaker, a lawyer with extensive experience in defending biosolids and compost, provides insights into countering regulatory overreach with scientific evidence.
Speakers: James Slaughter
Duration: 28 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This course offers an introductory exploration of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), focusing on their presence, behavior, and management within compost and biosolids. The modules cover various aspects, including an overview of PFAS, their detection techniques, regulatory frameworks, best practices for management, case studies, risk communication, and future trends.
Speakers: Shalene Thomas
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This session introduces the Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) Program, which establishes nationwide standards for compost quality. Attendees will gain insights into standardized sampling and lab testing procedures, as well as the certified labs ensuring compost suitability for various applications. The discussion will cover the importance of the Compost Technical Datasheet in providing accurate information to landscape architects and other specifiers, enabling confident selection of compost products for specific tasks such as soil amendment, erosion control, and green infrastructure.
Speakers: Charles Duprey
Duration: 29 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Emily, the Immediate Past President of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), has dedicated her tenure to promoting the Society’s Climate Action Plan and related resources. Through her advocacy, she emphasizes the importance of understanding and measuring the impact of design decisions, material choices, and implementation strategies. Emily advocates for collaborative efforts to create sustainable, resilient solutions to address climate change challenges.
Speakers: Emily O’Mahoney
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The session will cover various compost characteristics and their optimal use for soil improvement. It will explore the impact of compost on diverse soil properties such as nutrient availability, water retention, salinity, disease resistance, and bulk density.
Speakers: Sally Brown
Duration: 24 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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DNA sequencing technology unveils the beneficial microbes present in compost, offering advantages over fertilizers. This technology is pivotal amidst rising fertilizer costs and growing interest in regenerative farming. Understanding how DNA sequencing works and the data it provides can help producers create valuable products for customers, warranting premium prices.
Speakers: Laura Kavanaugh
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The Compost Research and Education Foundation (CREF) collaborated with the University of Minnesota to conduct research aimed at understanding the optimal use of compost in stormwater bioretention media. The goal was to identify compost characteristics that contribute most to the success of these systems. Through a systematic literature review and a practitioner listening session, the research aimed to address industry questions and knowledge gaps to support the effective use of compost in post-construction stormwater applications. This research will enhance bioretention performance, build confidence among specifiers and end-users, reduce pollution potential, and promote the acceptance and utilization of compost in green infrastructure stormwater management practices.
Speakers: Andy Erickson
Duration: 29 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This session will explore the link between composting and sustainable/regenerative agriculture, emphasizing the role of microbiology in soil health. Topics include the significance of microbiology in sustainable agriculture, specific composting methods with a microbiological focus (e.g., vermicomposting), creating and using liquid biological amendments from high-microbial compost, assessment methods for microbiology in soils and compost products, and the environmental, economic, and social impacts of these practices.
Speakers: Jesse Wiser
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This panel discussion features three successful compost entrepreneurs sharing their firsthand experiences of starting and growing their businesses. Topics include accessing funding, navigating permitting issues, hiring and training personnel, and developing a new business structure. Panelists include Christi Turner, Justin Senbeil, and Michael Robinson.
Speakers: Michael Robinson, Justin Senkbeil, Christi Turner
Duration: 1 hours 23 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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This discussion highlights Maryland’s efforts to advance composting infrastructure in response to nationwide organics diversion mandates. It focuses on increasing processing capacity, developing compost markets, and reducing finished product contamination. Participants will learn from leading Maryland counties and municipalities about their successful organics diversion initiatives and how similar strategies could enhance their own municipal composting programs.
Speakers: Regina Cagle Irr
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This session emphasizes the importance of operating an efficient composting operation within municipal wastewater treatment facilities, particularly considering rising costs. It discusses establishing a structured business plan using full cost accounting to manage expenses effectively. Additionally, the session explores leveraging pile parameters and material aesthetics to increase throughput and optimize equipment usage on a small footprint. It highlights the significance of fostering a culture of efficiency and staff buy-in, ultimately leading to improved facility performance, fund balance, and growth.
Speakers: Elliot Schneider
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This presentation addresses the challenges municipalities face in developing new compost infrastructure in response to recent regulations in California. Using Kern County as a case study, it explores the obstacles involved in siting and constructing a new compost facility, highlighting the strategies employed to overcome these challenges and successfully build a 100,000TPY CASP compost facility.
Speakers: Chuck Magee
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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It is critical for composters to have a seat at the EPR table; Clinton will talk about the role he plays on Colorado’s EPR Advisory Committee
Speakers: Clinton Sander
Duration: 35 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Hear about recently enacted legislation in California that sets the bar for compostable products.
Speakers: Neil Edgar
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This session analyzes opportunities and challenges in maximizing the flow of food waste from collection to composting facilities. It examines policy opportunities and bottlenecks in converting yard waste-only composting facilities to accept food waste. Additionally, it provides investment findings and recommendations for scaling both commercial and small-scale composting infrastructure.
Speakers: Caroline Barry
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Join an interactive session to learn sales techniques targeting landscape contractors, DOTs, and sports turf managers, setting your sales team apart. Selling STA certified compost offers key benefits for outselling competitors. Discover how the STA program meets end users’ needs and provides essential information.
Speakers: Dave Harding
Duration: 15 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The STA Program celebrates its 25th anniversary, reflecting on its founding principles that established it as the gold standard for compost evaluation. The development of the Compost Technical Data Sheet (CTDS) revolutionized the industry, providing clarity, consistency, and confidence for compost users. In preparation for future growth and partnerships, the USCC’s Market Development Committee has revised the STA brand, ensuring it aligns with current and future marketplace values.
Speakers: Suzanne Longacre, Allison Forstmann
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This paper explores how understanding market trends and past successful uses of compost can aid composters in effectively marketing their product. It discusses shifts in the marketplace, opportunities to re-establish abandoned markets, and emerging markets with potential.
Speakers: Ron Alexander
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This research addresses the challenge of biodegradable plastics labeled as “compostable” not adequately degrading in composting facilities. The lack of quantitative guidance prompted the study to correlate compost process conditions with the biodegradation rates of certified compostable bioplastics, focusing on common Polylactic acid (PLA) serviceware and bags. Bench-top reactors were used to control parameters such as retention time, temperature, moisture content, and air flow rate, with substrate mixes of green waste, food waste, and ground wood. Results offer guidance for optimizing compost processing to manage PLA materials effectively and suggest improvements for PLA manufacturers to facilitate compost operations.
Speakers: Tim O’Neill
Duration: 30 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This project aims to assess the presence and distribution of PFAS in commercially available compost, biosolids fertilizers, and paper food packaging. Products were obtained from national and local retail outlets and analyzed for 12 PFAS compounds following the 1633 method. Results show a maximum total concentration of PFAS in compost at 41.55.
Speakers: Maryam Saffari Aman
Duration: 28 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This session will cover education, brainstorming, and a how-to presentation on technology and compostable packaging. Specific themes include processing methods for compostable packaging, remote monitoring with digital sensors, and the implementation of solar panels. The setup process, materials, and considerations for onsite locations will be outlined, along with results from monitored compostable packaging piles demonstrating benefits and challenges faced by composting facilities.
Speakers: David Velez, Sashti Balasundaram
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The speaker, with 32 years of experience owning St. Louis Composting, shares insurance lessons learned. Not an insurance expert, they discuss insights gained from their journey, highlighting the importance of having comprehensive coverage advised by reliable insurance brokers.
Speakers: Patrick Geraty
Duration: 16 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This session explores strategies for negotiating cost-effective fuel contracts in an industry reliant on significant fuel consumption. Attendees will learn about tools and practices to implement when engaging with fuel suppliers, providing insights to secure better deals despite fluctuating gas prices.
Speakers: Dave Gavlick
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This presentation emphasizes the importance of organizational purpose in attracting and retaining top talent. It highlights how a clear purpose resonates with individuals seeking meaningful work, fostering engagement, productivity, and loyalty. By aligning organizational purpose with values and vision, companies can create a compelling narrative that attracts like-minded individuals, fostering innovation and positive work culture. Additionally, a well-defined purpose provides a roadmap for employees, aligning behavior with strategic goals and contributing to overall company strength. The presentation showcases how Komptech Americas leveraged their brand purpose to attract talented individuals and define a path for future growth.
Speakers: Corey Hayes, John Morgan
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Andrew Voodrehow, an eight-year site manager at Dirt Hugger, shares insights on managing compost fires, drawing from the company’s 13-year history of fire incidents. He discusses strategies for dealing with various types of fires, including interfacing with fire departments, coordinating team responses, and implementing fire watch procedures, emphasizing the need for sustained effort and strategy to effectively address compost fires.
Speakers: Andrew Voodre
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Veteran compost facility operator Chris Margraves will present practical tips and techniques compost operators can use to mitigate the risk of fire at large processing facilities. Long time Compost Facility Operator for Garden-Ville, Mr. Margraves will share his experience planning for, preventing and managing fires at compost facilities.
Speakers: Chris Margraves
Duration: 17 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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In this presentation, veteran compost facility operator Kurt Schoppe will share practical tips and techniques for mitigating the risk of fire at large processing facilities. Drawing from his experience as General Manager at SA Recycling, Thousand Palms, where he managed a 90,000 ton per year composting facility, Schoppe will offer insights on managing fires in dry climates prone to high temperatures. He will emphasize proactive approaches to fire prevention through effective facility design and management strategies.
Speakers: Kurt Schoppe
Duration: 14 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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How the Structural and Functional Integrity of Healthy Soil Can Aid in Climate Resiliency
Speakers: Didi Pershouse
Duration: 58 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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The complexity of obtaining air permits for composting facilities in the US is increasing, with more jurisdictions requiring permits due to emissions concerns. This trend, spreading beyond non-attainment areas in California to regions complying with EPA standards, adds costs and delays to facility development. However, proactive measures can mitigate these issues, and regulatory efforts are underway to improve the permitting process. This presentation will cover the history of air permitting for compost facilities, key aspects of the Clean Air Act, successful permitting examples, and an approach based on compost science and certified source tests to foster responsible industry growth.
Speakers: Tim O’Neill
Duration: 27 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Vermont’s legislature unanimously passed a pioneering statewide ban on food scraps from its only landfill, driven by concerns over climate change and limited landfill space. The ban, phased in gradually, required separation of food scraps from waste. LRSWMD, managing five facilities for various materials but lacking composting, faced the challenge of incorporating food scraps. After exploring options, they renovated an abandoned biosolids composting facility. Funding proved a hurdle, but a federal grant aligned with economic development criteria enabled their success. Today, Lamoille Soil operates efficiently, producing high-quality compost and achieving financial sustainability, offering a model for other communities.
Speakers: Susan Alexander
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Bennett Compost, established in 2009, faced challenges due to the lack of a permit for processing compost in urban environments. However, through a partnership with Philly Parks & Rec, they developed Pennsylvania’s first small-scale composting permit and built the state’s first urban composting facility. In a unique arrangement, Bennett Compost utilizes a former maintenance facility owned by Parks and Rec in exchange for donating 75 cubic yards of compost annually to city gardens and collecting food scraps from the city’s recreation centers.
Speakers: Jennifer Mastalerz
Duration: 24 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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In today’s competitive compost marketplace, marketers must assess their product against various alternatives like manure or worm castings. Understanding compost’s applications, advantages, and drawbacks is crucial. Moreover, marketers need to position their compost effectively against these alternatives to increase market share.
Speakers: Ron Alexander
Duration: 29 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Kellogg Garden Products, a leader in retail organic soils for 99 years, aims to educate consumers on the benefits of compost for ornamental and edible gardens. Despite its importance, many retail purchasers are unaware of compost’s value. Kathy will guide us through Kellogg’s journey of introducing compost to consumers, sharing both mistakes and successes. This presentation offers insights for composters nationwide to enhance their marketing strategies.
Speakers: Kathy Kellogg Johnson
Duration: 28 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Buffalo River Compost, established in 2017 by Brian Murphy, is a proud member of the USCC’s STA program. Over 6 years, it has grown into a large compost facility producing around 5,000 cubic yards of premium STA Approved compost annually. Expanding beyond traditional sales to DOT and remediation projects, Buffalo River now markets its product through consumer-facing brand Tend, partnerships with Buffalo Zoo, filter sock collaboration, and sustainable development initiatives. The company also prioritizes sustainability with a packaging strategy and partnerships for recycled content. Today, Buffalo River and Tend are well-recognized in Western New York, with established partnerships and a commitment to community education on composting’s value.
