In addition to the resources provided below, there is lots more information available on our LINKS page.
Climate Change
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Greenhouse Gases and the Role of Composting: A Primer for Producers What is global climate change and what role do organics have? This fact sheet summarizes how compost production and use can have an impact. |
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Composting and Carbon Credits Explains how composting may qualify for "carbon credits" that can be sold through a carbon "cap and trade" market, |
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Position Statement on Waxman Markey legislation This lays out why the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 should include, not cut, carbon offset incentives for composting and municipal anaerobic digestion projects. |
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Compost Use Mitigates Climate Change This factsheet from Compost Australia shows how by supplying both stable and labile organic compounds, as well as plant nutrients and beneficial organisms, the agricultural and horticultural use of compost supports climate change mitigation. |
Compost Use
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Compost and Its Benefits What is compost and how is it made? This fact sheet summarizes the many physical, chemical and biological benefits that the use of compost brings. |
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Compost Use for Planting Bed Establishment One of the most popular uses for compost products by horticultural professionals and homeowners is amending planting beds for the establishment of various food and ornamental plants. Extracted from the popular publication "Field Guide to Compost Use," this fact sheet includes step-by-step instructions for the incorporation of compost to enhance garden beds. |
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Compost Use for Stormwater Management This fact sheet summarizes stormwater management practices that utilize compost. This includes rain gardens and other bioretention areas, infiltration zones, green roofs, compost blankets, compost berms and compost socks. |
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Using Compost for Reducing Water Pollution Water pollution is a fact of modern life. This factsheet reviews the primary ways that compost can be used to address water pollution: through pollution prevention, bioremediation, and stormwater management. |
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Engineered Soils and Landscape Systems DVD Find out how engineered soils can retain stormwater runoff and improve water quality. Copies of the DVD are available or simply download it to your computer. |
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Soil Amendment and Compost Product Claims Product benefits for compost as a soil amendment have been verified through research. This is a list of allowable product claims by suppliers or manufacturers which are supported by research. |
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Specifications for Using Compost for Highway E&S Control These specifications contain all of the technical text found in the "Official" Ammerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) versions found in their 2003 AASHTO Provisional Standards Manual. The Compost for Erosion/Sediment Contol "Filter Berm" is designated as MP 9-03, and the "Compost Blanket" as MP 10-03. For a copy of the official AASHTO specifications contact their Publications Assistant at 202-624-5800. |
Composting Practices
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Best Management Practices for Incorporating Food Residuals into Existing Yard Waste Composting This BMP manual is a written tour guide for composters embarking on the process of expanding into managing food residuals. Information is presented in four Sections, 1-Moving Toward Composting Food Residuals, 2-Operational Considerations--Things to Know Before Residuals Arrive, 3-Health, Safety and Regulations, and 4-Case Studies. |
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Benefits of Including Paper in Composting A review of research on the use of paper as a composting feedstock shows that most paper products may be safely and beneficially used as a composting feedstock where markets for traditional paper recycling are not presently available or where recycling is not economically or technically feasible. |
Conference Proceedings
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2006 Conference Proceedings Papers and Presentations from the USCC 14th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Albuquerque, NM, Jan 22-25, 2006. Click on the "download" link to see a list of the presentations and authors. The Proceedings are free to all attendees. Send us an email to find out how to access them if you were an attendee, or how to purchase them if you missed it. If you are a member simply log in and you can access the full proceedings. |
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2007 Conference Proceedings Papers and Presentations from the USCC 15th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Orlando, FL, Jan 21-24, 2007. Click on the "download" link to see a list of the presentations and authors. The Proceedings are free to all attendees. Send us an email to find out how to access them if you were an attendee, or how to purchase them if you missed it. If you are a member simply log in and you can access the full proceedings. |
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2008 Conference Proceedings Papers and Presentations from the USCC 16th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Oakland, CA, Feb. 10-12, 2008 Click on the "download" link to see a list of the presentations and authors. The Proceedings are free to all attendees. Send us an email to find out how to access them if you were an attendee, or how to purchase them if you missed it. If you are a member simply log in and you can access the full proceedings. |
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2009 Conference Proceedings Presentations from the USCC 17th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Houston, TX, Jan. 27-29, 2009 Click on the "download" link to see a list of the presentations and authors. The Proceedings are free to all attendees and members. Send us an email to find out how to access them if you were an attendee. If you were not an attendee and are not a member they can be purchased on our Publications page. If you are a member simply log in and you can access the full proceedings. |
