Study and Assessment of Eight Yard Waste Composting Programs Across the United States

摘要

The 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 percent 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.