Speakers: Bobbie Armstrong
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This study investigates the effects of compost applications on soil health, nutrient dynamics, yield, and fruit quality in southeastern U.S. fruit orchards. High-input systems have depleted soils, prompting excessive synthetic fertilizer use and nutrient loss. Compost, an alternative, aims to enhance soil health and sustainability. The study assesses compost impact on nutritional status, yield, and disease incidence in replanted and virgin peach orchards. Results show improved soil health indicators and higher yields with compost, particularly in the 2x treatment, demonstrating its potential for enhancing orchard sustainability.
Speakers: Ayodeji Idowu
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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This study examines the impact of compost and cover crop practices on soil health and almond orchard productivity in California. After three years of a 5-year study, results show that these practices promote soil biology and increase nitrogen availability, particularly ammonium (NH4+). Although changes in soil carbon storage are still being analyzed, initial findings indicate positive effects on tree health and productivity, including improved water stress response and increased yield. The study underscores the potential of compost and cover crops to mitigate soil degradation, reduce nutrient leaching, and enhance overall ecosystem functioning in almond orchards.
Speakers: Alexia Cooper
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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The presentation will outline the expedited permitting and construction of the Brady Trucking Commercial Composting Facility (60,000 tons per year) in Shelton, Washington, completed within two years through strategic collaboration.
Speakers: Rik Langendoen
Duration: 14 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Kristine Ellsworth will present current initiatives led by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to support New York’s composting industry. Key highlights include the implementation of the NYS Food Donation & Food Scraps Recycling law, which mandates businesses generating significant food waste to donate edible excess and recycle remaining scraps. The DEC also collaborates with the Center for EcoTechnology to manage the Rethink Food Waste NY program, providing technical assistance to food-related businesses and composting facilities. Additionally, efforts to address PFAS contamination in biosolids through Draft Division of Materials Management Program Policy 7 (DMM7) are outlined, along with initiatives to promote composting of cannabis-related materials.
Speakers: Kristine Ellsworth
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resources Recovery Authority (SCRRRA) manages waste and recycling services for twelve municipalities. Following the closure of a major waste-to-energy facility in 2022, leading to waste being sent out of state, SCRRRA is planning a regional compost facility to manage organic waste. This initiative aims to produce high-quality compost for local use and support community gardens and beautification projects.
Speakers: Greg McCarron
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Through the generosity of donors, the Compost Research & Education Foundation commissioned a literature review of existing scientific papers regarding the use of compost in green infrastructure and bioretention projects. A listening session was held with experts who have used compost in bioretention systems. In this webinar, Dr. Erickson of the University of Minnesota’s Water Laboratory will discuss gaps in knowledge revealed by this study for potential future research and BMPs.
Speakers: Andy Erickson, Craig Kolodge
Duration: 65 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Through its procedural and compliance measures, the USCC Seal of Testing Assurance Program provides nationwide standards for compost testing and reporting that provide compost users with the clarity and confidence necessary to accurately specify compost applications. The STA program is the culmination of years of research and discussion by many of the leading compost research scientists in the United States. This webinar will delve into the historical background of the Test Methods for the Evaluation of Compost & Composting (TMECC), the STA program, the CAP Program and the research underpinning their development. In addition, this webinar will dive into how STA participants can leverage the data provided on a Compost Technical Data Sheet (CTDS) and the confidence instilled through programmatic measures, to address various compost end users and target markets.
Speakers: Robert Miller, Gary Gittere, Ginny Black
Duration: 60 minutes
Credits: 1
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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How to use compost mulches and soil amendments to create soils capable of enhancing storm water capture, eliminating water-hungry weeds, minimizing soil erosion, and protecting water quality.   The role of the “living soil food web” and its relationship to compost by increasing soil organic carbon to help cool the planet – How fire-suppressive, composted mulch outperforms other popular landscape mulches in lowering the risk and rate of fire spread around homes and building structures.  Compost’s Role in Remediating Fire Damage; Dr. David Crohn will cover research demonstrating the effectiveness of compost in reducing soil erosion and pollution following California wildfires. Results show that compost use dramatically reduces water runoff as well as heavy metal and nutrient post-fire pollutants.
Speakers: Craig Kolodge, David Crohn
Duration: 76 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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The demand for medium and coarse grade compost is increasing in the state of California; much of this is in response to Caltrans and other environmental application requirements. Traditional markets for medium grade compost, such as landscape mulch and erosion/sediment control media have significantly expanded, as have emerging markets such as bioretention ‘low float’ mulch. Further, the desire to obtain less combustible mulches may also expand application for medium grade composts. That’s where California composters come in, as demand is far outstripping supply. The US Composting Council would like to invite you to join us for a webinar and panel discussion featuring Ron Alexander – R.Alexander Associates Inc., Scott Dowlan – Caltrans, and Ken Murray – Caltrans in which our panelists will discuss best practices in producing a medium/coarse compost product, as well as growing markets, specifications, and success stories, current usage, and growing demand within Caltrans.
Speakers: Ron Alexander, Scott Dowlan, Ken Murray
Duration: 60 minutes
Credits: 1
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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Compost Facilities around the country are utilizing innovative technology and new forms of data collection to drive their operations, increase efficiencies, and add value to their products.
Speakers: Andrew Voodre, Emilio Cervantes, Laura Kavanaugh
Duration: 60 minutes
Credits: 1
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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This webinar will provide an overview of Conservation Practice Standard – Soil Carbon Amendment Code 336 and provide compost producers with resources they can use to educate their customers. Our panelists will detail how farmers and ranchers can work with NRCS to create a conservation plan that includes compost application and how that qualifies participants for reimbursement through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Speakers: Michael Margo, Matt Flint, Adam Heichelbeck
Duration: 66 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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The prevalence of PFAS and their effect on the composting industry is a subject needing research and attention. This webinar, jointly hosted by the US Composting Council and the Compost Research & Education Foundation, will learn about the issue, why it matters, and the current regulatory landscape surrounding it.
Speakers: Bryan Staley, Ian Pepper, and Andrew Carpenter
Duration: 78 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Specific details and steps others have taken to address contamination in food waste for composting.
Speakers: Clinton Sander, Kate Kurtz, Becca Fong
Duration: 78 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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In collaboration with four Chicago dining venues and numerous stakeholders, CompostAble Chicago built a framework to evaluate how best practices for compostable serviceware are linked to rates of food capture and levels of contamination. Findings suggest a direct relationship between these practices and a diversion program’s effectiveness.
Speakers: Ashley Elzinga
Duration: 15 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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We will influence policymakers in Washington, D.C. to integrate regenerative agriculture into the 2023 Farm Bill by uplifting the voices of American farmers and ranchers, including support for small and historically underserved producers, and supporting and activating grassroots efforts that demonstrate the importance of this issue in key districts.
Speakers: Ayesha Ali
Duration: 12 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Aside from merely diverting organics, some of the best chefs and restaurants in CA and CO are actively creating a robust market–buying thousands of tons of compost for use on local farms, ranches and vineyards. Learn more and get involved, or begin a program in your region.
Speakers: Anthony Myint
Duration: 15 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Public policy is crucial, now more than ever we can inform it to reflect the world we’re trying to build
Speakers: Alex Truelove
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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SB1383 – Focus on Jurisdiction Requirements rather than Business requirements; mention Article 12 – refer to Session 5. As opposed to MA Food waste ban, which required commercial food waste generators to handle their own food waste
Speakers: Cindy Liles
Duration: 12 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Substituting nitrogen fertilizer with compost can improve soil health and environmental quality in California’s intensively managed cool-season vegetable systems without compromising yields.
Speakers: Cole Smith
Duration: 24 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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This presentation will provide information on how composters can be the solution to the issues facing jurisdictions as they grapple with ways to comply with SB 1383 recycled green waste procurement requirements.
Speakers: Bill Camarillo
Duration: 17 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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To provide the audience an opportunity to hear from an industrial scale compost manufacturer with 10 years of food waste processing experience. The Compost Company has worked with food waste since its inception, allowing them to provide valuable perspective on the efficacy of incorporating food waste as a feedstock.
Speakers: Clay Ezell, Brad Miller
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Biochar co-composting of dairy manure substantially reduces methane compared to composting without biochar. Using biochar-compost as a complementary strategy to anaerobic digestion can help achieve methane reduction policies in California and globally.
Speakers: Brendan Harrison
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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The Pasadena Rose Bowl is recycling its food scraps by producing and using compost on site. Different compost technologies produce compost that is variously suited to the cultivars on that site. Finding the technology, measuring the biology, plus chemical and physical properties allow you to to achieve the greatest success.
Speakers: Christine Lenches-Hinkel
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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CET has helped numerous businesses translate theory into action, and thus will present the business case for composting. Utilizing success stories, CET will walk through strategies to make this business case by right-sizing containers, maximizing prevention and donation opportunities, and increasing recycling rates.
Speakers: Coryanne Mansell
Duration: 15 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Evolving concerns around source contamination that appear relatively low for organic waste (food and yard debris). However there from a materials management focus, there will be restricted use or disposal for biosolids and land application. Organics diversion plays a critical role and the research on PFAS is still emerging.
Speakers: Debra Darby
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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As municipal collection programs expand, it becomes critical to engage all sectors toward a common goal: make good compost and use it to build soil. Eco-Cycle has created several models for communities to work toward that goal.
Speakers: Dan Matsch
Duration: 14 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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Presentation will highlight the many challenges facing the utilization, delivery and application of compost and mulch, where the industry is currently at in addressing these challenges and clarity on what must be done to meet these challenges for the successful implementation of SB 1383.
Speakers: Craig Kolodge
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Speakers: Michael Martinez
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Compost recipe, choice of post-thermophilic process, and duration of curing (maturation) of composts influences the assembly of bacterial and fungal communities. Different pathogens on different crops require a different combination of microorganisms and/or mechanisms suggesting the need for “designer composts”.
Speakers: Deborah Neher
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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CACC is well positioned to provide local governments and waste agencies with strong evidence that, given continued and adequate public funding and technical assistance, decentralized community composting can contribute in a significant way to California’s methane reduction and compost facility development targets under SB 1383.
Speakers: Kourtnii Brown, Gina Vollano, Lynn Fang, Sashti Balu, Tess Feigenbaum, Elinor Cresenczi
Duration: 1 hours 25 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Discussion around the general machine and site maintenance, best practices, and taking care of your machine for a better user experience. Maintenance – Part 2 (2-3:30pm) • Organization and planning • Label and checklist • Predictive maintenance practices • Properly torqued fasteners • Engine maintenance best practice • Leveraging connected technologies • Smart scheduling • Workspace efficiency • Operator ownership effect • Productivity vs Maintenance • Parts stocking • The value of a warranty, preventative maintenance program • Preparing for the worst • Partnering with your equipment supplier Panelists: Ted Dirkx – Over 11yrs of product support, field experience Colby Gergovich – Over 25yrs aftermarket support, dealer level Christina Carlos – Parts Manager, 5yrs experience, dealer level Jake Livingston – Telematics Manager, dealer level Ryan Hugen – Over 25yrs of product support, parts, and service experience Josh Evans – Over 18yrs product support and service experience
Speakers: Ted Dirkx, Josh Evans, Colby Gergovich
Duration: 1 hours 32 minutes
Credits: 2.0
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Discussing resources for composting including funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Speakers: Hanna Blaufuss
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The design and permitting challenges encapsulate a variety of common and site-specific hurdles encountered during project, no matter the location. It is important to understand the specific challenges of a proposed site and consider the above challenges when initiating an organics management facility design/permitting project.
Speakers: Gregory Saul
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The use of IIOT solutions can mitigate and prevent safety and compliance issues but further development is needed to ensure the security of operators and businesses alike and to ensure that the composting industry is not contributing to environmental hazards such as wildfires and air pollution.
Speakers: Jake Saavedra
Duration: 13 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The purpose of the NRCS Soil Carbon Amendment Practice Standard (336 and 808) is to use amendments derived from plant or animal residues to Improve or maintain soil organic matter, sequester carbon and enhance soil carbon (C) stocks, improve soil aggregate stability, and Improve habitat for soil organisms. The practice can be applied to Crop, Pasture, Range, Forest, Associated Agriculture Lands, Developed Land, and Farmsteads where organic carbon amendment applications will improve soil conditions. The practice standard was first published on an interim basis as Code 808 in April 2020. After more than two years of field implementation and considerable public comment in June 2022, the practice was finalized in November 2022 as Code 336. There are more than 20 payment scenarios that allow agricultural producers to receive financial assistance for implementing the practice. The scenarios and payment rates vary by state. Since it is a new practice standard, the payment scenarios are being evaluated and modified on a yearly basis, The payment scenarios include compost produced on-site or transported from off-site facilities. A detailed Soil Carbon Amendment Plan must be prepared and implemented before producers can receive a financial assistance payment from NRCS. The Plan needs to contain soil health resource concerns, soil health tests, maps, photos, a soil survey, plant information, a soil amendment analysis, application details and a monitoring plan. Also included in the presentation will be an overview of how the Soil Carbon Amendment practice standard has been planned and used in California since it was first instituted.
