Organics Processing at Penn State

BIG TEN

Environmental Stewardship

Committee

June 14, 2010

Nadine Davitt njh103@psu.edu

Lisa Wandel lsw1@psu.edu

Pennsylvania State University

How we managed waste reduction

Training of staff to reduce waste• Proper rotation of inventory• Standardized recipes• Sharing recipe costs/ food cost %’s with staff

Style of service • Self-serve vs. served • Smaller plates and trays

Food donations to charities after meals or semesters

• Trimming of meats and vegetables• Follow portion control guides• Utilization of leftovers• Adding ‘chef specials’ to menu

Pre-Organics Processing

1996 a student asked what we did with food waste.

That prompted a question to Al Matyasovsky, OPP

and the rest is….. History (13 years worth!).

Intro to Organics Processing

OMPECOrganic Materials Processing

and Education Center

College of Ag Sciences: Production

Housing and Food Services: Food Waste

Hospitality Services: Food Waste

Office of Physical Plant: Collection

Partners

Compost Production• In the beginning:

• Known as “beg, borrow and steal” • Low tech production practices

• Used existing resources and equipment• Labor, collection truck, loader, screen

• Gravel composting pad• Layered feedstocks

Compost Production Today

Benefits of Batch Mixing:• Improved odor, vector and

leaching management• ~12 week active phase• Reduce turnings• Generate heat faster• Maintain heat longer

Batch Mix:• Blend on weight basis• Reduce particle size• Homogenous blend• Form windrows with

conveyor

Feedstocks ProcessedCompost:

Food Residuals

Leaves

Pallets and clean wood

Lab Animal Cage Waste

Animal Manure

Greenhouse debris

Crop Residues

Poultry processing residuals

Butcher Waste

Yields ~2,000 yd3 compost /year

Mulch:Brush

Logs

Wood Chips

Yields ~4,500 yd3 mulch /year

FundingAdministration:

Management, Education and OutreachContributions by partners

Operations:Production Costs

Tipping Fees – food, leaf & yard, wood…• Hauling provided by Physical Plant Central Services and paid

with University general funds

Sales – Finished compost and mulch

Facilities: Infrastructure and Equipment

Margin generated from operations, Finance and Business Environmental Stewardship allocation and grants

Components for SuccessSupport:

Environmental strategy of the University

Employee Ownership

Collaboration between departmentsExisting resources: staff & equipmentExisting expertise: academic units: compost production

auxiliary services: diversion, waste, handling, utilization

Fulfill Needs:Reduce wastes going to the landfill

Create compost and mulch for use in operations

Teaching/research and outreach mission of Penn State

Material Handling in the Dining Commons

Employee trimming vegetables

Used napkins and employee drink cups

Dock pick-up

Penn State OMPEC8 Week

Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Penn State OMPEC

SemesterCollection

4 Dining

Commons

Campus Leaves

DEP Permit-

by-Rule

8 Week Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Penn State OMPEC

SemesterCollection

4 Dining

Commons

Campus Leaves

DEP Permit-

by-Rule

Year-round Collection

7 Dining Commons &

2 Hotels

8 Week Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Penn State OMPEC

SemesterCollection

4 Dining

Commons

Campus Leaves

DEP Permit-

by-Rule

Year-round Collection

7 Dining Commons &

2 Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

8 Week Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Penn State OMPEC

SemesterCollection

4 Dining

Commons

Campus Leaves

DEP Permit-

by-Rule

Year-round Collection

7 Dining Commons &

2 Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Create a Business

Plan

8 Week Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Penn State OMPEC

SemesterCollection

4 Dining

Commons

Campus Leaves

DEP Permit-

by-Rule

Year-round Collection

7 Dining Commons &

2 Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Create a Business

Plan

Move Operations to 13 Acre Site

Brush, Logs,Untreated/

Unpainted Wood,Pallets,

Greenhouse Debris,

Lab AnimalCage Waste

8 Week Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Penn State OMPEC

SemesterCollection

4 Dining

Commons

Campus Leaves

DEP Permit-

by-Rule

Year-round Collection

7 Dining Commons &

2 Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Create a Business

Plan

Move Operations to 13 Acre Site

Brush, Logs,Untreated/

Unpainted Wood,Pallets,

Greenhouse Debris,

Lab AnimalCage Waste

Primary Mulch

Supplier

8 Week Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Penn State OMPEC

SemesterCollection

4 Dining

Commons

Campus Leaves

DEP Permit-

by-Rule

Year-round Collection

7 Dining Commons &

2 Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Create a Business

Plan

Move Operations to 13 Acre Site

Brush, Logs,Untreated/

Unpainted Wood,Pallets,

Greenhouse Debris,

Lab AnimalCage Waste

Primary Mulch

Supplier

Biodegradable, Compostable

Packaging & Cups in Dining Commons/

Hotels

Butcher Waste

DEP General Permit

8 Week Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Penn State OMPEC

SemesterCollection

4 Dining

Commons

Campus Leaves

DEP Permit-

by-Rule

Year-round Collection

7 Dining Commons &

2 Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Post-Consumer Collection at Hotels

Create a Business

Plan

Move Operations to 13 Acre Site

Brush, Logs,Untreated/

Unpainted Wood,Pallets,

Greenhouse Debris,

Lab AnimalCage Waste

Primary Mulch

Supplier

Sales to Public

Collection in Office Buildings

8 Week Pilot: Food Diversion

1 Dining Commons

Biobased Packaging &

Cups in Dining Commons/

Hotels

Meat Lab Butcher Waste

DEP General Permit

The PresentRemoval of wastes going to landfill

• 2009: 4,311 tons diverted to OMPEC » 57% of total tons recycled at University» 32% of total refuse collected

Reduced Green House Gas Emissions• Net reduction of 616 Metric Tons CO2 Equivalent (mtCO2e)

(736 mtCO2e GHG sink, 120 mtCO2e GHG emissions)

Reduced use of garbage disposal machines• Reduced electricity, water, noise

Responsible management of residuals• Reuse of materials to create a resource

1997 – 2009 Landfill Diversion

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

Year

To

ns

Food Residu-als

Greenhouse

Lab Animal Cage

Pallets

Brush/Logs

UtilizationLandscape:

Ornamental bedsPotted plantersTurf topdressingSoil restoration

Research:Soil conditionerMulchWetlands construction

Building Projects:Manufactured soil

Challenges

The Future

Fall 2010Implementation of reusable G.E.T. container in all

residential and retail operations

Add next wave of conversion to paper/PLA

Pulpers in the dishrooms

Learning to manage more biodegradable containers

Finding more carbon sources

Manufacturing soil

Organics at Penn State

Nadine DavittPenn State University

204A Agricultural and Biological EngineeringUniversity Park, PA 16802

814-865-6606njh103@psu.edu

Lisa WandelPenn State University

0111 Redifer HallUniversity Park, PA 16802

814-863-1255lsw1@psu.edu