Pre- and Post- Consumer

COMPOSTING Tiffany Hui, Michelle Huang, Maryam Maheri,

and Emmanual Sanchez-Ramos FSM120L FQ2014

What is composting? - Composting is a method of recycling naturally decomposing

matter. Ingredients, size of the pile, local weather conditions will

affect the outcome.

- The final product is termed humus, often used later as fertilizer

- Note: shredded leaves, chipped wood, and chopped food scraps

generally decompose more quickly than whole or large pieces

http://www.almanac.com/compost & http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pros-cons-composting-41835.html

What is the difference between pre- and post- consumer composting?

Pre-consumer waste: refers to waste produced in the

manufacture of a product. Raw material food that is never

seen by the consumer. (i.e. vegetable peels)

Post-Consumer Waste (PCW): waste produced by the

end-user of a product and can be more challenging because

of separation issue. (i.e. leftover chicken salad with dressing)

http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/Sustainable%20Practices

What are some methods of composting? There are many ways to make compost, including holding units/turning units,

heaps, sheet composting, and hot composting.

Holding & Turning Units Holding units are designated bins to hold the waste until composting is complete. Pros: ● little maintenance ● vary in size of bins ● can be portable

Cons: ● no aeration throughout ● process takes longer (6

months-1 year) ● not ideal for large

amounts of waste, i.e. in large foodservice facilities

Turning units are holding units designed to be turned, allowing aeration. They’re usually a series of bins or a rolling one. Pros:

● high temperatures kills disease organisms and fly larvae

● can be <2 months Cons:

● needs to be turned frequently ● more expensive and require greater

effort to build

Heaps

Heap composting is similar to the units but doesn’t require an actual bin. It is recommended to have them be 5 ft wide and 3 ft high, with varying length. Pros: ● Heaps don’t have to be turned but is advised

with food scraps ● Heaps don’t require a structure

Cons: ● It requires land used only for compost

processing ● May need even more space due to gravity

Sheet composting

● Pro: reduces the labor of having to constantly turn your

piles.

● Pro: offers growers a great way to lower their fertilizer

costs while also recycling waste organic matter

● Con: may require more land to use just for composting

● most often used on large scale gardens and farms.

http://www.compostjunkie.com/composting-techniques.html

Hot Composting Heat helps and produces compost in a much shorter time. It has the benefits of killing weed seeds and pathogens, and breaking down the material into very fine compost Con: requires a lot of labor Pro: faster turnaround time for completion of overall process http://www.compostjunkie.com/composting-techniques.html

UC System Policy ● Universities seek to research funding sources for financing

waste reduction projects.

● Have a Recycling and Waste Management system: The

University prioritizes waste reduction in the following

order:

1- Reduce

2-Reuse

3-Recycle

● The University’s goal for diverting municipal solid waste

from landfills is as follows:

o 50% by June 30, 2008

o 75% by June 30, 2012

o Ultimate goal of zero waste by 2020!

UC Merced Triple Zero Program:

1. Zero energy 2. Zero landfill waste 3. Zero Net greenhouse gas emissions

● Compost is sent to a commercial compost facility in modesto

● Accepts both pre and post consumer waste. The facility does not accept compostable plastics

● UC Merced Recycling holds games for awareness about proper recycling/composting practices. o “Crazy Compost” - students roll an orange into a

composting slot at the end of the table while trying to prevent the orange from rolling off onto the “landfill” edge

http://recycle.ucmerced.edu/sites/recycle.ucmerced.edu/files/documents/waste_diversion_plan2.pdf

UC Irvine Weigh the Waste Program: ● Measures the food waste produced by students in a

single meal ● Weigh the Waste programs are held each quarter in

UCI dining commons

Food Waste Program: ● UCI has 3 dining commons and 12 campus restaurants

participate in composting ● Since the food waste collection program started in

2010, it has grown to collect 419 tons per year ● Food waste is currently pre-consumer but will be

piloting a post-consumer food waste program

http://www.fm.uci.edu/units/HowWeRecycleatUCI.pdf

UC Riverside Sustainability Actions: ● UCR composts 250 tons of pre and post

consumer food waste each year ● Their plastic bags, plates, bowls, utensils

and napkins are 100% compostable ● Coffee Grinds Project:

● Small and growing project to compost coffee grinds practice in UCR

● Raises awareness about how coffee grinds and tea bags are ideal sources for composting

UC Davis Fun Facts!

● pre- and post- consumer organic waste is composted at

EVERY retail food site (completed in 2012).

● Aggie Ware, utensils and plates used for campus events,

was created to be completely compostable!

Compost Compactor: ● sun-powered post-consumer compost compactor located at the Coffee House ● reduces transit times ● 100% pre-consumer waste goes to compost collected by the UCD Student Farm

Other post-consumer materials: ● compost from the dining halls is shipped to Zamora Composting Facility ● the compost is then used by local farms and vinters (supports the community!)

http://sustainability.universityofcalifornia.edu/documents/reports/ucd-foodservice-report-12-13.pdf

UCLA UCLA’s complete 3-month composting process:

1. All pre- and post- consumer food as well as napkins is collected in 3-yard bins

2. Athens Services collects and transports the waste off-site to be mixed with green waste (=nutrient-rich compost)

3. Resulting fertilizer is mixed with existing soil to produce healthier crops!

*bonus: all cutlery, napkins, to-

go containers, paper bags, and

cups used at Rendezvous are

compostable

http://www.sustain.ucla.edu/our-

initiatives/housing/dining-green/composting-

and-recycling/

UCSF

● the only medical center in the UC

system that is composting and

recycling patient food waste

● has reduced landfill food waste by

87% (from 30 bags to 4 bags a day)

● supplies local farms and vineyards

with compost as well (through

Jepson Prairie Organics) http://sustainability.ucsf.edu/1.12

Local Strategies

Here in Davis we have the Commercial Food

Scrap Pilot Program. Began in 2011, involves

participating restaurants and other food service

businesses.

How does it work?

Participating businesses can set aside their plate

scrapings, fruit and vegetable trimmings, coffee

grinds and filters, tea bags and food-soiled paper

for pickup by Davis Waste Removal (DWR),

which will take the material to a compost

facility.

Restaurants Include:

Caffé Italia, Ciocolat,

Davis Farmers Market,

Davis Food Co-op, Dos

Coyotes (both

locations), Sutter Davis

Hospital, Davis Joint

Unified School District

Student Nutrition

Services and more.

Other UC Campus and their Strategies

UC San Diego

● Miramar Greenery’s composting program.

UC Berkeley

● Compost Program involves Cal Dining working with NORCAL.

● To-Go containers are made from bagasse which is the crushed, leftover canes from sugarcane plants.

UC Santa Cruz

● Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

● The Program In Community & Agroecology

● The Food Systems Working Group

UC Santa Barbara

● Vermicompost

References http://www.jepsonprairieorganics.com/compostprocess.htm

http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/governance/files/campus-sust-plan-1-5-full-ver.pdf

http://caldining.berkeley.edu/sustainability/compost

http://recycling.as.ucsb.edu/composting/composting-at-ucsb/

http://nutrition.ucdavis.edu/content/alumni/Summer2009.pdf