Speakers: Holly Shiralipour
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Approaches and Concepts surrounding water use in the composting process, Water collection and reuse approaches in design and operations that keep water used at the right time, applied in a easy way and separated, properly treated and stored for compost facilities to reuse it.
Speakers: Jeff Gage
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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How to introduce commercial scale composting in a place that has never done it before and is not “set up” to do it from a regulatory or system perspective: operational and business lessons learned, public education and outreach, innovative compost applications.
Speakers: Geoffrey Starin
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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That you, whomever you are, who is interested in helping your community with waste diversion and composting, can absolutely start this program in your local schools. We will provide the educational resources and “how-to” guide to do this. This program works wonders with normalizing composting and waste diversion with youth.
Speakers: Gretchen Losano
Duration: 29 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Response, methods and processes to outbreaks change as more experience is gained and the virus and conditions change.
Speakers: Jean Bonhotal
Duration: 29 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Higher than normal application rates of stable carbon sources are required for improvement in soil health on degraded Ultisols.
Speakers: Gaius Eudoxie
Duration: 32 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Discussion around the general machine and site maintenance, best practices, and taking care of your machine for a better user experience. Safety – Part 1 (11-12:30) • The importance of safety • Creating the safe worker mindset • Equipment safety evaluation • Worksite safety evaluation • Understanding intended use • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) • Lockout, tag out procedure Panelists: Ted Dirkx – Over 11yrs of product support, field experience Colby Gergovich – Over 25yrs aftermarket support, dealer level Josh Evans – Over 18yrs product support and service experience Christina Carlos – Parts Manager, 5yrs experience, dealer level Jake Livingston – Telematics Manager, dealer level Ryan Hugen – Over 25yrs of product support, parts, and service experience
Speakers: Ted Dirkx, Josh Evans, Colby Gergovich
Duration: 1 hours 22 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Attendees will learn about the various efforts in New York State to support the growing organics recycling industry including innovative partnerships and the NYS Food Donation & Food Scraps Recycling law.
Speakers: Kristine Ellsworth
Duration: 16 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Large successful compost facilities face unique challenges and opportunities under SB 1383: – Work with jurisdiction dischargers (feedstock providers) to account for organics recycling tonnage to the State. – Marketing to jurisdiction compost use in addition to addressing local environment issues. – Compost can help solve many municipal environmental challenges
Speakers: Jeff Ziegenbein
Duration: 17 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The audience will gain insight into implementing effective city-specific and region-wide food rescue and organic waste diversion.
Speakers: Jessica Toth
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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• Air Pollution Control Rules in California can limit compost industry expansion • Emissions Reduction Credits (ERCs) are becoming either so expensive, or not available, that building new facilities may be practically prohibitive • New strategies to address this problem need to be developed
Speakers: Kevin Barnes
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Composters who serve the retail market are necessary for last mile compost application strategies, and are able to interact with emerging composting regulations, jurisdictions, and composters of various scales in multiple ways in order to promote a regenerative food economy.
Speakers: Kathy Kellogg-Johnson
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Quantifying the long-term soil carbon sequestration benefits of compost application to agricultural lands requires consideration of both the impacts throughout the soil profile, and the impacts over longer-term timeframes.
Speakers: Karen Hills
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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New cutting-edge DNA sequencing methods are emerging that support compost production tuned for specific crops. These methods are being tested at a seedless muscadine vineyard in NC and have the potential to transform the industries’ image from “homespun” to high-tech and merit a commensurate premium price.
Speakers: Laura Kavanaugh
Duration: 29 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Compost can have a wide range of values depending on the cropping system and the application rate needed for impacts. Under reasonable assumptions, compost value exceeded cost for some, but not all, crops in our study area. Ongoing efforts to overcome barriers to use in these crops is worthwhile.
Speakers: Karen Hills
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Speakers: Kara Brewer Boyd
Duration: 45 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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Expanding composting on farms is critical for both creating a more resilient composting infrastructure and making high-quality compost more accessible for improving soil health on farms. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of the importance of on-farm composting and compost use and how to promote both.
Speakers: Linda Bilsens-Brolis
Duration: 14 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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– Jurisdictions can meet procurement through carbon farming, within their desired budgets because ZFP will identify projects, identify farmer cost-share and provide our own cost-sharing (when possible). – Composters can encourage price premiums and/or generate more quote requests through Compost.Ag.
Speakers: Leo Beckerman
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Speakers: Linda Norris-Waldt
Duration: 10 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Innovative composting technology that can add capacity to sites with limited infrastructure. The ins and outs of operating a compost site powered by an Atlas Organics Modular Unit.
Speakers: Leah Marie Retherford, Patrick Gridley
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Benefits of compost incorporation regarding stormwater infiltration, carbon sequestration, and other soil properties.
Speakers: Md Mahfuz Islam
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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New Carbon Parks: Integrated community composting and regenerative land management practices are envisioned as a new park model centered around carbon sequestration, climate resiliency, and community well-being. High quality, biologically active compost further strengthens soil C sequestration. Centering community contribution, participation, and education supports environmental justice and healthy communities.
Speakers: Lynn Fang
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Optimizing process parameters can reduce VOC emissions..
Speakers: Matt Cotton
Duration: 28 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Zoning’s impact on the success of Maryland composting projects. Learn how local zoning ordinances might affect the future development of organics recycling infrastructure, and what local leaders can do now in support of diverting organics from landfill.
Speakers: Regina Cagle Irr
Duration: 17 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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BPI certification was launched in 1999 as a joint initiative with USCC, with agreement between the producers and receivers of the compostable product on the criteria for certification. Fast forward 20+ years and there’s a growing composter confidence issue, in part linked back to alignment on whether the certification criteria is a reliable enough indicator for real world breakdown. BPI’s path forward to address this issue was informed by a 2021 stakeholder workshop and led to work on a standardized field test method at ASTM, as well as a program for composters to check whether plastics in their overs are compostable or a lookalike contaminant.
Speakers: Rhodes Yepsen
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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That steam treatment may have applications for high risk pathogenic materials and could help to lower operator and product quality risks
Speakers: Michael Bryan-Brown
Duration: 24 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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– Development of a replicable model for community-based composting. – Multi-stakeholder collaboration, representing universities, non-profits, and local neighborhood to build a hub and spoke organics diversion and community composting system to help meet the demand and supply needs of a large urban city.
Speakers: Renee Wallace
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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– Multi-stakeholder collaboration, representing entire organics value chain, to drive improvement in a rural setting – Utilizing systems practice helps to create enduring social change through mapping the current system and identifying leverage points. – Model for gaining organics diversion and compost end-market development
Speakers: Nicole Chardoul
Duration: 27 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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To date, closing the organics recycling loop by requiring compost purchases is an underutilized tool in municipal efforts to manage organic waste sustainably and cost-effectively. Composting is an effective way to reduce food waste in cities, by turning food scraps into a natural soil amendment that can be used in city gardens and landscaping and improve soil health and water retention, without the use of artificial fertilizers. This presentation will review the model policy created by NRDC and the Environmental Law Institute that municipalities can use to require the use of compost products where appropriate and go over other examples of how this is being implemented across the country.
Speakers: Nina Sevilla
Duration: 12 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Discuss tools and processes they are using to remove contamination
Speakers: Chris Seney, Scott Gamble, Aspen Hattanbaugh, Will Kelly
Duration: 1 hours 24 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Increasing funding for composting is crucial in order to recover wasted food. Participants will learn about proven local and state policies to fund composting as well as new legislation to advance compost use as part of healthy soil goals.
Speakers: Sophia Jones
Duration: 15 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Learn from three state chapters how they are influencing key policies to promote compost industry growth
Speakers: Kellie Kish, Isaac Bearg, Dan Matsch
Duration: 1 hours 26 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Operator Roundtable on Employee Retention and Safety. Questions, answers and discussion with a panel of experienced site operators.
Speakers: Samantha Winkle, Mary Matava, Zoe Apisdorf, Clay Ezell
Duration: 1 hours 29 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Survey results are expected to illustrate current trends and challenges in composting operations and provide insights on national capacity for diversion, availability and usage of feedstock types and sources, end-market products, and current industry perspectives on key issues such as legislation, regulation, and labor needs.
Speakers: Suzie Boxman
Duration: 14 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Learn how the Advanced Clean Fleets rulemaking will work alongside SB 1383.
Speakers: Veronica Pardo
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Participants will come away with real-life examples of generators, haulers and processors that are successfully evolving to meet the demand for organics recycling solutions. Ryan will share learnings of what works and what doesn’t work for market participants working to scale their organics landfill diversion operations.
Speakers: Ryan Cooper
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The processing of food waste rich organic waste resulting from SB 1383 can be managed without long hauling feedstocks through focusing on operations and science-based process controls.
Speakers: Tim O’Neill
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This presentation will illustrate a comprehensive planning process and tool, including a timeline, to achieve SB 1383 compliance. SB 1383 requires California to massively increase organic waste collection and recycling infrastructure in under 10 years. The regulation requires a collective effort by many entities (including jurisdictions, haulers, recyclers, and businesses) along with significant capital investments.
Speakers: Srividhya Viswanathan
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The information presented will be useful for those considering composting their own wastewater solids or other input wastewater solids at existing or planned composting operations to ensure the lowest feasible PFAS concentrations in compost can be achieved.
Speakers: Todd Williams
Duration: 27 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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It is possible to satisfy SB 1383 procurement targets in a region where compost demand is high. Utilizing the Direct Service Provider alternative method of compliance may be feasible for certain jurisdictions.
Speakers: Xinci Tan
Duration: 30 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This first-of-its-kind study reveals how consumers and end-users respond to different labeling techniques of both non-compostable and food-contact compostable packaging, offering important data to inform labeling regulations and manufacturer/brand decision-making.
Speakers: Caroline Barry, Wendell Simonson
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Compost process conditions determine air emissions. Measuring and controlling these conditions is straight forward and cost-effect. Measuring air emissions, while scientifically interesting, is expensive and the accuracy of standard source testing methods is not well understood. Regulations that focus on the quality of process conditions can be effective and helpful.
Speakers: Tim O’Neill
Duration: 28 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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– Better understanding how to choose compost for specific applications -Teach composters what buyers are looking for -Help SB 1383 jurisdictions spec the compost and mulch they must aquire
Speakers: Ronald Alexander
Duration: 24 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Microplastics have been found in all measured composts and thus compost may be a vector for plastic to enter agricultural soils. Soil microplastics may impact greenhouse gas emissions, microbial activity, and nutrient cycling in agricultural soil ecosystems.
Speakers: Sarah Hobson
Duration: 29 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Chapters will work with USCC’s DEI Workgroup to discuss ways that Chapter activities can provide access, equity and inclusion for local members
Speakers: Xinci Tan, Renee Wallace
Duration: 33 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Successful Chapters play an important role in supporting the USCC core values, mission and vision for long term organizational sustainability
Speakers: Wendy Scott
Duration: 1 hours 16 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Wow. There is a lot of thought that goes into this program. They really are carving a difference out between regular compost and STA Certified compost.
Speakers: Clinton Sander, Bob Yost, Ron Alexander, Gowri Sundaram
Duration: 1 hours 25 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Better understanding of legal requirements to ‘sell’ compost Understanding basic of ‘organic certification’
Speakers: Ronald Alexander
Duration: 1 hours 30 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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API Test Course
Speakers: John Doe, Jane Doe2
Duration: 2 hours 33 minutes
Credits: 4
Member Price: $50.00
Non-Member Price: $100.00
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A day-long safety training for compost manufacturers, hosted by CREF

Presenters include

• Nellie Brown, Cornell ILSR
• Ted Dirkx, Vermeer
• Matt Cotton, IWMC
• Sarah Bulluck, St. Louis Composting

Speakers: Nellie Brown, Ted Dirkx, Matt Cotton, and Sarah Bulluck
Duration: 6 Hours
Credits: 6
Member Price: $270.00
Non-Member Price: $475.00
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This intensive day-long training from COMPOST2020 in Charleston, SC covers the basic concepts, practices and “how to’s” of commercial compost production. The course provides a broad foundation for novice compost operators, managers and regulators and refreshes veteran composters on the underlying scientific principles. Subjects include: Basic principles of composting, process insights, facility design and management, feedstock properties, qualities of compost, odor control,  major processing methods, and an overview of markets for compost. 
Serves as a review in preparation for the Certified Compost Operations Manager test or the Certified Composting Professional test.