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2010 Conference Proceedings Presentations from the USCC 18th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Orlando, FL Jan. 25-17, 2010 Click on the "download" link to see a list of the presentations and authors. The Proceedings are free to all attendees and members. Send us an email to find out how to access them if you were an attendee. If you were not an attendee and are not a member they can be purchased on our Publications page. If you are a member simply log in and you can access the full proceedings. |
Health and Safety
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Endotoxins Endotoxins are ubiquitous, airborne cell fragments found in concentrations where dry organic materials are processed or disturned, such as barns, grain mills and paper recyclers. This fact sheet by Elliott Epstein reviews the health effects of endotoxins and describes the risks to composters and the general public. |
Policy
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Joint USCC/SWANA Position on Bioreactors Composting and bioreactor landfills are two distinct and compatible approaches for improving solid waste management. While some people consider these technologies as conflicting, SWANA and the USCC believe that they each serve beneficial but different roles and different functions in integrated waste management. |
Preserving Landfill Bans
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Keeping Organics Out of Landfills Position Statement The Bottom Line: The US Composting Council is firmly opposed to landfilling yard debris and other source-separated organics when viable alternatives are available. It is an inefficient way to use our organic feedstocks, wasting resources, reducing recycling, and potentially increasing greenhouse gas emissions. |
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Reasons to oppose MI SB864, repealing Michigan's ban on yard debris disposal This paper for JD Lindeberg and Mike Csapo explain why MI 864 is bad for the economy and the environement. NOTE: This document is placed for the convenience of our members. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the USCC or our sponsors. |
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Keeping Yard Debris out of Michigan Landfills This is a great presentation developed by JD Lindeberg of Resource Recycling that debunks the claims made by the waste industry on the alleged benefits of repealing the ban on landfilling in Michigan. For a PDF version use the download link. For a Powerpoint version click here. |
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EPA Region 5 Supports Ban on Landfilling Yard Waste The US EPA supports the continuation of landfill bans for yard waste and sees them as essential to ensuring that yard waste continues to find its way into reuse markets, such as composting. |
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Stop Trashing the Climate! This report documents the link between climate change and unsustainable patterns of consumption and wasting, dispels myths about the climate benefits of landfill gas recovery and waste incineration, outlines policies needed to effect change, and offers a roadmap for how to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within a short period. Stop Trashing the Climate provides compelling evidence that preventing waste and expanding reuse, recycling, and composting programs — that is, aiming for zero waste — is one of the fastest, cheapest, and most effective strategies available for combating climate change. The report was authored by Brenda Platt, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, David Ciplet, Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance/Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, and Kate M. Bailey and Eric Lombardi, Eco-Cycle. Click HERE to visit the Stop Trashing the Climate website. |
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Methane Avoidance from Composting The objective of this Issue Paper from the Climate Action Reserve is to reflect and summarize existing research, data, and quantification methodologies related to diverting organic wastes from landfills to compost facilities. When composted they degrade aerobically rather than anaerobically, thus reducing or eliminating methane emissions. This paper, from Sally Brown, Matthew Cotton, Steve Messner, Fiona Berry, and David Norem, may be used to inform public stakeholder discussions in the development of an actual protocol for quantifying and crediting emission reductions. Click HERE to visit the Climate Action Reserve Website. |
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Measuring the benefits of composting source separated organics in the Region of Niagara The report prepared by CM Consulting for the Region of Niagara, Canada, provides the ‘true costs’ or ‘full cost accounting’ associated with the environmental and human health impacts of composting, landfill and energy from waste (EFW) for 47,178 tonnes of organic waste projected to be managed in the Region. The results show that in the case of the Region of Niagara, the ‘True Costs’ associated with managing organics are $(15.76) and $32.18 per tonne for composting leaf, yard and brush waste, and food waste respectively, $75.14 per tonne for landfill with gas flaring, 49.37 per tonne for landfill with gas recovery for electricity generation, and from $62.72 - $142.72 per tonne for EFW. |
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New Landfill Regs Needed This factsheet from the Sierra Club explains how common practices at LFGTE (Landfill Gas to Energy) facilities actaully end up INCREASING total methane emitted be the landfill, increasing the contribution to global climate change. |
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Florida Landfill Ban Preserved! Thanks to a successful letter-writing and lobbying campaign, Governor Crist vetoed HB 569/SB 1052, that would have repealed their long-standing ban on yard waste going to landfills. This document contains the veto letter, a press release, and copies of the 54 letters representing 67 organizations from 20 states and DC urging the Governor's veto. |