Initiating a Composting Program Maryland Department of the Environment Initiating a Composting Program Justin Creswell Facilities Manager MD Department of the Environment 1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 505 Baltimore MD  21230 410-375-7072 (Cell) 410-537-4427 (Office) 410-537-4443 (fax) Justin.Creswell@maryland.gov

Information Gathering Call/ Research Vendors Internal Collection Procedures/ Infrastructure Education

Information Gathering Leased or owned building? Leased Landlord cooperation Landlord participation Cleaning crew collaboration Billing/ invoicing Placement of outside bins Placement of inside bins Purchasing of supplies, i.e., bags Owned Building Placement of bins Purchasing of supplies Participation All tenants participate Plan to change the culture

Information Gathering Cont. How much food waste is thrown away daily? Observe yourself Observe coworkers and ask them to observe as well Collection locations Identify locations with the most food waste Breakrooms Cafeteria Kitchens Place bins in area with populations Place bins in full view with clear signage

Call/ Research Vendors Call vendors Many vendors take the organic material to the same facility Find out where the waste is taken How often do they pick up the waste Once per week Twice per week Try not to let the waste sit over the weekend What size bins/ totes do they provide 35 gallon 65 gallon 95 gallon How many bins do you need/ can they provide Do they replace the bins with clean ones Who cleans the bins Do they support a roll-out program/ presentation Do they weigh the waste Provide totals When are totals given PRICE

Internal Collection Procedures Location of bins Frequency of collection Daily Weekly Bin Type Stainless steel Lid Open without hands Signage Provided by vendor Provided by you Size of sign Keep it simple Who collects the waste Who maintains the containers ASTM 6400 bags

ASTM D6400-12 ASTM- American Society for Testing and Materials Standard specification for labeling of plastics designed to be aerobically composted in municipal or industrial facilities.

Education Does the vendor provide on-site training Brown Bag lunch An email/ handout You provide the training Bring examples and quiz on what is acceptable Show examples of the signs and explain CREATE THE CULTURE