Speakers: Bob Rynk, Matt Cotton
Duration: 6 Hours and 48 Minutes
Credits: 6.5
Member Price: $315.00
Non-Member Price: $550.00
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A Panel of Buyers and Sellers discuss what you need to know to successfully and profitably sell your business Michael Stevens, WeCare Denali: Educate participants on the process of selling their businesses. How to go about finding a buyer, the process of selling, and various aspects of completing a sale process. Discuss what aspects of a business potential buyers may find attractive. Discuss how a future seller should prepare for the sale in terms of collecting data that will be required by buyers through diligence. Kevin Bolin, Earth Holdings: Should you sell or find an investor? How can a potential seller make their business more valuable and attractive to a potential buyer or an investor. Define a transaction which fits with your goals while avoiding the landmines that exist. Discuss drivers for acquirers and then actions that can be taken to create value for a potential sale one, two, three years down the road. Ideas about qualifying a buyer or investor to meet the seller’s goals. Russell Faldik, New Earth: New Earth was grown as a family owned business from 1999-2021 when the Leonard family decided it was time to sell to strategic acquirer Denali Water Solutions. New Earth was not necessarily looking to sell, but when the right partner came along the family decided to let it go. Selling a company can be highly emotional. Negotiations and due diligence can take a toll on you and your team. The hope is discussing our experience can help you if you are considering a sale now or in the future.

Speakers: Selling Your Business Panel
Duration: 87 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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In 2015 Pitkin County embarked on a journey towards significantly reducing waste and encouraging diversion; the driver for our waste diversion efforts, a rapidly filling landfill.  Pitkin County is located on the Western Slope of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Situated in the midst of Aspen’s world-class ski resorts, tourism is the driving force of the economy. In response to the recommendations from the 2015 waste study, the County put into place a PAYT ordinance, mandating variable rates for different sized trash containers and requiring recycling to be included with trash service.  Food waste collection was not mandated but encouraged as a way to reduce waste and shrink your trash bill.  A series of ads, newspaper, and TV, as well as outreach events, were created encouraging food waste diversion.  The County promoted its SCRAPS food waste diversion program, making available six-gallon buckets with sealing lids and countertop collection bins for residents, encouraging residents and businesses to compost to reduce their trash volume.   The County’s transition to a PAYT program was a success, food waste composting was an important aspect in helping people to increase diversion and get to that smaller trash can.  Based on data from the largest hauler in Pitkin County, they were able to get approximately 30% of their customers into smaller trash cans, food waste diversion played a big role in that shift.
Speakers: Cathleen Hall
Duration: 44 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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“YP Webinar: Growing your Career in the Compost Industry! Jobs in the US may be abundant but are you positioning yourself for the best career in the compost industry? Hear what two of the largest compost manufacturers in the country look for in candidates. Learn how the USCC can give you the tools to make a positive career shift happen. From our Certification Commission to our Career Center the USCC has your back. The USCC Young Professionals Group is pleased to invite you to “Growing your Career in the Compost Industry” Sponsored by Komptech Americas. ”
Speakers: Chris Seney, Lindsey Hill, Gowri Sundaram, Cary Oshins
Duration: 65 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Life requires us to be problem solvers. Success requires us to be dreamers. Chad Hymas is both a dreamer and a problem solver. In his personal life, he has had to find new solutions to create mobility, strength, and business success. Wouldn’t you like your team to acquire those same skills? With humorous stories and innovative concepts, Chad will teach your group to . . . • Look outside the box for new and better ideas that propel you to higher returns and bigger profits • Create new mental images of success, innovation, and progress • Anticipate changing needs and new opportunities in the marketplace • Get a bird’s eye perspective of current circumstances and make long-lasting, effective changes • Sprout wings and fly faster and further than you ever thought possible Awesome for businesses going through transition, mergers, or leadership reform! This presentation is ideal to inspire employee cooperation and productivity amidst change!
Speakers: Chad Hymas
Duration: 38 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105
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This will be a presentation about customer service, providing strategies, training methods, and tackling specifc compost/soil related customer issues. We will go over how to create customer serivice culture and a reputation for a meaningful brand and repeat sales. How to use lab testing, STA Certification and local/regional labs to provide the best service for your customers. We will exam common issues, as well as break down other more intresting customer service experiances. Ultimately the presentation will be about discussing strategies to gain and maintain the trust and business of our customers and communities.
Speakers: Shota Austin
Duration: 8 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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The project objective is to identify manufactured soil mixes that support the growth of native, pollinator friendly vegetation in roadside settings. As NYSDOT’s current standard topsoil mixes have been found lacking in their ability to reliably support the establishment of native, pollinator-friendly plant populations; there is a need to develop topsoil specifications that can facilitate the establishment and subsequent growth of pollinator-friendly plant material. Develop an ecoregion map of the state, Identify dominant taxonomic soil units within each state ecoregion. Identify and characterize at least one reference site for each of the dominant taxonomic soil units within the state eco regions. Reference sites shall contain pollinator-friendly, native-plant communities. Based on data collected from the project reference sites, soil material specifications will be developed for each state ecoregion. Work with soil manufacturers to produce sample soil quantities per the soil material specifications developed for each ecoregion and estimate the costs to produce these soils.
Speakers: Jean Bonhotal
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Compost production and use in arid climates differs from temperate regions because compost and other organic matter inputs fail to persist in arid soils. We must find ways to improve finished compost to enhance its ability to store carbon and improve long-term soil health in arid cropland soils. Co-composting biochar is one potential solution to enhance both the composting process in water-limited regions and improve soil health. Adding biochar to aerobic windrows during composting has been shown to increase concentrations of slow-cycling carbon (i.e., carbon sequestration) and enhance compost’s existing benefits including water and nutrient retention. We partnered with Tanks Green Stuff to investigate the effects of co-composting commercially available biochar with dairy manure and landscape trimmings on compost quality, soil health, and crop productivity in Tucson, Arizona. We set up a field-scale wheat cropping experiment with soil treatments of (1) compost alone (control), (2) biochar plus mature compost, and (3) co-composted biochar to investigate effects on soil health, carbon storage, and crop productivity for two years. We divided plots into different irrigation treatments to investigate effects of severely and moderately reduced irrigation frequency on crop growth in each soil treatment.  We hypothesized that co-composted biochar would enhance soil health, carbon storage, and wheat growth under all irrigation regimes. To evaluate soil health throughout the two year field study, we monitored carbon cycling, nutrient cycling (nitrogen and phosphorus), and water retention. Our study revealed that co-composting biochar enhanced quality of mature compost, several components of soil health, and wheat yield. However, soil health and wheat yield improvements were not observed in treatments receiving severely infrequent irrigation. Overall, enhancing compost quality with biochar has the potential to improve cropland productivity in arid climates as long as irrigation is not severely limited.
Speakers: Shelby R Hoglund
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Resource Conservation efforts are gaining traction in the world of Construction and Land Development across the Country. It’s not uncommon for State Department of Transportation Engineers to receive a variety of requests to try products on the right of way made from recycled materials, incorporate controversial materials like Municipal or Animal sludge, or even allow by products from a variety of manufacturing applications like Coal Combustion or Medicinal products. Approaching these Engineers seeking approval to apply Compost on right of way can find your efforts lost in a category labeled “Materials on Trial”. How can you separate Compost from all those others? Lets discuss some approaches.
Speakers: Donald Pearson
Duration: 41 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105
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Video is one of the top marketing tools for on online content, time to embrace it and find a strategy. VM trends are increasingly important to overall marketing strategies. In 2021, “86% of businesses indicated that they were using video as a marketing tool.” Additionally, “93% of them say it’s a critical part of their strategy, 84% of consumers have been convinced to buy a product after watching a video, and they’re twice as likely to share videos than other types of online content” (statistics credit Michael Brenner). Engage your customers with real-life content now. Learn about 2022 trends, live video opportunities on social media pages, and understand large production services are not necessary in today’s smart phone world.
Speakers: Clinton Sander
Duration: 27 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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When deciding whether to accept compostable products with food scraps – what’s in and what’s out – it pays to go beyond the lab to see how products breakdown in real-world conditions. Join a panel of field testing experts and compost manufacturers to talk about the ins and outs of on-site disintegration testing for compostable foodware and packaging. Two field testing programs and two composters will share the lay of the land and practical experiences in field testing, and how you can field test on your site. Alex Alton Thomas, Compost Manufacturing Alliance Wayne Howard, CREF Compostable Field Testing Program Marisa DeDominis, Earth Matter NYC Melissa Tashjian, Compost Crusader
Speakers: Panel
Duration: 60 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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Take a closer look at the way that aeration floors are designed by comparing temperature and oxygen piles readings gathered at high and low velocity aeration floors within the same facility. Use this data to assess the validity of the predictive models used in the industry.
Speakers: Orion Black-Brown
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Learn what investors care about most when scrutinizing potential organics recycling businesses. Understanding the mindset of these stakeholders will allow facility owners and operators to avoid costly legal mistakes, obtain favorable financing, and maximize ROI.
Speakers: Kamal Daghistani
Duration: 33 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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This video discusses the tools that the Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) provides to those wanting to implement zero waste initiatives on their campus.
Speakers: Kayla Conway
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Regenerative Agriculture Principles work well regardless of the environment, the foods being grown or raised, and the climate under which they are raised. Direct experiences with farms in all major climate regions and in many different production focuses shows that tremendous resilience can be achieved through proper application of the Six Principles of Soil Health and the Three Rules of Adaptive Stewardship. This resilience is exhibited through enhanced soil biological function, increased soil water infiltration and retention, better cycling of nutrients, more efficient water cycle, and a higher degree of diversity in plants, microbial species, beneficial insects, bird populations and wildlife. As you build diversity and functional capacity of the soil, the ability of the supporting ecosystem to withstand challenges and stressors improves significantly. Case studies conducted by Understanding Ag show that this resiliency and ecosystem strength are real and exist in all major climates in North America. Case studies representing the northern, eastern, southern, western, and arid climates reveal tremendous resilience in the face of floods, drought, extreme cold, heat and humidity. These case studies represent the regions from which the summit attendees are from and show impacts ranging from quicker recovery from flood, drought and fire, to positive alterations in local weather patterns. Data will be presented to support reported results and validate the ability of regenerative practices to be restorative. In summary, we will show the positive benefits of regenerative principles and practices on soil health, plant health, animal health, ecosystem and climate health to human health. These results benefit everyone, whether they are a farmer or a consumer. When regenerative agriculture is correctly applied, everyone wins.
Speakers: Allen Williams
Duration: 49 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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A risk-free environment will never exist. Therefore, employees must be self-motivated to develop a “personal safety culture” to reduce accidents. Participants will learn: -If you notice a dangerous situation you need to fix it -That safety should be a 24 hour concern -Any small accident can affect your future
Speakers: Chad Hymas
Duration: 1 hours 19 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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A panel of experienced operators from accross the country will discuss the costs and benefits of using depackagers. Paneilisits include: Chris Seney, Republic Services Kevin Bolin, Organics by Gosh Patrick Geraty, St. Louis Composting Brian Fleury, Wecare Denali
Speakers: Panel
Duration: 1 hours 24 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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This video gives information on the Don’t Waste Food campaign in South Carolina, with the purpose to increase awareness and educate the public.
Speakers: Juli Blalock
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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In the United States, over one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste. It is the single largest item in our everyday trash, and the largest item to go into municipal landfills. Consumers in their own homes make up the majority of food waste in America – more than grocery stores, restaurants, or any other part of the supply chain. However, most American consumers are either unaware of the problem, or they just don’t care.  Turn is a DFW based composting service that is focused on a subscription model for consumers that educates, motivates, and equips them to compost. We have three different product levels for consumers in paid private model with no municipal support or funding. Throughout the pandemic, our residential composting subscription service actually increased. We will provide analysis and research on what are the motivators and detractors for consumers from using our service. We will talk through creative techniques we have utilized to bring awareness and understanding to consumers in our community. We will also provide analysis (quant and qual research) of people that do not use our service and are not interested in composting. Ultimately this will have a social psychology tone to it. Getting down to the ‘why’ and ‘why not’ of composting from a broad swath of demographics in our local community.
Speakers: Lauren Clarke
Duration: 33 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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Description coming soon
Speakers: Sally Brown
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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This video talks about Project Drawdown, the effort to not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but to reach a point in which the greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere decline.
Speakers: Katharine Wilkinson
Duration: 43 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
Non-Member Price: $105.00
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Description coming soon
Speakers: Paul Hawken
Duration: 1 hours 2 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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In this session, Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli will summarize the growing network of community composters and their benefits in promoting a circular economy in which compost is used within the same area in which the food scraps are generated. She serves on the Steering Committee of the Community Composter Coalition, convened by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Meredith will share data on the Coalition’s 170 organizational members: the number and type of operations, tons of food scraps collected and composted, key challenges, and more.
