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| Past Issues | Subscribe | Send to a Friend | compostingcouncil.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 From the Top of the Pile
Linda Norris-Waldt
Deputy Director It’s been a good four years for organics and composting when it comes to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Consider this: the EPA’s first recycling strategy, the first of its three-part circular economy series released in 2021, only mentioned the word “compost” four times and included a recommendation “to expand the scope of the National Recycling Strategy beyond municipal solid waste to include …organics (food and yard waste).” We weren’t even considered in the scheme of recycling as we started this decade!
And compare the release just before the December holidays of the “third leg” of that three-part stool, the National Plastics Pollution Strategy. The discussion around composting and compostables shows how far EPA has shifted its focus to organics recycling in its Sustainable Materials Management Program. We at the USCC are glad to see the fruits of the relationship we’ve developed with the EPA, which now includes the following:
With organics – including paper – comprising 64% of the waste stream and food waste itself being 22%, the EPA has dedicated significant research to food waste. And with 66 million tons of this food waste going to landfill/incineration, it is prudent and imperative to have government and business at all levels focused on organic material. Why? Municipal solid waste landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for approximately 14.4% of these emissions in 2022 with food scrap being a significant source of the methane.
USCC NEWS
The USCC annual Equipment Demonstration Day, “Demo Day,” will be held on Jan. 30 at the City of Phoenix Compost Facility as part of our annual conference. There will be breakfast, lunch, and a morning full of equipment demonstrations from USCC members and equipment vendors. Please visit our newly updated Featured Equipment page to learn more about what you’ll experience at our annual show!
Thank you to our Demo Day sponsors for making all this possible in anticipation of our biggest demonstration day yet!
Calling all USCC Members who manufacture compost! We would greatly appreciate knowing your compost facility throughput in the year 2023. Please ensure the numbers you report reflect the period from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023. Check your email for the confidential survey that just arrived in your inbox. Promote the environmental and economic benefits of composting and help the USCC make informed positions regarding federal compost infrastructure funding on your behalf. Calculate the environmental impact of your composting operation, including greenhouse gas avoidance and carbon sequestration. Complete the survey by Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 5 p.m. ET to be entered to win the following:
Join us at COMPOST2025 for education sessions that will empower and inspire you! Dive deep into the industry's latest trends with sessions covering everything from innovative composting technology, policy impacts, and market development. With more than 30 expert-led sessions tailored to address challenges and opportunities in compost production and usage, you will gain practical insights and new strategies. These sessions are designed to equip attendees with actionable information that can be applied at your facility, helping you stay ahead in the dynamic field of composting.
Click the button below to navigate our interactive program and see for yourself!
ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC POLICY BRIEFS
This is the US Composting Council's Compost Policy Pulse update for December 2024.
To wrap up policy news for 2024, Linda shares news from New York and New Jersey, as well as the USCC's 2024 Public Policy Report.
These updates are brought to our members from our Public Policy and Lobbying Program, and the Legislative and Environmental Affairs Committee – a member committee that meets monthly to discuss legislation, regulation, issues, and programs.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
January’s featured new Certified Compost Operations Manager™ is Jeff Rook from the City of Springfield, MO.
Jeff is a chemical collection technician for the city, coordinating the recycling and proper disposal of the city, county and residential hazardous waste. Jeff has worked in hazardous waste management, clean up, and disposal for nearly three decades, with five years of that in natural disaster cleanup.
Our CCOM™ spotlight is for those who have recently achieved said certification. Click the button below to learn more about Jeff and the USCC's Professional Certification Program. Member Benefits
Are you a new USCC member and would like to be involved in the work we do for our organization and the composting industry as a whole? Consider joining a committee!
Our member committees are where the work of the Council happens, and they’re a great way to get involved! Whatever area you're interested in – membership, STA, advocacy, municipal composting, etc. – you’ll find a committee where your ideas can make a difference. All committees generally meet by telephone conference call, some on a monthly basis, others either quarterly or as needed.
Click the button below to learn more about all our committees and submit an interest form today!
