Compost Operation Expands Services into Source Separated Organics

The Challenge

Adapting to Changing Times

Earth Land and Sea (ELS) in Port Alberni, BC Canada, has been composting in the area for over 30 years. In 2017 it was acquired by Hetherington Industries to combine operations with a gravel yard and expand feedstock options. ELS had been composting fish and yard waste in a static pile with periodic bucket turning. The bulk of the feedstock was supplied from fish farms located off the coast near Port Alberni.

The future is uncertain for the fish farm industry off the coast of British Columbia due to damage to native species among other issues. Since the ELS compost facility relies heavily on fish waste to produce high-quality compost, ELS needed to expand its capabilities and create new business opportunities.

Project Details

The SG Solution

Expanding Services & Creating Value

In 2020, in a move to expand services into Source Separated Organics (SSO) as the city of Port Alberni began to divert organics from landfills, ELS chose the SG Mobile™ System with GORE® Covers to retrofit their operation to process the new feedstocks.

The SG Mobile® System with GORE® Covers were chosen because they could produce a high-quality compost product in as little as 8 weeks – resulting in more throughput on the same footprint, in less time. Additionally, the SG Mobile® system was low risk for ELS since it is a proven technology for addressing environmental and regulatory compliance issues – including reducing odors by greater than 90%, reducing VOC emissions by greater than 90%, as well as ensuring ELS could expand their business opportunities by creating high-quality finished compost.

Project Gallery

Results Delivered

Compliance, Consistent High Quality Compost & Additional Growth

Proving that SG composting systems offer simplicity, efficacy, and efficiency, we delivered and directed the setup of two SG Mobile Systems remotely. Since travel was nearly impossible during this timeframe, Sustainable Generation provided ELS the materials and remote support needed to get their two SG Mobile Systems up and running with our updated internet-connected operating system, with very little on-site support needed.

As an upgrade to their current compost operations of over 30 years, ELS is now capable of processing more feedstock from fish and food waste due to the capabilities of the Gore Cover system. Of significant importance to the ELS project was the GORE® Cover capability to comply with the state and local regulatory requirements

• – Meeting air quality standards for odor control
• – Meeting Vector Attraction Reduction (VAR) requirements
• – Meeting time and temperature requirements (PFRP) for pathogen reduction
• – Reduce VOC emissions by greater than 90% over windrow composting
• – Clear separation of stormwater from leachate
• – Producing high quality finished compost