The NYC Compost Project by Big Reuse | Sustainable Generation

The Challenge

Proving the Value of an Updated Process

Big Reuse is a non-profit, community composting project that is funded by and is part of the Department of Sanitation New York (DSNY) project for the residential drop off of food scraps. The project site is under the Queensboro Bridge in Queens (Long Island City neighborhood) with apartment complexes located within 200 feet of the site location.

Project Details

Site Name: The NYC Compost Project
Ownership: Big Reuse
Location: Long Island City, NY
Start-Up: 2014 / Facility Upgrade 2017
Product: SG Mobile™ System with GORE® Covers
Input quantity: 100 tons/batch = approximately 300 TPY
No. of Heaps:1 heap, 1 covered, 50 ft. x 26 ft. x 9 ft. each

Treatment Time: 8 weeks – 4 wks. Phase 1 Covered / 4wks. Positive Air ASP
Aeration: On-floor Pipe
Control Parameters: Oxygen Control Mode
Input material: Source Separated Organics (Residential Drop-off) / Wood Chips & Yard Waste
Equipment: Pre-Treatment (Mixer) / Skid Steer / Mobile Screen
End Product: High Quality Finished Compost

The SG Solution

Adding Community Value

In 2013, Sustainable Generation retrofit the existing positive air ASP, which used a compost cap, by upgrading it to the SG Mobile™ System with GORE® Cover to address environmental and community concerns pertaining to odors and vector attraction.

In the fall of 2017, the facility was relocated about 200 yards further down under the Queensboro Bridge and changed from a one heap SG Mobile™ System with on-floor aeration to two (one heap and one bunker) SG Mobile™ Systems with in-ground trenching to provide clear separation of stormwater from leachate.

Project Gallery

Upgrading to Increase Processing Capacity

Hear First Hand...

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

Results Delivered

Compliance and Consistency for the Community

Of significant importance to the Big Reuse project was the SG Mobile™ System with GORE® Cover capability to comply with the state and local regulatory requirements for:

Meeting air quality standards for odor control
Meeting Vector Attraction Reduction (VAR) requirements
Producing high quality finished compost

In 2017, the facility upgrade allowed the processing capacity to increase from approximately 300 TPY to 1,200 TPY.

Offerings

Information

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The NYC Compost Project hosted by Big Reuse

Retrofitting a Residential Composting Project