Speakers: Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli
Duration: 17 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Project Drawdown has done a pragmatic assessment of transformational changes that will be necessary to curtail global warming. When we analyze these projects, we find many of them can be clustered into a broader narrative of Organic Circularity. Researchers in Georgia have adopted the Project Drawdown methodology and created a hierarchy of initiatives to achieve carbon emission reductions for the State. Composting is one of those key initiatives. Dr. Jeff Mullen, an agricultural economist from the University of Georgia, is leading the food systems component of this initiative with a collection of colleagues from Georgia Tech and Emory University. In this talk, Dr. Mullen will share insights into methodologies and pilot programs being initiated to help the State of Georgia achieve sustainability goals through implementation of composting and reduction of food waste. Supporting this narrative, Gary Robinson from TIPA Corp will share insights into the work being done to expand consumer access to composting while helping prevent food waste. This includes exploring novel technologies, field testing, and advocacy work to collectively help us achieve the objectives of Project Drawdown.
Speakers: Gary Robinson
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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Zero Foodprint is a 501.c3 leading public private collaborations with governments in CA, CO to scale carbon farming. We generate funds from businesses and citizens and depoly grants in conjunction with trusted conservation networks like the Conservation Districts and Cooperative Extensions. We are scaling this circular economy with a long term vision of enabling direct investment and incentivization of healthy soil at the infrastructural level, much in the way citizens can directly invest in renewable energy through CCA frameworks. Approximately 75% of our grants involve compost projects and so our work falls squarely in the category of market development for compost with a focus on carbon farming and regional governmental climate action plans. An example success would be for a given city or county to add $1 or $5 per month on the trash bill to “improve the grid of food” by funding the widespread creation of compost and application on agricultural lands. Leading business could also opt-in to add a 1% fee. We are in the very early stages of piloting this work in collaboration with governments in CA and CO and regulatory circumstances relating to SB1383 are creating exciting opportunities around direct service provision, and the establishment of a compost marketplace that can optimize the climate benefit of the expanding compost economy.
Speakers: Anthony Myint
Duration: 17 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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We will summarize the FSMA Produce Safety Rule standards in Subpart F, the current FDA risk assessment associated with BSAAO, and associated research efforts. Commonly-used BSAAO will be discussed, including how these requirements may affect the compost industry. We will outline additional benefits and challenges of using treated BSAAO, and identify science-based management strategies to minimize food safety risks associated with the use of BSAAO, especially in light of pre-existing recommendations and programs.
Speakers: David Ingram
Duration: 16 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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successes, challenges and opportunities for organics management
Speakers: Natasha Duarte
Duration: 21 minutes
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How to make more with what you got! Methods to successfully meeting market demands.
Speakers: Shota Austin
Duration: 12 minutes
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This video discusses the certification process of compostable products, and more specifically, the use of the compound PFAS (fluorinated chemicals) and its concerns.
Speakers: Rhodes Yepsen
Duration: 24 minutes
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Managing an operation can mean many things, but managing a composting operation has some specific traits that should be considered among all operators in all situations. This presentation will address some serious blunders and some paths to success that may be useful to those managing, supporting, regulating, or working with a composting project. Whether a small or large facility, operations management principles and a plan are essential. These principles focus on safety, environmental compliance, and a business plan that allows for the necessary resources to carry these challenges out sustainably.
Speakers: Jeff Ziegenbein
Duration: 43 minutes
Credits: 1.0
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New policies and regulations are creating a need for organics management facilities.  Additionally, an increased interest in composting at the community-level is also driving community-based composting operations. The presentation will discuss factors that impact feasibility and design of composting projects, including but not limited to incoming waste stream volumes, food waste collection and processing options, site requirements, air and water quality issues, permitting challenges and life-cycle costs. Additionally, we will discuss two feasibility studies that assisted with decision making and overall system design.
Speakers: Tracie Bills
Duration: 23 minutes
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Add more- that was the official extension recommendation for phosphorus fertilization for many decades. Phosphorus is tightly bound in most soils. This nutrient has a strong affinity for reactive groups on soil particles including iron, aluminum and calcium. In order to make sure plants had access to enough P, extension agents typically recommended applications well in excess of plant requirements. That paradigm had a sudden shift about 30 years ago when scientists realized that heavily loaded soils could release P in cases of erosion and even by movement through the soil profile. The era of excess P was born. New soil tests have been developed to measure excess P. New rules restricting use of P have been promulgated in many areas. This new paradigm does not typically recognize the importance of recycling P through use of residuals -based amendments. At about the same time, there has been a recognition of the limited P reserves for production of additional P fertilizers. Reuse of residuals can be the answer to both P saturated soils and low reserves of phosphorus ore. Residuals typically provide slow release P and increase the soils’ ability to bind P, and reduces the movement of water that leaches P. Also, in areas where excess P is an issue, other materials can be added to compost to help bind P, as a designer compost product.
Speakers: Sally Brown
Duration: 17 minutes
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This video discusses compost use in green infrastructure, and the sales methods used to get into this market.
Speakers: Ryan Cerrato
Duration: 26 minutes
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This video goes into the chemistry of salinity in soils, and how it can have negative effects in certain environments if not managed.
Speakers: David Weindorf
Duration: 34 minutes
Credits: 1.0
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Exceptional Quality (EQ) biosolids are valuable sources of organic matter and nutrients for rehabilitation of disturbed urban soils. The remediation of such soils can be hastened by frequent application of EQ biosolids or at rates traditionally employed for the reclamation of mine land soils. While reclamation rates may improve the quality and ability of such soils to support vegetation, the risk of buildup of excessive concentrations of soluble P as a surface water contaminant risk must be addressed. Two clayey urban soils were amended with various formulations and rates of EQ biosolids, including those composted, for the production of turfgrass and garden vegetables. Biosolids were applied to an acid urban soil annually for 4 of 5 years from 2013 to 2018 at rates designed to provide ample plant available N for tall fescue turfgrass. Biosolids were applied to a calcareous urban subsoil annually from 2016 to 2018 at rates designed to provide 1x and 5x the recommended plant available N rate for a variety of fall and spring vegetable crops. Organic C was increased from 1% in the acid turfgrass soil to 3.5% with the composted biosolids, and from 1% in the calcareous vegetable garden soil to 2.5% with the composted biosolids. Soil test P increased to high concentrations with the high biosolids P application rates to each soil; however, the initially very low soil test P concentrations typical of disturbed urban prevented soil P levels from posing significant water impairment risks. Soil compaction was alleviated by the composted biosolids which reduced bulk density from 1.1 g/cm^3 with the synthetic fertilizer to 0.73 g/cm^3 with the composted biosolids in the top two inches of the turfgrass soils and from 1.34 g/cm^3 to 1.16 g/cm^3 in the vegetable garden soil. Co-Author/s: Odiney Alvarez-Campos, Virginia Tech, odineyac@vt.edu // Mike Badzmierowski, Virginia Tech, mikejb7@vt.edu
Speakers: Gregory Evanylo
Duration: 1 hours 29 minutes
Credits: 1.5
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This video discusses exceptional quality biosolids, and the experiments done comparing soil amendments to determine which would be more beneficial for urban agriculture.
Speakers: Gregory Evanylo
Duration: 36 minutes
Credits: 1.0
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Among the many benefits of compost to soil is the addition of organic matter to soils. Organic matter increases nutrient- and water-holding capacity, adds slow-release nutrients, builds soil structure, and reduces compaction. However, many people misunderstand how to calculate the number of cubic yards of compost to add, in order to follow industry recommendations or specifier requirements for the target % organic matter. To understand how to do this calculation, the bulk density of both the target soil and the compost product in question are needed. This talk will discuss what organic matter is, how addition of compost changes soil physical and chemical properties, and how we can best measure those properties.
Speakers: Doug Collins
Duration: 28 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Although interest in organically managing turfgrass has grown, research regarding the benefits of compost tea application on turfgrass is relatively recent and limited. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of compost tea applications on overall turf quality and soil microbial activity. Evaluations of turfgrass were based on The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program’s guidelines and included color, turf density, overall density, percent living, and texture. Soil samples were analyzed for chemical attributes and microbial activity. The four sites of this study included: 1) soil drench compost tea application and irrigation, 2) soil drench compost tea application and no irrigation), 3) no compost tea application and irrigation, and 4) no compost tea application and no irrigation. Fifteen soil samples and turf quality observations were collected for pretest data. Then, post-test data were collected after each additional seasonal test period over the course of one year for each of the four locations. Of the four locations, the site which received compost tea applications and regular irrigation received statistically significantly higher turf quality ratings, and compost tea improved turf quality ratings beyond that of regular irrigation. Microbial populations appeared to be highest in soil samples of irrigated-compost tea treatment areas compared to control (non-treated) and non-irrigated areas. Microbial populations also increased in treated non-irrigated areas. Overall, the study results provide evidence of the value of compost tea to overall turf quality and beneficial soil microbial populations.  
Speakers: Nicole Wagner
Duration: 18 minutes
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The Construction Industry is highly regulated and soil specifications are becoming more specific with every project. With increased demand comes the increased opportunity for Compost Manufactures to capitalize on these trends. While all Compost Manufacturers possess the necessary ingredients to create the soil, the requisite knowledge remains the greatest barrier to entry. Ascertaining the knowledge provides Compost Manufactures with another higher margin outlet for their compost. Most regulations are overseen by some form of government and understanding their unique soil specifications is only the starting point. Understanding which laboratories can generate acceptable tests, which tests and forms must be completed, and the timeline and frequency of testing. Demonstrating dedication to compliance and adherence to each specification will develop a strategic partnership with each government you work with.  Once you understand the specifications of any soil you choose to manufacture, you will be in need of a construction materials testing firm. Most specifications will indicate which specific tests/methods must be included with a submittal. Generally, all tests must also be conducted by an accredited laboratory with a current certification. Finding a testing firm that can supply acceptable testing results on time and within budget will improve your ability to supply any soil you choose to manufacture. Not to mention, the relationship cultivated with the testing firm can provide invaluable knowledge in the future. Lastly, Manufacturers must understand and embrace the end-user of these manufactured soils, in most cases Construction Companies. By now, you will know what information and tests you will need to share with Construction Companies and when they will need it. You can cultivate relationships with whomever may be responsible for purchasing decisions within the companies you supply. Creating an open dialogue with your consumers will provide you with feedback and insight into additional manufactured soil opportunities. 
Speakers: Tyler Scott Wright
Duration: 21 minutes
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Applying compost to rangelands has proven to increase the Soil Organic Matter and therefore, sequestering carbon under the ground for years to come.
Speakers: Erin Levine
Duration: 19 minutes
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Agrilab Technologies Inc. (AGT) is one of the teams funded through the Vermont Phosphorus (P) Innovation Challenge. The larger effort seeks to reduce P loading to Lake Champlain and other Vermont waters through new practices. AGT is setting up a network of on-farm composting and P processing sites to stabilize and fortify compost with concentrated P from livestock manure sources. End products are anticipated to better distribute and apply P within farm operations, within watersheds and for export. This specialty P-fortified product will reduce P moving to undesirable locations and keep it where it is a highly valued fertilizer and soil amendment for growing crops.”
Speakers: Brian Jerose
Duration: 30 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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The free-floating algae known as sargassum (Sargassum fluitans and Sargassum natans) drifts onto coastlines throughout the Atlantic Ocean during spring and summer months.  Beach communities seek to maintain tourist appeal and remove or relocate the sargassum drifts collecting on shore.  Maintenance efforts have attempted to incorporate sargassum into dunes.  However, not all communities have the resources to manage the biomass and must dispose of it in a landfill.  The utility of the seaweed biomass as a fertilizer for plant growth has been renowned for centuries.  The purpose of this project was to evaluate the appropriate proportion of sargassum to other compost ingredients used in a large-scale composting system to create a quality product for utilization in horticultural and/or agricultural products.  This study used approximately 32 yard^3 of sargassum as part of 96 yard^3 of compost material, which also included food waste, fish waste and wood chips.  Four protocols were prepared and included either 25% or 41.5% sargassum and various proportions of food or fish waste and wood chips, ingredients that would be readily available in coastline communities, to determine the ideal ratios of materials to create a quality compost.  Piles were turned regularly and monitored for compost industry standards.  All final compost products and protocols were of reasonable quality to those required by current compost standards. However, the protocol incorporating equal parts sargassum (41.5%) and wood chips (41.5%), fish waste (4%), and food waste (13%) had the best results in terms of organic matter content and overall nutrient levels.  Therefore, this study determined waste management industries can utilize sargassum as a feedstock through a large-scale composting system to create a desirable compost product that could be used in the horticulture industries.  Sargassum could also be composted and returned to the shoreline where it would build soils and vegetation.
