Testing feasibility and scalability of a new engineered design of an aerated static pile composting system.

Food waste is a significant and complex problem for the United States. Americans generate over 250 million (short) tons of trash a year, and organic materials such as paper and paperboard, yard trimmings, and food waste continue to make up a large component of the waste stream. These organic materials collectively account for a significant portion of U.S. methane emissions, as organic waste produces methane in landfills, and landfills are the third largest source of methane in the United States. Food waste recycling (composting and anaerobic digestion) offers the most scalable path to reducing food waste nationally, but on-the-ground infrastructure to manage food waste is seriously underdeveloped, especially in New England. The reality is that composting infrastructure in particular is lagging far behind policy drivers and community interest in diverting food waste and organic materials.We are in need of innovation in the organics management sector to develop replicable, scalable cost-effective solutions for organics, with an emphasis on decentralized approaches to managing food waste, leaf/yard waste, and other organic waste. Forced air composting offers distinct advantages over traditional windrow composting or static piles in terms of efficiency of land use and ability to control odor, but generally at a significantly higher capital cost. While different types of forced air composting systems are in use across the country, they tend to be cost-prohibitive for agricultural operations or small to mid-size compost operators, increase time and labor of operations by requiring manual removal and reset of air pipes, or provide uneven air flow to compost piles, resulting in pockets of unfinished material.This SBIR Phase 1 Research project will test a new technological design for an aerated static pile (ASP) composting system, one that presents an improvement to these systems with regard to cost, ease of use, and consistency of airflow, bringing high potential for commercialization.There are four core criteria by which our ASP composting system will be evaluated for this project: air distribution, capital cost, durability of materials, and operational labor/time cost.Our ASP unit is designed with the intention of scalability and replicability: at a small scale, we believe this would be a viable model for a farm to deal with on-farm waste, have increased revenue from food waste tipping fees and/or collections, and produce a high-quality compost for on-farm use or sale. At the larger end of the processing spectrum, the unit could be scaled to process food waste feedstocks from high-density areas in an industrial-scale facility.Rural areas, with a broader land base and more familiarity with agricultural-manufacturing technology, have the opportunity to connect directly with critical sources of nitrogenous material (food waste), which are primarily generated in areas of high density populations. A decentralized approach to food waste and organic waste processing and management would serve as a model for rural communities, increasing rural economic development opportunities, and enhancing environmental quality. Food and organic waste is one of the largest, yet least recovered, waste streams in the U.S., and it is time to catalyze a change in our thinking. By turning this waste stream into an environmental and community resource, we can extend the life of our landfills, close the loop with our local food systems, and enhance the economic vitality of rural communities.