01-27-83 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MARKETING OF MUNICIPAL WASTES Continued: • Reconstituted topsoil, mixed as outlined on the preceding page, will find a very ready market. In our area of the Northeast, reconstituted topsoil you will find of better quality than the soil mongers topsoil. Reconstituted topsoil has the same analysis and never acidic. Reconstituted topsoil will never have noxious 111/1 weeds or herbicide residue. If you vary the formula of wastes in the mix it can be adapted to many uses, even florists, wanting a lite weight potting soil, you have but to investigate industries packing materials. Polystyrene, (styrofoam) can easily be milled into an aggregate, 15 to 20% of this added to your soil mix along with necessary fertilizers. Any growing media can be made for professional growers, that will have advantages over the soilless peat mixes and your formula can be competitively priced. The chemistry, friability & water holding capacity of a soil mix is most important to florists and plantsmenbut less in landscaping. However for all professional uses, we have found reconstituted soil from waste superior and more popular than synthetic formulas. Reconstituted soil can be made so as to resemble soil exactly and it is soil! It can be made acidic and the high microbial life contributes much to disease control. There is a world of research to be done on the effects of the microbial life in reconstituted soil. Our little family corporation, represents 125 man years of study and work with soils. And collectivly, we feel steam sterilization of soils is even harmful. Microbial life in soil would be a much better control of soil disease. We supply a consultation service on a per diem basis, plus travel costs, to solve problems and making recommendations on the initial set-up of a site. Waste management in the future will cost a fortune unless: "We put the Microbe to Work". No one wants a landfill in their neighborhood and they are not too receptive even to having a compost site! We advise your processing equipment be on wheels. Loaders, shredders, leaf blowers, even stone crushers (to make sand for soil mixes) . Move in, process and move out. The compost can be left in neat windrows, even in a Park. In fact 11111 where else would there be a better place to use the end product. The mechanics and marketing of compost, we feel you will find completely outlined in the above. However few municipalities have any desire to be involved or State regulations may prevent becoming involved, what is actually a product. A service contract with an interested operator in the private sector would be the way to go. It is not necessary to concern us with this problem here. However it has always been our experience these arrangements can create more employment in the municipality and be very favorable to the taxpayer. HOME COMPOSTING Smaller quantities of assorted wastes may be composted in windrows but wastes must be in the pile in layers. First, the windrow should not be more than ? to 8 feet wide to assure adequate air intake. The bottom or first layer should be of woodchips, hay, leaves or other lite, highly carbonaceous waste. Carbonaceous waste seldom contribute to odors, always layer them 6 inches deep. Nitrogenous waste should make up the next layer and these wastes should never be more than 2 to 3 inches deep. Nitrogenous wastes are likely to be heavy, anaerobic, cause odors and therefore we never suggest more than a 3 inch layer. Keep alternating and repeating carbonaceous and FREE STANDING PILE nitrogenous layers until your pile is about 5 feet high. Opponsammilt The compost pile or windrow will look like a layer cake. A front end loader can be used to bring materials to the pile but it is hard to avoid the hand labor. There is no AnWARIMIND magic in how high the pile is built , just remember in ;/jfJ the process of decay a 5 foot pile will shrink to less III/1 than 3 feet when ready for use. No turning is required. Carbonaceous and nitrogenous wastes are both necessary 7t 8 feet wide foods and energy to microorganisms as well as insect life. If your pile gets hot in spots the microorganisms found a good local environment but the cold spots will still decay with insects digesting the waste.