Speakers: Tina Marie Cade
Duration: 18 minutes
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The Illinois State University Farm (Lexington, IL, USA) has been composting food scraps, landscape waste and livestock waste on a routine basis since 1993. This facility annually composts about 7,500 to 11,500 cubic meters of leaves, 3,000 to 4,000 cubic meters of grass clippings and yard waste, less than 750 cubic meters of sawdust and woodchips, 750,000 liters of separated biosolids from liquid swine manure, 190,000 liters of unprocessed liquid swine manure and 11,500 cubic meters of livestock manure/bedding. Starting in 2010, a research study was implemented to evaluate soybean (Glycine max) and corn (Zea mays) productivity in response to solid-separated compost application. The entire experimental site has uniform soil (Parr-Libson-Drummer Association). The 4.0 ha site has been split into three equal ‘plots’. One plot is the zero-rate control, the second plot received compost (at 18 Mg/ha, dry weight basis), and the third plot received traditional fertilizers.  Representative agronomic practices for most Illinois producers (except for compost) have been utilized for these plots at this experimental site. Soil samples and plant tissue and productivity data were collected for several growing seasons. Preliminary results indicate that corn and soybean yield was similar between compost and fertilizer plots. The application of compost also increased soil P levels, as compared to the zero-rate control. The ultimate impact of this study is to maintain high crop yield and productivity in an environmentally sensitive and sustainable manner.
Speakers: Ken Smicilas
Duration: 27 minutes
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Composts are increasingly used as components of growing media for greenhouse, nursery and garden crops. While they are known to improve chemical, physical and biological properties that impact plant health, little is known about the specific effects of compost amendments on the composition of microbial communities in these media. In this study, microbial consortia were characterized in growing media containing different amounts and types of composts. Ribosomal RNA gene and intergenic spacer region sequencing with bacterial and fungal specific PCR primers were used to amplify DNA isolated from growing media in containers after 0, 1 and 2 months in a greenhouse environment. The amplified sequences were compared to 16S gene and ITS sequence databases to identify and quantify individual microorganisms in the growing media. In one experiment, a peat/pine bark mix was prepared with 0, 10 and 20% leaf compost. The mixes were potted with a single birch tree seedling (Betula nigra ‘Cully’) and amended with controlled release fertilizer. In another, a biosolids compost and a leaf compost, with and without gamma irradiation, were used as amendments at 20% v/v and potted with sunflower (Helianthus annuus ‘Pacino Gold’) (n=6). Gamma irradiation (25 kGy for 30 minutes) largely destroyed the microbial community in the composts reducing the culturable bacteria by 99.9%. Results showed that microbial communities in media mixes differed from those in peat, bark or compost alone, and most closely resembled those in composts. After 1 and 2 months, the communities in all of the mixes became similar to one another and differed substantially from the initial mixes and feedstocks. Microbial communities in irradiated and control mixes differed initially but became similar after 2 months. Sunflower grew more slowly initially in irradiated compost amended mixes. Microbial community structure was affected most by media age, then by compost type, then irradiation.  
Speakers: Frederick Michel
Duration: 22 minutes
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Our collaborative partnership explores the science and application of compost amendments to steep slopes.
Speakers: Rebecca Ryals
Duration: 16 minutes
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We will seek to show that compost use was effective or ineffective at improving hemp production and the costs associated with the experiment and potential costs if compost usage were scaled up.
Speakers: Jim Davis
Duration: 15 minutes
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This video goes over the experiments done on hemp production and how compost can affect growth and pH levels.
Speakers: Jim Davis
Duration: 23 minutes
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This video gives background on the science of soil, and the research done to determine how different soil systems can affect carbon sequestration.
Speakers: Jessica Chiartas
Duration: 33 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
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This video gives information on the Compost Manufacturing Alliance and its educational and legislative efforts to reduce contamination.
Speakers: Susan Thoman
Duration: 13 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video gives advice on how to have breakthroughs and encourage innovation in organizations and companies.
Speakers: Ted Dirkx
Duration: 21 minutes
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This video discusses how and what types of mobile technology can be used to assist compost facilities in becoming more efficient.
Speakers: Sashti Balasundaram
Duration: 15 minutes
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Persistent herbicides (PH) pose an existential threat to commercial, municipal and community composting, and to the emerging circular economy. PH have been found in composts in many states and have cost compost producers millions of dollars. A survey of US Compost Council members composts revealed that approximately 4% of ready to sell composts have phytotoxic levels of PH. Common garden plants including tomato and bean are sensitive to these compounds at concentrations below 10 ppb. Chemical analysis is inconsistent and requires expensive liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry equipment, as well as highly trained analytical chemists, to detect in composts at these concentrations. A number of bioassays have been developed for the detection of these compounds. Methods differ in plant species used, watering methods, mix rations, and rating systems. In my work I applied some of these past methods to create an easy to use and follow approach that anyone could do. I started with the general peat moss and compost ratios and worked up to an approach that does not use potted plants at all, but soil blocks in planting trays. A clay based soilless media was tried but proved to be ineffective and temperamental and thus disqualified for further investigation. Soil blocks proved to be effective as many plant species and samples could be analyzed in series with minimal equipment and experimental footprint in a green house or under grow lights indoors. I found that most methods used large quantities of material, while not all that much is required to get representative samples. The best bioassay is the one that is used and detect PH at phytotoxic levels, and this approach is a fair and measured approach that can be used by compost producers to screen their ready to sell compost for potential PH contamination.
Speakers: Gerard Braun
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses the issues behind odor in compost facilities, and what methods you can use to control it by looking at the science of why it happens.
Speakers: Tim O’Neill
Duration: 28 minutes
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This video discusses persistent herbicide contamination, and how the levels of each compounds change in the composting process and application to plants.
Speakers: Fred Michel
Duration: 20 minutes
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San Antonio now has the first composting operation in the western hemisphere using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to remove contaminants prior to composting. In partnership with several companies, the patent-pending NOCRAP (Non-Organics Contamination Removal Automation Process) was installed in Spring 2020 and uses shredding and screening to increase the effectiveness of the picking. The AI robots use computer vision and machine learning to continually improve the removal of contaminants and learn how to identify new materials. Come learn about the challenges and solutions we have experience and where the future of the composting industry is heading.
Speakers: Michael Larrivee
Duration: 11 minutes
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This video discusses temperature regulation in composting, and how it can be used to destroy pathogens such as the swine parasite.
Speakers: Rick Carr
Duration: 21 minutes
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This video analyzes the accuracy of the testing process for air emissions in composting facilities, and goes over the information gained from the investigation.
Speakers: Andrew Carpenter
Duration: 40 minutes
Credits: 1.0
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Composting is a microbial process that converts organic waste materials into valuable organic matter rich in plant nutrients that is of great value to farmers and home gardeners.  The methods used to produce compost have a strong influence on the compost’s microbial community during the process and this in turn determines the greenhouse gases released and the quality of the final product.  Since microbes cannot be seen directly, it is difficult for producers to recognize when conditions in the composting process have gone awry and to make the appropriate adjustments.  This can lead to variation across batches and result in unreliable performance in the field that undermines consumer confidence. Methods exist to perform DNA sequencing of the microbial community during the composting process but they have historically been too expensive and slow to be practical for producers and are typically only used by researchers.  The situation is changing with the advent of new low-cost, hand-held DNA sequencers and mobile sequencing laboratories.  It is now possible to perform on-site DNA sequencing in real-time at a reduced cost that is projected to continue to drop.  This emerging technology presents many possibilities for enhancing the compost industry by ensuring greater compost quality and enabling development of customized products for amending soils, suppressing pathogens, and supporting target crops. In this talk, I will present the latest developments in DNA sequencing technology and discuss how it could be applied during the composting process to enhance compost quality.  I will provide information on costs, equipment, and skills needed to perform the sequencing.  I will also offer ideas on how these technologies might be used to establish new compost standards that enhance product consistency.  These tools will promote expanded use of compost by improving customer satisfaction with the consistent positive performance of the compost they buy.
Speakers: Laura Kavanaugh
Duration: 21 minutes
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This video discusses composting and biopiles, and the experiments done to find a method that can effectively inactivate CWD prions.
Speakers: Rob Michitsch
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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We will summarize the FSMA Produce Safety Rule standards in Subpart F, the current FDA risk assessment associated with BSAAO, and associated research efforts. Commonly-used BSAAO will be discussed, including how these requirements may affect the compost industry. We will outline additional benefits and challenges of using treated BSAAO, and identify science-based management strategies to minimize food safety risks associated with the use of BSAAO, especially in light of pre-existing recommendations and programs.
Speakers: Billy Mitchell
Duration: 7 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
Non-Member Price: $52.50
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We will summarize the FSMA Produce Safety Rule standards in Subpart F, the current FDA risk assessment associated with BSAAO, and associated research efforts. Commonly-used BSAAO will be discussed, including how these requirements may affect the compost industry. We will outline additional benefits and challenges of using treated BSAAO, and identify science-based management strategies to minimize food safety risks associated with the use of BSAAO, especially in light of pre-existing recommendations and programs.
Speakers: Donna Clements
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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The NJ Composting Council in the last 3 years has gone from formation to influencing policy by building a coalition that includes composting industry members, like minded non-profits, academics, current and former regulators, and even groups who some might find odd partners. This coalition included both grassroots organizations and small companies as well as the biggest composters in the country so those sitting at the table with us know we have the interest of climate change, sustainability, and economics. While putting it together was not easy, it has built our credibility and image quickly allowing us to influence policy on food waste diversion bills, compostable products and regulations. A strong educational program has been the foundation for building this coalition alongside an understanding of the issues faced by composters generally but by your state in particular.
Speakers: Isaac Bearg
Duration: 12 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video gives information on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and how different models can be utilized for composting.
Speakers: Michael Bryan-Brown
Duration: 31 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
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Speakers: Neil Rhodes, Edgar Yepsen
Duration: 1 hours 3 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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For decades, compost (and other organic recycled product) application rates have been governed by the amount of plant available nitrogen they provide. However, over the last 5-10 years, concerns about phosphorous application, and its effect on the environment, have led to State regulation limiting its application. Currently, 16 states have phosphorus regulation in place, and in many states, it limits the amount of compost that can be used in specific applications. In most states, politically expedient and not scientifically valid regulations have been established. The hardest hit markets are turf maintenance, which can be high value markets for compost.   The paper will outline Findings identified in the development of a Minnesota white paper on phosphorous risk in various applications of compost, Suggestions on limiting phosphorous risk, Options for how the composting industry can curtail the expansion of phosphorous regulation, and New labeling options for promoting the slowly releasing nature of phosphorous.
Speakers: Ronald Alexander
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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SB 1383 is an ambitious attempt in California to simultaneously address both climate change and resource management. Focussing on methane reduction, SB 1383 is anticipated to create hundreds of new residential, commercial and institutional food scrap collection programs, adding to CA’s already robust composting infrastructure. This presentation will provide a quick overview of the legislation and it’s multi-pronged approach, followed by an update on early administrative efforts and finally a sneak peak at how Californian’s are implementing this aspirational goal, implications for jurisdictions, and on compost markets. The presentation will focus on lesson’s learned, challenges faced, and impacts for future policy makers. The talk will also present results of CalRecycle’s most recent SB 1383 Infrastructure and Markets Study.
Speakers: Matt Cotton
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Like in other states, almost 30% (by weight) of the disposed load in Washington is organic material. As Washington takes major steps to enact climate change policy, diversion of this landfill load to avoid generation of a super emitter gas – methane – is now under serious consideration.  The imperative to address food waste has particularly caught the attention of decision-makers. In 2020, Zero Waste Washington interviewed 63 organic waste agency and industry staff and researchers from Washington. Based on those interviews, literature review and assessment of current data, we produced a report identifying existing organic waste flows, barriers and opportunities for management and concluded with 37 policy recommendations for Washington. The identified barriers to expanding organic waste management ranged from logistical challenges (including apple maggot quarantine restrictions) and business models that depend on external factors to tipping fees, regulatory interpretations, air quality emission factors (based on California’s conditions), and knowledge disconnects.  We also reviewed organics management legislation in the US and abroad, including implementation, so we can benefit from lessons learned. A stakeholder process was initiated in July 2021 and continued through December, to work through technical issues and regulatory and funding questions for a Washington-tailored major policy directive for landfill diversion, edible food rescue, and infrastructure expansion. This talk will highlight the results of the study and the current status of the stakeholder discussion results as we coalesce around significant policy to be introduced in early 2022.
