Cities and counties across the U.S. are growing food scrap collection and processing as a key part of solid waste management plans.
CMA members have played a vital role in working for over 30 years to develop the operational, municipal, and community expertise to bridge issues between the supply chain and the compost piles. One of the major challenges cities and compost facilities face with food waste collection is contamination, with states like Washington working on multi-stakeholder solutions to address this issue (see the OCRWG publication, June 2017).
In addition to providing preventative measures to minimize the introduction of “compostable” products that may be incompatible with current processing technologies, CMA is committed to educating its municipal and hauling partners with relevant education on current contaminants.
Contaminant of the Month: Green Bags
Why Field Testing?
ASTM D6400 and D6868, along with certifications from BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) and Vincotte (EN13432) are important to ensuring synthetic compostable materials will convert successfully to biomass and ensure the materials are not harmful to the soil. Yet, variations in compost technologies, the media used to test disintegration of products, and the duration of active composting cycles have created gaps between lab and field standards.
Differences Between Laboratory Tests and Field Tests
Issues With Compostable Products Breaking Down in Compost Facilities
City of San Diego Testing Trials, Biocycle 2010
Compost Controversy in Corvallis, Oregon, Fox 12 Oregon