PROJECT CASE STUDY: PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MD ORGANICS COMPOSTING FACILITY
FROM PILOT PROJECT TO FULL-SCALE
The expanded organics composting site is the largest food waste composting facility on the East Coast.
Processing 57,000 tons per year of organic waste (28,500 tpy of food waste & 28,500 tpy of yard waste), the expanded facility is diverting substantial amounts of organic waste from the landfill, thereby reducing GHG emissions significantly.
By diverting 28,500 tons per year of food waste from the landfill, the total change in GHG emissions is 20,498.44.
(MTCO2e = metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent)
PROJECT EXPANSION OUTCOMES
Technology that helps to protect the Chesapeake Bay
The expansion utilized the SG BUNKER® System with GORE® Cover, which includes in-ground trenching for leachate capture and re-use that helps protect the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
Perpetuates the Closed Loop Organic Lifecycle
One of the facility’s first customers, the University of Maryland’s dining services, saves by diverting their food scraps to the composting facility rather than tipping them into the landfill.
They also use the final product from this process, known as LeafGroGold® — a nutrient-rich dark humus-like material – at the university’s farm.
This product is in very high demand because it eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers, adds nutrients back into the soil, and increases root uptake and absorption in plants. It is sold commercially in bulk throughout the region. Revenue from the sale of LeafGroGold® is directed back to the county to help offset the cost of the composting operation.
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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."