Meeting California’s SB1383 requirements while proving the scalability and value of SG ADVANCED COMPOSTING™ Technology
As of 2014, Mid Valley Disposal had no previous composting experience and wanted to create a Compost Manufacturing Process capable of composting food waste.
PROJECT DETAILS
Ownership: Mid Valley Disposal
Location: Kerman, California
Start-Up Date: Demonstration: 2014 / Full Scale: 2017 / Expansion: 2020
Product: SG BUNKER® System
Input quantity: 90,000 TPY
No. of Heaps: 24 Bunkers, 18 covered, 164 ft. x 27 ft. x 12 ft. each
Treatment Time: 8 weeks in 3 phases
Aeration: In-ground
Control Parameters: Oxygen Control Mode
Input material: Source Separated Organics / Yard Waste
Equipment: Pre-Treatment (Grinders) / Front-end-loaders / Mobile Screen
End Product: High Quality Finished Compost
FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE
“We had no composting experience, so conducting a demonstration project with Sustainable Generation, LLC greatly enhanced our understanding of food waste composting and helped us immensely with our subsequent expansion design process. It made a difference, during the selection process, that SG’s technology was already a proven solution for meeting VOC emission reductions for our San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.”
– Jonathan Kalpakoff, VP Mid Valley Disposal
SG SOLUTION: Pilot-Scale Success Leads to Full-Scale Composting at Mid Valley Disposal
In 2014, Mid Valley Disposal (MVD) partnered with Sustainable Generation to launch a Pilot-Scale Demonstration Project using the SG MOBILE® System with GORE® Cover—a covered aerated static pile (ASP) composting solution. The pilot was designed to assess the performance of SG’s 8-week composting process and its effectiveness in processing food waste.
The project allowed MVD to evaluate:
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Feedstock mix ratios and processing capabilities
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Odor and VOC emissions control strategies
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Operational feasibility and regulatory compliance
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The viability of entering the organics recycling market
Located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, MVD needed a composting solution that could meet the region’s stringent air regulations, including Rules 4465 and 4466 for greenhouse gas (GHG) and VOC emission reductions, enforced by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. SG’s proven track record for regulatory compliance made the SG MOBILE® System the technology of choice.
The pilot project not only demonstrated SG’s ability to meet regulatory and operational goals—it also provided critical insights that shaped the design of MVD’s full-scale facility. The experience revealed the need for water addition in their hot, arid climate, prompting the integration of dedicated water piping in the permanent site design. The pilot also reinforced the importance of upstream material collection and source separation in ensuring composting success.
As a result of this successful pilot, MVD transitioned to a full-scale operation using the SG BUNKER® System.
PROJECT GALLERY
SG Bunker® System at Mid Valley Disposal
RESULTS DELIVERED
A Sustainable Solution with True Scale
Mid Valley Disposal’s full-scale facility was the first facility in the Central Valley for diverting large volumes of food scraps to meet California’s organic diversion mandates.
MVD received a $3 million grant from CalRecycle as part of the funding for their full-scale, 16-bunker, 60,000 TPY compost facility. CalRecycle, through its 2014-2015 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Organics Grant Program, awarded MVD the grant to help expand the infrastructure needed to recycle greater amounts of organic material in California.
In August 2017, MVD was awarded a second 2016-2017 CalRecycle grant in the amount of $1,875,000 through the same grant program to help with MVD’s 8-bunker expansion that was built and commissioned in 2020.
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What our customers are saying…
“The Sustainable Generation® team provided us with outstanding hands-on assistance as we learned to use their system. We retrofit our existing positive air ASP system, which used a compost cap, by upgrading to the SG Mobile® System with GORE® Cover so we could address environmental and community concerns about odors and vector control, and also so we could scale up and expand our composting operation."
Justin Green, Executive Director & Founder Big Reuse
"With disposal and transportation costs increasing with no end in sight, plus an abundance of yard debris from our community, we decided to try biosolids composting at our Wastewater Treatment Plant to reduce our costs and create a Class A product. We went with the SG Mobile® System with GORE® Covers. The ease of operation and the cost savings made this a natural fit. The final product has been a huge hit with the locals who can't get enough Class A compost. We recently doubled the size of our composting operation to keep up with our increasing volumes and demand. This system is easily scalable to meet future demands."
Mike Miller, Public Works Director, City of Florence, Oregon
"We had no composting experience, so conducting a demonstration project with Sustainable Generation® greatly enhanced our understanding of food waste composting and helped us immensely with our subsequent expansion design process. During the selection process, it made a difference that SG's technology was already a proven solution for meeting VOC emission reductions for our San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District."
Jonathan Kalpakoff, VP Mid Valley Disposal
“The Sustainable Generation® team provided us with outstanding hands-on assistance as we learned to use their system. We retrofit our existing positive air ASP system, which used a compost cap, by upgrading to the SG Mobile® System with GORE® Cover so we could address environmental and community concerns about odors and vector control, and also so we could scale up and expand our composting operation."
Justin Green, Executive Director & Founder Big Reuse
"With disposal and transportation costs increasing with no end in sight, plus an abundance of yard debris from our community, we decided to try biosolids composting at our Wastewater Treatment Plant to reduce our costs and create a Class A product. We went with the SG Mobile® System with GORE® Covers. The ease of operation and the cost savings made this a natural fit. The final product has been a huge hit with the locals who can't get enough Class A compost. We recently doubled the size of our composting operation to keep up with our increasing volumes and demand. This system is easily scalable to meet future demands."
Mike Miller, Public Works Director, City of Florence, Oregon
"We had no composting experience, so conducting a demonstration project with Sustainable Generation® greatly enhanced our understanding of food waste composting and helped us immensely with our subsequent expansion design process. During the selection process, it made a difference that SG's technology was already a proven solution for meeting VOC emission reductions for our San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District."