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Cap off your COMPOST2025 experience at a casual, fun-filled reception sponsored by Republic Services.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 | 7-10 p.m.
Where: Cobra Arcade Bar, 801 N 2nd St #100, Phoenix, AZ 85004
The first 100 guests receive drink tickets, a pizza voucher from Re Di Roma Wood-Fired Pizza Food Truck, and arcade tokens. This is the ideal atmosphere to let loose after a busy week, solidify those new connections, and forge friendships that will extend beyond the conference.
Click the button below to register for COMPOST2025 if you haven’t already. We can’t wait to see you there!
Are you attending COMPOST2025? Do you like giving back to the local community and connecting with others? We have the perfect opportunity for you!
On Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., we’ll be gathering at the Garfield Community Garden, just a short four-minute drive or 20-minute walk from the Convention Center.
We’ll be tackling essential garden tasks like turning compost piles, weeding, planting, and preparing the garden for the upcoming spring season. No experience is needed, and gardening equipment will be provided. It’s a fun and easy way to get outdoors, build connections, and make a difference.
After the volunteering session, stay for a networking event and enjoy a sponsored lunch.
This event is for everyone – whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just curious to try your hand at it! Join us at Garfield Community Garden and make the most of your conference experience by giving back locally and forging meaningful connections. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming newsletters, social media, and on the US Compost Council website. Click the button below to access the registration link to RSVP.
Attending COMPOST2025 and not sure what events you should check out as a Young Professional? No worries; we have you covered! Keep an eye on your email or the Young Professionals Slack Channel over the next couple weeks for more information on how to get access to this guide!
We are thrilled to highlight Katya Forsyth (she/they) as January’s YP of the Month, the first YP of the Month of the new year! Katya currently works for Association of Compost Producers as the executive director and at Zero Footprint as the Healthy Soils Program Block Grant Manager.
Katya has been working in the compost industry since 2020, when she started helping with customer service at a small compost company in Boston. Before that, Katya’s love for composting kicked off while living on a permaculture farm in Costa Rica for six months in 2019, where she managed the compost piles and the fermentation station.
Click the button below to learn more about Katya.
Are you a passionate young professional looking to connect with like-minded individuals in the composting industry? Look no further! We invite you to join our vibrant and engaging Slack community.
By joining our Slack, you'll have the opportunity to: - Connect with fellow young professionals across the country - Share ideas, insights, and resources - Network with industry leaders and experts - Stay up-to-date with the latest news, events, and opportunities - Participate in dynamic discussions and collaborative projects It's easy to get started! Simply click the button below to join our Slack community and start connecting with fellow Young Professionals today. MEMBER NEWS
Denver International Airport and Scraps recently highlighted the airport's "Zero Waste Valet" program, which has diverted 69.2 tons of material from landfills into compost and recycling in its first six months of operation.
The pilot program launched in June 2024 and is managed by Scraps, the longest-running Front Range compost company that boasts more than seven years of experience in specialized waste diversion efforts. The program started with three concessions on Concourse B, the airport's busiest concourse, and it has gradually expanded to 19 concessions currently participating. Denver Airport plans for all concessions in Concourse B to participate by Q2 of 2025, with the long-term goal of extending to the other two concourses.
Beginning the week of Jan. 6, the City of Portage, MI, and My Green Michigan will be debuting a food scraps recycling pilot program, providing 10 drop-off sites where city residents can deposit their food scraps.
"My Green Michigan is thrilled to provide the City of Portage with our food waste recycling services, offering businesses, and now residents, a convenient and effective way to divert their food scraps to composting,” said My Green Michigan partner Cliff Walkington. “We are proud to already have customers who compost with us in the area, and the addition of a drop-off program is a great way to improve recycling efforts and support sustainable businesses. This partnership with the City of Portage offers a proven path for communities to introduce food waste diversion. We are grateful for a collaborative partnership with the City of Portage and are eager to continue working together and increasing food waste diversion in Southwest Michigan.”