Speakers: Xenia Dolovova
Duration: 14 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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successes, challenges and opportunities for organics management
Speakers: Natasha Duarte
Duration: 21 minutes
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How to move your state on the new path of supporting Organics and food diversion Programs.
Speakers: Jairo Gonzalez
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses phosphorous (P) applications, and how there are better ways to regulate its use depending on the soil type and phosphorous type.
Speakers: Ron Alexander
Duration: 30 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Before we can sell more compost, we need to be able to talk about it with Clarity – Confidence – Consistency! We listened – throughout the past few years and the past few days – and developed easy-to-repeat messaging and tools you can use TODAY to increase compost’s brand awareness through STA! Our STA Ambassadors will share feedback gathered from Conference attendees, to help bring clarity to the program for both STA Participants and those on the fence. STA is an excellent program that’s been developed over 20 years, and with this new focus, will unify all of the industry!
Speakers: Clinton Sanders, Suzanne Longacre
Duration: 8 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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In order to successfully operate compost sites, managers must find a home for their finished products.  In this session we’ll give an overview on developing markets, and moving large, and small volumes of compost.  Get a broad overview of finding projects, working with and educating architects, and developing relationships with contractors and customers to successfully move compost off your site!  
Speakers: Ryan Cerrato
Duration: 28 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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The composting industry can benefit from further documenting compost application instructions and benefits of end use, as well as quantifying and monetizing their benefits whenever possible. Good data exists which quantifies soil and plant improvement through compost usage in many applications, but actually monetizing the benefits is much more difficult.   Understanding this, the CREF has begun the development of the “Compost Application ROI Library” which is to be comprised of concise compost product application data sheets that provide users (as well as product specifiers, soil/crop consultants) with application specifications and quantified benefits so they may better assess the value of compost application.   The paper will outline the deliverables of the project, review the tools that were developed, and explain how to use them expand compost sales.
Speakers: Ronald Alexander
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses evaluating the performance of composting analysis labs, and assessing accuracy and precision using the proficiency testing programs.
Speakers: Robert Miller
Duration: 51 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
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Solid waste facilities are coming under pressure to adapt to organics legislation seeking to divert organics (predominantly food waste) from the municipal solid waste stream.  Food waste recycling can create economic benefits in addition to environmental ones. Most organics legislation puts the burden for source separation and organics diversion on the food waste generator. Tetra Tech has developed a geographic information system (GIS) to perform food waste generation market analyses to help assess the feasibility of such programs. These analyses provide valuable information for investors, solid waste facilities, and waste haulers to assess the potential impact to their operations and direct strategic planning. Food waste generators can use the GIS mapping for locating recyclers or to demonstrate a lack of relevant options under an organics diversion law. GIS-based applications and queries can be customized to meet the needs of a facility planning to incorporate organics recycling. These tools can estimate market potential based on site-specific generator data. Many solid waste facilities are located within or near disadvantaged communities and are looking for ways to be a good neighbor through job creation, clean energy use/generation and reducing emission. Queries can be formulated to focus on specific generator categories, including waste hauling route efficiencies, or reflect legal settings such as waste flow regulations and environmental justice considerations, among other challenges. This presentation will demonstrate the implementation of GIS tools and showcase several potential applications for a variety of stakeholders, including organics recycling facilities, waste haulers, operators of solid waste facilities, generators, regulators, and local and regional planners. Tetra Tech will present a case study of a solid waste facility where the site operator wanted to understand the landfill gas/organics tonnage they could potentially lose with the new commercial organics ban and evaluate the potential benefit of developing an onsite organics recycling program.  
Speakers: Debra Darby
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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We open under a microscope. It’s dead quiet. Tiny little particles bounce around at random like the white ball in the classic Atari game, Pong. As we zoom in to take a closer look, the movements begin to slow; we begin to hear the first notes of Debussy’s Clair de Lune.  Through a series of macro shots, we see soil slowly being peeled from the earth’s surface. A mixture of wood and organic matter suspended in space, an explosion of oxygen and fuel combusting into a ball of fire. The combination of tranquil cinematography and classical music is meditative, even mesmerizing. For a moment, we are entirely absorbed. CUT TO: The ear-piercing roar of an engine disrupts our dream-like state. From afar, we see a John Deere tractor pulling a compost-turner. Debris erupts from the massive horizontal blender consuming everything in its sight. In the distance, we can hear microbes screaming for their life, knowing all too well, their date with destiny has come. FADE TO BLACK: This presentation will advise businesses to consider the importance of writing their own story. The script above paints very different pictures of a compost operation, evoking varied emotions. As a USC professor once told me, you can’t sit with your ass between two chairs. From the consumer’s perspective, the compost marketplace can be confusing; finding your brand’s unique story can not only help them choose your product but create brand loyalty lasting long after the sale. More often than not, entrepreneurs start with the product, leaving the marketing for another day. This presentation will challenge that instinct. Identifying your demographic, creating positioning statements, conducting focus groups, and determining who you want to be are daunting tasks. I’ll discuss our approach, similarities in filmmaking, lessons learned, and keys to success. 
Speakers: Adam Brummond
Duration: 15 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Although it may be hard to believe, not everyone stares at only their phone or computer screens. As such, not all marketing needs to be digital. Traditional marketing, also known as physical marketing, has taken a backseat to today’s focus on digital marketing programs. Currently, many companies believe physical marketing materials are a thing of the past, and therefore exclusively utilize digital platforms for all their marketing. This mentality could and will limit your ability to effectively market your products and services. Yes, digital marketing needs to be a major focus of your marketing program, but that doesn’t mean using physical marketing materials are not beneficial in today’s digital environment. Using physical marketing materials to amplify your digital campaigns is highly beneficial for your business, by helping to create impactful promotional campaigns and strengthen brand awareness. This session will highlight the many benefits of utilizing physical marketing materials which have stronger impacts on customers and prospects. By outlining how printed material should be used to complement your online marketing programs, you will gain insight why this will drive traffic to your website and increase the efficacy of your digital programs. Learn how utilizing printed materials, such as brochures, signs, and various promotional materials will create stronger awareness of your products and generate higher sales & profits.
Speakers: Gary Gittere
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Mark Twain said “Synergy – the bonus that is achieved when things work together harmoniously.” Learn how to create synergy, excitement and engagement with other stakeholders to promote compost use. Building on events such as International Compost Awareness Week and World Landscape Architect Month provide great opportunities to target and reach influencers within and outside the compost industry.
Speakers: Suzanne Longacre
Duration: 20 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video goes over the use of compost blankets for erosion control, and does research on whether the DOT across states follow the recommendations discovered from compost erosion control.
Speakers: Charles Duprey
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses the composting program in Denver, Colorado, mentioning the resources and partnerships made to create a closed loop system.
Speakers: Tay Dunklee
Duration: 32 minutes
Credits: 1.0
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This video discusses the benefits of using STA certified compost, and how it can improve quality of the terrain for the Department of Transportations roadways.
Speakers: Luis Chamorro
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Marketing your finished compost and compost-based products can provide significant income, often making the difference between net profit and loss.But for municipal governments and agencies, who are service-driven and not for-profit, even the act of selling compost can be controversial.Fear of accusations of unfair competition with the private sector is an issue.Just managing the bureaucracy can be a hurdle.Listen to 3 municipal compost managers explain how they are working to overcome these and other barriers in this interactive session. Introduction and Moderator: Ron Alexander, R. Alexander Associates, Inc. Panelists: Tim Gainer – City of Raleigh (Yard Debris), Elliot Schneider – City of St Peters (Biosolids and Yard Debris (separate products)), Jeff Ziegenbein – Inland Empire Utilities Agency (Biosolids)
Speakers: Jeff Ziegenbein
Duration: 1 hours 31 minutes
Credits: 2.0
Member Price: $120.00
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This video discusses the past, present, and future of composting, from talking about its history and when it started, where it is now, and how things have changed to impact its future.
Speakers: Mike Carignan
Duration: 15 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses safety management, going beyond compliance and focusing on how company culture can affect behavior and safety.
Speakers: Justin Ganschow
Duration: 1 hours 28 minutes
Credits: 1.5
Member Price: $90.00
Non-Member Price: $157.50
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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that has been detected in cervid (e.g. deer, elk, moose) populations across the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, and South Korea. CWD, like other TSEs, is a progressively degenerative neurological disease caused by a misfolded protein known as a prion. The course of the disease consists of abnormal behavior, emaciation, and ultimately death. Prions are extremely persistent in the environment, including in soils . Additionally, prions also remain infectious when bound to soil particles, survive many chemical treatments, and can be taken up through the vascular systems of plants. In Wisconsin, disposal of CWD-positive hunter-harvested deer is the responsibility of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). Of the licensed landfills in Wisconsin, only 12 will accept CWD-positive carcasses, limiting disposal options for infected materials and increasing costs for proper disposal. Increasing regulations on disposal, meant to limit CWD spread, have further increased cost and time for landfills and has highlighted the need for alternative disposal methods. Composting has been shown to be effective at reducing recalcitrant organic contaminants and is a common waste disposal method for animal carcasses. The high microbial activity and temperatures achieved during composting raises the possibility that this method could deactivate infectious CWD prions. Previous studies suggest that composting may have some efficacy in this regard, but this has yet to be demonstrated using whole tissues. In this study we are investigating the effectiveness of composting for inactivation of CWD prions using whole and butchered carcasses. If successful, these methods will provide much needed relief to agencies seeking alternative means of CWD infected waste disposal. Preliminary data from two experiments will be presented regarding the composting process, media nutrient contents, and CWD prion presence/absence. This project includes increased microbial analysis thanks to the Compost Research Education Foundation.
Speakers: Alex Alton Thomas
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This talk covers the “voluntary (ie, non-regulatory) approach” to labeling–what compostable product manufcturers and distributors that accept the BPI Certification are required to do
Speakers: Wendell Simonson
Duration: 24 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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In 2021 BPI released a Roadmap to address the top barriers to the acceptance and successful processing of certified compostable products. The Roadmap was a culmination of a series of BioCycle-facilitated workshops with stakeholders from across the value chain — composters, haulers, municipalities, foodservice operators, brands, and compostable product companies. The goal was to “build consensus for a single set of acceptability criteria so that compostable products can be accepted and successfully processed by a broader set of composters processing food scraps.” We will examine the top barriers, along with “future states” where these barriers cease to be an issue, and projects that will help get us there. You will hear about progress that’s being made on regulatory Inconsistency, contamination, infrastructure funding, compostability standards, and Organic agriculture rules.
Speakers: Rhodes Yepsen
Duration: 30 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Presentation will walk attendees through the USCC’s Compost Manufacturers’ Decision Making Guide to Accepting or Rejecting Compostable Products, released in September 2021 and written by BioCycle Associates. The Guide includes key observations regarding composting certified compostable products, a Decision Tree, and accompanying worksheets that cover composting site assessment, business implications, feedstock source control, composting equipment assessment, and compost manufacturing operations assessment. The final sections of the Guide include Interactive Worksheets to help determine if your facility is a candidate to accept and successfully compost compostable products, and a spreadsheet to assess the financial viability of of accepting food scraps with compostable products included.
Speakers: Cary Oshins
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Is PFAS in biosolids composts a concern? Measured concentrations will be compared against regulatory guidance values.
Speakers: Todd Williams
Duration: 26 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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There are few things more frustrating to an organics recycling professional than contamination. In the case of organics, there is no “silver bullet” for addressing the challenges posed by materials that contaminate the source-separated waste stream. In this session, Rubicon’s Director of Circular Economy Solutions, Ryan Cooper, will discuss, alongside panelists from Atlas Organics and the City of San Antonio, how recent improvements in technology have reduced organics contamination in Texas’s second-largest city. The panel will also examine key examples of contamination reduction techniques at quick service restaurants (QSRs) and other businesses, the design changes that are improving the depackaging and contaminant removal process, and the importance of cultural change and training in preventing contamination at the source.
Speakers: Ryan Cooper
Duration: 18 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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When it comes to compostable products, generators and processors may view the decision to use these materials differently. Center for EcoTechnology (CET) will present industry trends from the perspective of food businesses and compost sites as they decide to accept compostable products. As a neutral third party, CET has extensive experience serving as a bridge between generators and their composters as these entities navigate considerations and parameters for acceptable items while seeking opportunities to maximize organics diversion. While decision-makers at businesses debate between compostable, recyclable, or reusable service ware options, processors are left with considerations of contamination, operational logistics, and consumer education. With entities such as Green Blue, BPI, and CMA focusing on supporting the development of innovative compostable wares, decision-makers are left asking when is the right place and time for utilizing these products? Attendees will learn about: Factors that compost sites and generators are taking into consideration when establishing lists of acceptable items. Why there has been a trend for composters to begin accepting these materials only to remove these items from the list at a later date. Evolutions in the industry, which may signal that it is time to reassess accepting these materials. Navigating options for compostable, recyclable, and/or reusable to-go products. The Center for EcoTechnology (CET) is an environmental nonprofit that helps people and businesses save energy and reduce waste. CET is partnered with federal agencies such as the EPA and USDA, and state partners including MassDEP, RI DEM, and CT DEEP to help support state and national goals for recycling and food waste reduction. CET offers one-on-one program design and implementation for businesses and institutions and develops tools utilized by businesses nationally.
