The Making Of Compost Teas — The Next Generation? (Australia)

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 55

Martin Line and Yan Ramona

THE PREPARATION, use and efficacy of compost teas has been regularly featured in the pages of BioCycle, with a comprehensive report on the variables and management appearing in the February 2003 issue. (i.e. "Understanding How Compost Tea Can Control Disease"). Compost teas are known to be effective against a wide range of plant pathogens, if appropriately prepared and applied, with most interest being focused on the leaf surface. We now have quite a good understanding of the limitations of compost tea formulations, including, that they can still sometimes fail with resultant loss of credibility of the products and of their manufacturers.

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SEATTLE STUDIES ANAEROBIC SOLUTION FOR SOURCE-SEPARATED

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 39

Gabriella Uhlar-Heffner

IF SEATTLE, Washington is to attain its long-term 60 percent recycling goal, diversion of increased quantities of food residuals is necessary. Although the city has conducted numerous pilots for collecting and composting both commercial and residential food scraps over the past ten years, the amount of organics in disposed garbage still remains significant. Residential food scraps and food-soiled paper represented nearly 40 percent of the disposed 143,000 tons of residential garbage in 2002. Commercial food scraps and food-soiled paper constituted nearly 30 percent of the disposed 225,435 tons of commercial garbage in 2000.
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) conducted an assessment in late 2002 — with Washington State Department of Ecology grant funding — of the feasibility of anaerobic digestion as a processing technology for up to 51,000 tons per year of pre- and postconsumer food scraps and food-soiled paper from businesses and households. The city estimates that around 34,000 to 39,000 tons of commercial food residuals/compostable paper as well as 12,000 tons of residential food scraps/compostable paper could be collected from businesses and residents on a weekly basis through future programs. Anaerobic digestion of food scraps is an attractive processing option since it does not require as much space as a composting operation, could potentially be sited in an industrially zoned area of the city of Seattle, could generate excess electrical energy that could be designated as green power, and be accessible to collection trucks thus reducing transfer and transportation costs.

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW, THE YEAR AHEAD

Nora Goldstein

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 22

It’s hard to believe that a whole year has passed by — again. But there is no denying that fact, especially as we are busily finishing the December issue, and rolling quickly toward 2004. We thought it would be useful to take a step back and highlight interesting and exciting developments in 2003, and to take a step forward and try to predict what is on the horizon in 2004. Leafing through this year’s BioCycle issues refreshed our collective memories on a number of fronts, some of which are summarized in the following sections. But what about the big picture?

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COMPOST AND THE FERTILIZER REGULATION WORLD

Ron Alexander

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 60

THE American Association of Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) is a volunteer organization of state Department of Agriculture (DOA) officials who register and regulate the distribution of fertilizer, soil amendments and liming agents in the U.S., its territories, as well as Canada. The organization creates model laws and regulations to assist interstate commerce of these agricultural and horticultural staples. AAPFCO’s strongest goals seem to be consumer protection, by requiring ‘truth in labeling,’ and uniform regulation from state to state. It should be noted, however, that their model laws, regulations and Statements of Uniform Interpretation and Policy (SUIP) are created to provide guidance to states (i.e., they are not forced upon them).

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SOLIDS SEPARATION OF DAIRY MANURE

John F. Katers, Joe M. Schultz, and John Roach

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 51

A LARGE-SCALE dairy farm in Wrightstown, Wisconsin, with nearly 2,000 milking cows and 500 feeder steers, produces almost 40,000 gallons of manure daily with solids content ranging from eight to ten percent. Since the expansion of his Tinedale family farm, owner Carl Theunis has been proactive in implementing environmentally friendly technologies. As described in March 2002, BioCycle, an anaerobic digestion system has been installed. However, it should be noted that the overall volume of manure to be managed does not significantly change after anaerobic digestion.

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POWER BASE BUILDS FOR BIOGAS, BIODIESEL AND HYDROGEN

Jerome Goldstein

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 43

A STRONG foundation is building to turn organic residuals into a growing renewable energy industry, as research projects, private investments and public policies are shifting effective concepts into economic realities. Those were the exciting facts revealed at last month’s Third Annual BioCycle Renewable Energy from Organics Recycling conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during formal presentations and informal conversations. Some highlights are presented in this report.

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COMPOST REMEDIATES A LANDFILL AND GROWS A NATIONAL PARK

Robert Rynk

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 34

JUST beyond the skyline of Boston, Spectacle Island rises out of the harbor, literally to new heights, with new life and a new purpose. It is the story of the dramatic transformation of a noxious wasteland into a beautiful public park, thanks in large part to compost. Spectacle Island will soon become a gateway for Boston Harbor Islands national park area and offer visitors a place of recreation among lush vegetation and spectacular views of the city and the harbor.

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WINDROW DESIGN FOR HIGH RAINFALL CONDITIONS

Tom L. Richard, David L. Nicholls and Byung Tae Kim

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 31

ALASKA has an abundance of natural resources, with fishing and timber as major industries for the state. For local economies to thrive on a sustainable harvest of these resources, value-added processing — from smoked salmon to custom furniture — is a critical need. Organic by-products from these processes present value-added opportunities, and transforming them from wastes to resources can create important multiplier effects that both improve the environment and sustain the small rural communities upon which Alaskans depend.

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WASTEWATER RECYCLING ADVANCES

Robert Feinbaum

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 28

IN THE 19th Century, cities dumped wastewater into the nearest river and believed that flowing water would dilute pollutants, making it fit for further use. Unfortunately, that theory proved to be wrong; the water recycling methods of upstream cities turned into health problems for downstream locations.

These days, water recycling is considerably more sophisticated. Wastewater is now highly treated before being released. Depending on the location, wastewater goes through secondary, or even tertiary treatment before reuse for irrigation or other purposes.

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BIOGAS OPERATIONS AND WIND TURBINES SHOW POWER IN RENEWABLES

Sara Bergan

BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 57

A GROUP of energy policy professionals from Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas and Manitoba recently explored Northern Europe’s success in energy diversification through use of domestic resources and innovative technologies. These officials from government, industry, agriculture and the nonprofit sector returned with a compelling message for the Northern Plains (as well as the rest of North America).

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COMPOSTING BOOSTS TOURISM AND COFFEE PRODUCTION

Britt Faucette and Laura Ediger
BioCycle December 2003, Vol. 44, No. 12, p. 59

SOLID waste disposal and related water quality issues are two of the top environmental concerns for the island nation of Jamaica. A recent study showed that its MSW stream had a high organics content —55 percent food residuals and yard trimmings. Another study indicated two-thirds of the island’s MSW — some 408,000 tons — were taken to Kingston’s Riverton landfill, pointing out that the uncollected one-third was illegally dumped and a main contributor to decreased water quality. The University of Georgia’s Engineering Outreach Service was invited by Ruff Neck Jamaica Tours to assess the potential for composting in two high profile locales — Hellshire Beach and the Blue Mountains of Jamaica — as a low-cost, decentralized alternative to landfilling and to discourage illegal dumping.

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