Compost Science Complete scientific data on compost process control and end product quality

Establishing The Key Role For Biological Waste Management

THE LETTER from Prof. Werner Bidlingmaier of the University of Weimar in Germany came as a delightful surprise. He writes that approximately 35 years ago, biological waste treatment was only a fragile sprout in waste management, but it now has claimed a very important place in the industry. “In Germany,” he points out, “more waste is composted, digested or processed in a mechanical biological unit today than is incinerated. You have not only witnessed this entire development, but have also

taken part in directing it and, in the process, have gathered a great deal of experience.”
In his letter, Dr. Bidlingmaier invited me to participate in a special session of the Orbit Conference in September, 2006 that would reminisce about the origins of biological waste treatment, the challenges in transferring knowledge from one generation to the next, and difficulties in moving forward with concepts of composting and digestion. Others who will be part of the discussion are A. von Hirschheydt, R. Mach, A. Ernst and W. de Feijter.
In preparation for the Conference, I have been organizing many papers collected since the founding of BioCycle and Compost Science & Utilization that cover new uses, expanding markets, innovative research, public policies, connections to fields like soil and water quality, reduction of chemical inputs, and renewable energy. As we explained in Spring, 1960 when Compost Science was founded, we would cover the entire field of large-scale composting - providing the technical, scientific and practical information that enables composting to achieve its fullest state of development in the conversion of organics into useful products. The Journals would report on composting operations throughout the world, the biochemistry and bacteriology, and compost marketing and utilization.
As Dr. Clarence G. Golueke of the University of California and our mentor throughout the years of publishing so aptly put it: “We need a journal on composting to bring together the available knowledge on the subject. It will help to dispel some of the numerous misrepresentations prevalent and make the right connections.” By the end of our first decade, the Whole Earth Catalog described our publication as “The finest, most consistently intelligent journal connecting recycling to restoration.”
We knew from the outset that while we focused on trash, we were not dealing with waste but a feedstock to be managed so that it becomes a resource. We needed the knowledge that covers pretreatment and post-treatment, plus the right tools and policies to support shifts in the status quo to create a sustainable society. Much of your research fits perfectly into the development of a more sustainable world. The statistics on how MSW went from landfilling to mixed waste composting have been most significant. And the rapid rise in research projects throughout the world continues at an accelerated pace.
We are looking forward greatly to the exchange of recollections and future predictions on the agenda at Weimar - and to a future that relies even more heavily on the quantity and quality of organics recycling research results.