Speakers: Coryanne Mansell
Duration: 27 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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I will share my top ten best practices for mitigating contaminates from both a proactive and reactive approach. The goal of this presentation is to inspire the audience to think differently about how they can take these best practices and develop a strategy to address the specific challenges they face.
Speakers: Ted Dirkx
Duration: 13 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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My presentation will detail the ability to produce contamination-free organics for compost through the separation of food (and other organic) waste from its packaging onsite at compost facilities, food manufacturing, retail, municipalities, standalone facilities and transfer stations as a means to divert organic waste from landfills and repurpose/recycle the material.
Speakers: Corey Rossen
Duration: 16 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Contamination removal is not just one step or one machine that will solve the problem.
Speakers: Todd Dunderdale
Duration: 14 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Herbicides that can remain in compost and cause damage in home gardens continues to harm our industry. These so-called “Persistent Herbicides”, including clopyralid, picloram, and aminopyralid, may be present in a variety of feedstocks. This past year has seen outbreaks of PH damage in North Carolina, Oregon and South Dakota. In this presentation you will learn more about these recent events, and efforts of the USCC to address this issue through education, research and advocacy.
Speakers: Dan Goosen
Duration: 37 minutes
Credits: 1.0
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This video discusses the use of bioassays to determine persistent herbicide contamination, giving instructions on how to do your own test.
Speakers: Tera Lewandowski
Duration: 17 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses the difficulty in getting persistent herbicide contamination identified due to lack of availability in lab testing.
Speakers: Daniel Goosen
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video goes over the methods and results of biochar experiments done in relation to composting, and how it can affect temperature and nutrients.
Speakers: Doug Collins
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses persistent herbicide (PH) contamination, along with how to find the source of the problem and what solutions to use.
Speakers: Craig Coker
Duration: 24 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video gives more information on PFAS, and how it is in so many products we use and not a problem solely related to composting.
Speakers: Bill Brower
Duration: 25 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses the experiments done using compost soil amendments to find the most efficient method in increasing nutrient content and productivity of wetlands.
Speakers: Donald De Alwis
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses issues of a moratorium on the biosolids recycling program due to high levels of PFAS found at a farm, and goes into the science and information of the compound.
Speakers: Andrew Carpenter
Duration: 24 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Odor concerns continue to challenge the composting industry, with complaints from neighbouring communities being frequent while solutions are few. This study presents a novel solution to address odors from composting facilities using continuous, intelligent emissions monitoring of problematic compounds. The system uses one high-end instrument to measure concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H_2S) in air samples drawn from several remote sampling inlets. This data is combined with wind speed and direction data using a proprietary analysis methodology to identify H_2S plumes, track them back to their sources, and quantify their emission rates. While the presence of H_2S may not be representative of all odorous compounds that are emitted from composting facilities, the system can be applied to other compounds to allow for a more complete understanding of odor sources. Although this system has been successful in addressing odor and other emission-related concerns in the wastewater treatment and oil and gas industries, it has never been applied in the composting industry. The system was deployed at Cleanit Greenit Composting Systems Inc., where it was operational from October 2019 to March 2020. During this monitoring period, two focal points of H_2S emissions were identified on the site with average emission rates of 35.1 L/min and 30.6 L/min. The system also identified a plume of H_2S coming from the direction of several potential off-site emission sources, which may further explain the odors being experienced in the community that have been attributed primarily to the composting facility. Additional monitoring was performed from October 2020 to January 2021 and showed that interventions made at the facility had reduced on-site H_2S emissions by 80%. This case study illustrates the potential for emissions monitoring technologies to identify focal points of problematic emissions, demonstrate improvement in facility operations, and resolve uncertainty regarding who is responsible for community odor problems. 
Speakers: Dennis Prince
Duration: 16 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This presentation is going to take a closer look at one of the biggest, but most underestimated, risks to industrial composters: odor. We will take a deep dive into the various components of composting sites and how/why they can contribute to odor issues. We will discuss the science of odor as well as the complexity of the human olfactory system. We will review the types and significance of the classification of odor causing compounds (odorants) relevant to the composting industry. We will also touch on the correlation between temperature, barometric pressure, and wind patterns and why monitoring environmental conditions such as those in real time is critical to developing a comprehensive odor management plan. We will discuss successful odor mitigation technologies as they apply to a specific industrial composting site with odor issues as a result of the introduction of highly odorous industrial residual into their facility (case study). We will explain the chemistry behind odor neutralization, as well as a unique utilization/deployment of atomization for a composting facility. Finally, we will help attendees understand the importance and impact of real-time data collection, reporting, remote monitoring and operation of odor mitigation systems on not only for regulatory  compliance but community advocacy and engagement.
Speakers: Josh Rembusch
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Country Oaks Landscape Supply in Burton, MI has been increasing its scale of compost production.  In February 2020 a Compost Aeration and Heat Recovery (CAHR) system was installed by Agrilab Technologies Inc. (AGT).  Over 30,000 cubic yards (CY) of mixed feedstocks are composted annually on an 8-zone working pad.  This has enabled Country Oaks to increase its total volume of compost produced on a smaller footprint while also reducing the number of hours on the straddle turner by over 50%. Odor complaints have been eliminated following installation of the CAHR system after receiving multiple complaints in 2019. The CAHR unit, the AGT Compost Hot Box 250-8RD, has aeration blowers, valve controls, sensors, controls and other components mounted in a 20′ insulated shipping container.  Automated timed aeration can function in negative, positive recirculating and positive drying modes depending on process needs. When in negative aeration mode, a specialized heat exchanger captures renewable thermal energy for on-site use.  At Country Oaks heat is provided to the nearby shop and sales building, and a newly constructed aquaponics greenhouse. Compost feedstocks include ground leaves, wood chips, grass clippings and source-separated food scraps.  Eight 300 CY batches are loaded on a 110′ x 120′ working pad with recessed aeration channels.  With a 3-4 week residence time, annual volumes are over 30,000 CY.  Following the primary aeration phase, batches are transferred to piles for secondary composting and curing using a straddle turner.  Total compost processing time has been reduced by two months and valuable site space has been freed for other material handling needs. AGT provides on-going remote operating support to optimize performance of the CAHR system.  Tracking temperature, oxygen and flow readings, the aeration interval length, recirculation and fan power settings are adjusted to meet compost process demands, achieve PFRP and make quality STA-certified products.
Speakers: Brian Jerose
Duration: 27 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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The Napa aerated static pile facility began operations in early 2020 with a hard-won air permit to accept 315 tons/day of food and yard waste, and other residuals.  The primary goal of the 10,700-word air permit was to keep the VOC emission factor below 1.8 lbs/ton of feedstock out of concerns for public health.  Starting in Q2 of 2020, the facility was required to conduct four quarters of official source testing which demonstrated an average VOC emission factor of 0.15 lbs/ton.  This low emission factor is the product of optimized biological process conditions in the pile, and not the result of an enclosure and scrubbing system to capture and treat the exhaust air.  Maintaining these conditions is accomplished through competent operations and an aeration and control system designed to optimize the process.  In this talk we will present the key requirements of the air permit, the science behind the aeration system design, the daily operating practices, and a summary of the extensive process QC data collected by staff to comply with the permit.  This talk is intended to highlight the effectiveness of focusing on a few easily measured process conditions when designing, operating, and regulating a composting facility.
Speakers: Tim O’Neill
Duration: 21 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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The presentation covers a design and operational approach for compost facilities that accept food and yard waste.  Technologies to be covered include aerated static pile (ASP) systems; equipment to mix feedstocks; compost turners; dump trucks and conveyors for material handling; and, star and trommel screens.  An ASP system can be combined with open windrow technology to achieve necessary process control, while maintaining cost efficiencies (i.e., hybrid approach). We will present and discuss the following design and operational items: Site layout to support hybrid operations. Use of a compost turner to pre-mix feedstocks. Use of an ASP system for the initial phase of composting. Use of a compost turner for subsequent phases of composting and to make soil blends. Use of star and trommel screen to screen the compost, in process and at finish. 6. Business plan issues
Speakers: Greg McCarron
Duration: 34 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
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This video describes Missouri Organic’s creation of a biochar and compost product called the Green Frontier.
Speakers: Stan Slaughter
Duration: 17 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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The cost of energy inputs in the form or diesel and electricity are significant factors in the overall cost of operating a composting facility.   Finding strategies that minimize those inputs will reduce operating expenses as well as emissions of CO2 equivalents.  The primary areas of energy use once the feedstocks are delivered to the facility are: * Preprocessing and grinding * Material handling to place on the compost pad * Method of aeration (either forced aeration, windrow turning or static pile) * Energy use for odor control and leachate management * Curing and screening The presenter will provide typical energy use for each of these steps using manufacturers specifications and operational data.  The presenter will review three operational scenarios for estimated energy consumption: * Windrow vs ASP for energy inputs for forced aeration vs turning * Processing in a building with biofiltration vs outside with biocover and leachate collection and treatment * Using a course grind which uses less fuel and provides a more porous mix which in turn requires less energy to aerate but yields less product   The intent of the presentation is to bring more awareness to the equipment selection and facility design to minimize energy use and CO2e emissions.  The target audience are facility operators and system designers and regulators concerned with GHG and air pollution emissions from composting operations. 
Speakers: Michael J Bryan-Brown
Duration: 29 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This year’s live Question and Answer session with an experienced panel of operators will focus on efficiency–How to analyse your operation and identify inefficiencies that are costing you money.
Speakers: Brian Fleury
Duration: 59 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
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This video gives more information on soil amendment mixtures, and the different ratios and benefits of combining compost and biochar.
Speakers: Peter Hirst
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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Using case studies to illustrate different aeration systems and the maintenance issues associate with each.
Speakers: Thomas Herlihy
Duration: 39 minutes
Credits: 1.0
Member Price: $60.00
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This video discusses the management of waste on the island of Guam, focusing on biosolids composting, and noting the amount of food waste and pallets that go into the landfill.
Speakers: Todd Williams
Duration: 19 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses the research and experiments done by Elliot Schneider in the City of St. Peters to increase the efficiency in degrading polymers in biosolids composting.
Speakers: Elliot Schneider
Duration: 23 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses the preprocessing technique to sort through contaminants in composting piles.
Speakers: Pierce Louis
Duration: 22 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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The efficiency with which aerobic bacteria consume oxygen and convert organic matter (OM) to CO2 is the primary measure of composting stabilization rates and a determining factor in air emissions.  Process conditions (primarily temperature and oxygen) and feedstock characteristics determine the efficiency of this process.  Researchers, such as McCartney, Sundberg, and others, have used highly controlled laboratory benchtop composting units to conduct peer-reviewed research on the fundamental relationships of this bio-oxidative process, but to date, lab quality benchtop units have not been generally available to help facility designers value-engineer compost facilities.  Considering the growing demand to compost challenging feedstocks in increasingly complicated regulatory environments, ECS has developed the Aeration Demand Tester (ADT) to provide designers with a feedstock specific basis-of design for their aerated composting process. The ADT consists of a highly instrumented 20-liter volume that maintains precise temperatures and air flow rates and records real-time CO2 production over a period of days or weeks.  CO2 production is stoichiometrically related to the bio-oxidation of OM and the generation of heat.  These results provide an accurate assessment of the retention time required to achieve the desired compost stability, and through the application of thermodynamic modelling, the aeration demand to provide adequate cooling to maintain the temperatures used in the test.  This presentation will include the results of ADT trials conducted to answer real-world questions posed facility designers such as: Can our stability goal be met with our designed retention time without adding amendments to our raw digestate feedstock?  What peak aeration rate is required to reliably neutralize the initially acidic pH of our food waste + yard waste mix within three days?  How low of a C/N ratio can my poultry manure mix be without overly inhibiting the bio-oxidation process and producing excessive air emissions?
Speakers: Charlie Krauter
Duration: 27 minutes
Credits: 0.5
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This video discusses the development of an affordable in vessel composter that can be utilized by other small organizations or communities.
Speakers: John Culpepper
Duration: 13 minutes
Credits: 0.5
Member Price: $30.00
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