Factsheets and Free Reports

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.

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.

Explains how composting may qualify for “carbon credits” that can be sold through a carbon “cap and trade” market.

What is global climate change and what role do organics have? This fact sheet summarizes how compost production and use can have an impact.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

These specifications contain all of the technical text found in the “Official” American 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.

The Washington State DOT (WSDOT) completed a project involving soil bioengineering on problematic slopes. Compost was used as part of the soil bioengineering solution.

The objective of this project was to demonstrate how the utilization of compost could effectively revegetate a barren slope

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Herbicide Carryover in Manure and Hay: Caution to Organic Farmers and Home Gardeners
by Jeanine Davis, North Carolina Extension Horticultural Specialist, June 2009
There have been a number of reports from organic farmers and home gardeners of damage to
vegetables following compost application. The symptoms exhibited are twisted, cupped, and elongated leaves; misshapen fruit; reduced yield; death of young plants; and poor seed germination. One possibility for the source of this crop injury is the presence of certain herbicides in manure and compost.

The objective of this manual is to help you establish a safety program that is compliant with regulations and effective in reducing or eliminating safety hazards.

From the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services. Mr. Bryan Lane, CIS Occupational Safety and Health Consultant, researched and produced this manual.

The new herbicide is entering the market in every state except California and New York, and despite label warnings to the contrary it will undoubtedly end up in compost via treated grass clippings. There are still many unknowns.  This fact sheet alerts composters to this threat and gives some suggestions about what to do.

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.

Andrew C. Kessler and Amy McCrae Kessler
BioCycle December 2010, Vol. 51, No. 12, p. 25
Part One of this three part article serries discusses how a stand-alone code for composting will provide robust statistical data of critical value to the finance community and other stakeholders.

COMPOSTING in the U.S. as a commercial activity employing people and  contributing to the economy has been around for decades. Today, there  are over 3,000 commercial composters in the U.S. and thousands more  businesses including service and equipment providers supporting the  processing infrastructure. Despite this size and depth, a number of  fundamental questions about the industry cannot be answered with a great  degree of authority or conviction. How big is the market for compost in  terms of total revenue and product volume? How many people does the  sector employ? How much does it contribute to local, state and national  economies?

To continue reading this article click HERE

BioCycle April 2011, Vol. 52, No. 4, p. 17
Andrew C. Kessler, Amy McCrae Kessler and Cara Unterkofler
Part 2 addresses where the composting industry belongs within the North American Industry Classification System. This article examines the options, analyzes alternatives using a common set of criteria and makes a preliminary recommendation.

IN the U.S. today, increasing demand for quality compost and engineered soils from a growing spectrum of users cannot be met with the current processing capacity. Developing the infrastructure of the composting industry to meet these growing market needs will require significant financial investment along with the continued support of local, state and federal government.

To continue reading this article click HERE

Andrew C. Kessler, Amy McCrae Kessler and Cara Unterkofler
BioCycle January 2012, Vol. 53, No. 1, p. 38
Part Three discusses what actions are necessary for the composting industry to gain a stand-alone North American Industry Classification System code. The final article in this series suggests a plan and timeline.

ONCE a thriving industry with 78 percent market share in retail textile products, the U.S. cotton industry declined dramatically in the mid 1960s after the introduction of synthetics, falling to just 34 percent market share in 1975. In what is one of the greatest examples of the power of industry-wide collective action, cotton growers called for industry cooperation and successfully lobbied Congress to pass an act creating a national cotton marketing and research program. The national program relied on a simple yet powerful funding vehicle — cotton producers and importers were assessed a fee, a small portion of every bale of cotton fiber sold in the U.S. This collective action enabled the industry to create Cotton Incorporated, an entity that went on to build an unprecedented marketing campaign (“The Fabric of Our Lives” and the Seal of Cotton) designed to recapture market share for cotton. Today, 8 out of 10 Americans can identify the cotton logo and cotton comprises two-thirds of the fiber market in the U.S.

To continue reading this article click HERE

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.

NOTE: Governor Crist’s veto was later overridden by the state legislature

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.