Study and assessment of eight yard waste-composting programs across the United States. Technical report

Technical Report · Thu Dec 29 23:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5679682

Taylor, A C

This report looks at the methods and products of yard waste composting in the context of 8 programs currently in operation in the U.S., in order to provide information and options to communities faced with difficult choices in the area of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management. Yard wastes, i.e., debris such as grass clippings, leaves, brush, and tree prunings, have been estimated to comprise approximately 18% of the annual national MSW stream gross discards. Yard waste generation rates and composition vary by season, year, and region. In fact, during the peak months of their generation (i.e., primarily during the summer and fall months), yard wastes can represent 25-50% of the MSW stream. Yard-waste composting has great potential as a MSW management option, in the U.S. It is estimated that there are between 800 and 1,000 yard waste composting facilities in the nation and it is expected that many more will begin operation as the landfill situation becomes more critical. As the burden on landfills across the U.S. continues to increase and landfill tip fees continue to soar, many communities are beginning to look to yard waste composting to save landfill capacity and landfill disposal (and related) costs as well as to produce a useful end product.

• Research Organization: Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5679682
• Report Number(s): PB-89-189443/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
COMPOSTING
COST ESTIMATION
DOCUMENT TYPES
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MANAGEMENT
MUNICIPAL WASTES
PROCESSING
PROGRESS REPORT
SOLID WASTES
STATE GOVERNMENT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES