Compost to Soil

     We all undoubtedly have that green bin sitting on the side of our house. Maybe yours is a green dumpster. You might even have your own composting process at home. For those that live in the urban setting, their yard waste does go to a composting facility. Materials such as leaves, grass, branches, food and food soaked paper can be turned to something useful for vineyard owners, commercial growers or even the household gardener.

     These waste categories collected in Marin, Sonoma and Alameda Counties eventually end up at the processing/composting center in Novato. The Novato center receives 450 tons of green material each day that is eventually turned into 3000 tons of processed composting material each month.

     To get it processed the green material is dumped by the arriving trucks onto an asphalt pad. This material is loaded into large grinders to be ground to smaller bits.  This ground material is piled into “static aerated piles” also called compost piles. The piles are mechanically aerated and left to compost for at least 3-4 weeks. During this time, the piles are monitored to ensure they reach a temperature of at least 130 degrees for a minimum of three days. Heating up to this point for this duration kills, seeds, pathogens and insects. The piles are then left to cure for 2-3 months, which allows them to cool down and produce beneficial spores in the compost. The material is tested to ensure it is free from pathogens and heavy metals and is finally passed through fine screens before it is released for sale and distribution.  

     We are fortunate to live in a community that not only encourages recycling and composting but also has commercial resources to accomplish this. As consumers we need to continue to play an active role in this process. We need to look for opportunities to reduce the strain on these waste streams to reduce the impact of fossil fuels. We can accomplish this by composting at home as much as possible. Food scraps and light yard trimmings can easily be composted in a very small footprint. That composted material can be used in our gardens and yards. We can also purchase compost from the Novato site to ensure funds go back into the process so it is maintained.  Finally, we can be sure that we follow the guidelines for what goes in each waste stream. Being diligent with this separation process will ensure the quality of the compost stays high, costs associated with the process (sorting, cleaning, quality control) remain low and the impact on our environment is minimized.

To watch the process outlined above please watch the short video: How Does Oakland Turn Food Scraps to Soil?