Totemic Sustainable Solutions will be exhibiting the ‘Compost Manager’ at this year's COMPOST2025. The ‘Compost Manager’ is a single compost probe that monitors the compost’s temperature, moisture, oxygen, and carbon dioxide and records the data in the cloud. With the information the ‘Compost Manager’ system provides simple instructions for the composter to follow, i.e. “turn,” “irrigate,” or “leave alone.”
Click the button below to learn more about Totemic Sustainable Solutions.
OPPORTUNITIES, JOBS AND GRANTS
As an Operator Trainee at the State of New Mexico, you'll monitor and regulate the rate of flow of raw sewage into the plant and between each treatment operation; read and record a variety of meters and flow-charts keeping a daily log of operations; operate, clean, and repair bar-screen apparatus, grit and grease chamber, rotating bridges, tractors, composting equipment, etc.
CREF NEWS
CREF is gearing up for our first two Compost Operations Training Courses of 2025. Scheduled for March 10-14, a COTC will take place in San Diego, our first time offering training in this region. The COTC will then return to Lincoln, NE, for the first time since 2021, taking place May 19-23.
The COTC is one of the composting industry’s most renowned trainings, providing top-tier instruction on the art and science of commercial-scale compost production and marketing. Led by nationally recognized instructors, the course combines in-depth lectures with hands-on activities, such as team-based pile building and monitoring. We hope you’ll join us for one of the upcoming courses. You can learn more about our upcoming COTCs by clicking the button below.
2025 is off to a great start with webinars for the composting industry, with two CREF offerings for January and February.
On Jan. 14, we’ll be presenting “Monetizing Carbon From Compost: Is It Possible?” This will take a deep dive into carbon dynamics and transformations in soil as it relates to carbon accounting. The webinar will feature University of California, Merced associate professor Rebecca Ryals and Agromin CEO Bill Camarillo as speakers with Northern Tilth founder Andrew Carpenter as moderator.
Next, a to-be-scheduled webinar in February will cover the topic of biochar production as it relates to handling “overs” at composting facilities. The webinar will discuss the challenge overs pose for composting facilities, pros and cons of converting overs to biochar, and the marketability of biochar. More information will be posted on the CREF website as it becomes available.
Click on the button below to learn more and register for our Jan. 14 webinar.
The Compost Research & Education Foundation is thrilled to announce its most recent additions to the CREF 2025 Board. This marks an important milestone for the organization as it continues its mission to enhance the stature and practices of the composting industry by supporting scientific research, increasing awareness and educating practitioners and the public to advance environmentally and economically sustainable organics recycling. The new members bring a wealth of expertise and dedication, furthering CREF’s commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and leadership in the composting industry.
IN THE HEADLINES
Photo by Jacob Licht on Unsplash
BOSTON, Dec. 17, 2024 — Massachusetts’ Healey-Driscoll administration has announced more than $4 million in Sustainable Materials Recovery Program grants to 285 municipalities and regional solid waste districts.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s SMRP program provides funding for source reduction activities, such as composting, that divert waste from landfills and incinerators.
Jose Carranza, KFSM-TV
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Dec. 22, 2024 — For the first half of 2025, Fayetteville, Arkansas will be testing out a food waste collection program with its residents to scope out its demand. The Curbside Food Waste Collection Pilot Program, a collaboration between the City of Fayetteville and Ozark Compost and Swap, will provide participants a five-gallon bucket to collect their food waste and be picked up every two weeks. All food waste will be taken to the City of Fayetteville’s Recycling and Trash Division to be processed into usable compost.
The city hopes the pilot can meet its goal of diverting 40% of waste sent to the landfill and be redistributed back to residents as compost used to nourish soils and improve its urban forest.
Allen Cowgill, Colorado Community Media
DENVER, Jan. 4, 2025 — The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure will be fast-tracking its citywide compost collection program rollout, with city neighborhoods getting compost pickup by March.
To facilitate the acceleration, the DOTI will be changing its recycling pickup from weekly to bi-weekly. Compost pickup will be weekly.
Upcoming Events
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