Compost Site Technical Assistance

Compost Site Technical Assistance

RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts no-cost Compost Site Technical Assistance supports food waste composting infrastructure in Massachusetts and helps to ensure well operated sites by providing consulting advice on best management practices. RecyclingWorks can assist composting facilities in Massachusetts that are:

• An agricultural, municipal or private facility that currently engages in composting materials including food materials, and would like to implement operational improvements or expand the operation. 
• An agricultural, municipal or private facility that currently does not engage in any composting but would like to begin composting, including accepting food materials.
• An agricultural, municipal or private facility that currently engages in leaf and yard waste composting and would like to begin composting food materials.
• A business or institution that would like to begin composting food waste on-site.

Composting experts contracted through RecyclingWorks provide technical assistance to facilities. Composting experts conduct 1-2 site visits and utilize an operational best management practices (BMPs) checklist prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to assess each facility. To this end, every facility that receives technical assistance from a contracted composting expert will be given a written report that includes findings from the operational checklist, detailed observations, and analysis, and suggestions for how the facility can successfully begin a food waste composting operation or improve existing operations.

Note: Sites need to be permitted through MassDEP or MDAR or in the process of obtaining a permit in order to receive RecyclingWorks assistance. On-site assistance is not suited for small-scale or home composting. Please see the Additional Resources section below and contact RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts with any questions: 888-254-5525 or info@recyclingworksma.com.

Additional Resources

• Permitting
  • Compost operations that accept off-site organic material should apply for a general permit through MassDEP or complete the Agricultural Composting Registration through MDAR.
• Free Webinars and How-To Videos
  • The Composting Collaborative has many webinars on topics including university composting programs, composting technology, and insights into the compost industry.
  • Highfields Center for Composting is no longer in operation, but their video series on community composting, best management practices, and composting in schools is still available.
  • Compost Site Technical Services has helpful resources including a compost recipe calculator, and how-to videos.
  • The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has a number of composting webinar recordings.
• Funding
  • Agricultural composters can apply for funding through the Agricultural Composting Improvement Grant Program (ACIP).
  • The MassDEP Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) Municipal Grant funding may be used to improve local recycling, composting, reuse, and household hazardous waste diversion programs.
• Guides and Industry Information
  • The MassDEP Commercial, Institutional & Agricultural Composting & Organics webpage includes resources such as a list of active compost sites, sites accepting diverted food material, and a food waste composting fact sheet.
  • BioCycle features 2,500 articles on composting, renewable energy, and organics recycling.
  • The US Composting Council advances compost manufacturing, compost utilization, and organics recycling and has resources for beginners and compost veterans.
  • This compost training document from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality features many helpful sections including one on the material-specific advantages to various equipment types.
  • Existing municipal yard trimmings composting operations represent an under-used potential to quickly increase the capacity to effectively process food scraps locally. COMMUNITY TOOLKIT: Adding Food Waste to a Yard Trimmings Compost Facility, published by the Center for EcoTechnology in partnership with BioCycle, can help municipalities determine how to employ this strategy in their community.

Compost Site Operator Workshops

RecyclingWorks also organizes workshops for compost site operators in Massachusetts. These half-day workshops are geared towards:

• Food materials composting operations registered with MDAR or MassDEP
• Municipal operators
• Small scale site operators
• Other parties considering starting a compost site.

Check the event listings on our website to see if a workshop is currently scheduled.

Spring 2022 – Compost Site Practical Skills Workshop

• RecyclingWorks Updates, Cassie Schuttrumpf
• MassDEP Updates, Tom Adamczyk
• MDAR Compost Site Regulations, Sean Bowen
• Growing Food Scrap Composting Capacity, James McSweeney, Compost Technical Services
• Workshop recording

Spring 2021 – Compost Site Practical Skills Workshop

• RecyclingWorks Updates, Coryanne Mansell
• MassDEP Updates, Tom Adamczyk
• MDAR Compost Site Regulations, Sean Bowen
• Compost Site Planning, James McSweeney, Compost Technical Services
• Compost Site Contamination, James McSweeney, Compost Technical Services
• Workshop recordings: 
  • Compost Site Planning
  • Identifying and Managing Contamination

Fall 2019 – Compost Site Practical Skills Workshop

• Needham Recycling and Transfer Station Compost Operations, Greg Smith
• RecyclingWorks Updates, Sam Arthen-Long
• MassDEP Updates, John Fischer
• MDAR Compost Site Regulations, Sean Bowen
• Compost Site Operations Management Training, James McSweeney, Compost Technical Services

Spring 2018 – Technical Skills Compost Workshop

• RecyclingWorks Updates, Heather Billings, RecyclingWorks
• MassDEP Regulations and MDAR Registration, MassDEP, Tom Adamczyk
• Compost Management Review & Intro to Recipe Exercise, James McSweeney, Compost Technical Services

Compost Site Operations Management Training for Health Officers

RecyclingWorks organizes compost site operations management trainings for health officers in Massachusetts. Attendees receive an overview of MDAR and MassDEP regulations for compost sites as well as a training presentation on Best Management Practices for well-maintained compost sites from a composting expert contracted through RecyclingWorks. This training is designed to meet the requirements for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for registered sanitarians (RS), Certified Health Officers (CHO), and Registered Environmental Health Specialists (REHS) and attendees will receive a certificate of completion.

Check the event listings on our website to see if a workshop is currently scheduled.

Winter 2020 – Compost Site Operations Management Training for Health Officials (Northampton)

• RecyclingWorks Updates, Sam Arthen-Long
• MassDEP Compost Site Regulations, John Fischer
• MDAR Compost Site Regulations, Sean Bowen
• Compost Site Operations Management Training, James McSweeney, Compost Technical Services

Spring 2019 – Compost Site Operations Management Training for Health Officials (Lakeville)

• RecyclingWorks Updates, Sam Arthen-Long
• MassDEP Updates, John Fischer
• MassDEP Compost Site Regulations, Tom Adamczyk
• MDAR Compost Site Regulations, Sean Bowen
• Compost Site Operations Management Training, James McSweeney, Compost Technical Services

Request Assistance

If you are interested in requesting free technical assistance, attending a future workshop, or would like more information, please contact RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts at (888) 254-5525 or by email at info@recyclingworksma.com.