The GREEN solution to a ZERO waste goal! LSU-Composting Facts and figures. The GREEN solution to a ZERO waste goal!

1- What is composting. 2-Who will benefit by it 1- What is composting? 2-Who will benefit by it? 3-What will be the end result? 4-What do we need to start?

What is composting? It is Nature’s way of recycling by using Bacteria, fungi, and insects. They break down organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, vegetables, fruits, wood chips, pine straw, twigs, etc. Following a C-N ratio in mixing the materials, the natural decomposition process can be accelerated and turn it into valuable natural fertilizer in few months.

The composting process requires three important elements to work: C-N ratio: carbon (Brown Material) and nitrogen(Green material) Aeration: provides oxygen for aerobic organisms to work Using a TURNER/AERATOR Watering: for the living micro-organism USING sprinkler HOSES

. The final product is an organic fertilizer called HUMUS ! Humus will eliminate the need to purchase garden mix. Garden mix is half humus and half sand or soil. Humus can be use as liquid fertilizer. It’s called “Compost tea.”

Who will benefit from this plan? Vet School, ($50,000) FS-Landscape ($29,000) FS-Utilities ($2,500) Athlet. Maint. ($10,000) Chartwell’s ($5,000) Frat/Sororities Lod Cook Hotel LSU Students TOTAL MONEY WASTED: ~$110,500

VET SCHOOL The Vet school uses pine shavings for barns bedding. The used material consist of pine shavings mixed with feces (Urea and manure) . They disposed in 2010, 452.22 tons. It gets disposed in 30 cu. yd dumpsters, 3 X Week at cost of $4,000 per month Cost/year = $48,000 in dumpsters services That cost WILL BE $$$ CERO IF COMPOSTED…

FS-Utilities Every year, FS- Utility Department pays ~$2500 in fines to the city municipality as a result of high BOD’s due to campus Dinning units disposing their organics into the waste water system. (Source: Facility Services Utilities) Composting dinning units organics (vegetables, fruits, & peels) will alleviate or eliminate that situation!

Dinning Units, and other campus Kitchen operations (Frat, Sor, L Dinning Units, and other campus Kitchen operations (Frat, Sor, L. Cook Hotel) By diverting their organics they will decrease their trash disposal service. For example, The 5, every week disposes and average of 650 lb of food leftovers. 31,200 lb./year. Data from March 2011. The 459 commons, disposes 1,000 lb. of food left-overs weekly. ( 03/21/2011).That is 48,000 lb./Year Some Dinning units give plastic utensils and trays (Union). By swapping to a washable material they will have a less environmental impact, save landfill space, and promote their sustainable green spirit!

FS-Landscape ~$18,000 in “Garden Mix” for campus flowerbeds ~$5,000 in fertilizers for the grassy fields and flower beds ~$6,000 for hauling leaves and yard to an Off-campus composting site. 356.43 Tons in 2010. Total yearly expenses: ~$29,000 These annual expenses and material could be invested and use on a ON-CAMPUS composting program and using the end product (humus) for campus projects.

Athletic Department Athletic Maintenance purchases large quantities of chemicals and fertilizers to maintain their turf areas in top shape. By watering their fields with Compost tea (Liquid humus) their fields will be safer from chemicals build-ups… They won’t need to purchase fertilizers in the quantities they are using today. $25,000 per year (Source: Todd Jeansonne, Manager Athletic Facilities) They will avoid the problems that chemicals run-offs causes to the grey water system.

LSU STUDENTS THE COMPOSTING FACILITY CAN BE USE AS A TEACHING TOOL by the Horticulture Department and/or any other related departments. Since sustainability curriculum classes will be in place in the near future, this site will be a great addition as a learning tool.

Overall expenses and material that can be reduced… Vet school $50,000- - - - - - - - - - - - 452.22 tons FS Utilities $ 2,500 FS Landscape $29,000- - - - - - - - - - - -356.43 tons Athletics $25,000 Campus Dinning $ 5,000 - - - - - - - - - - - - 60.00 tons *Total annual Expenses $111,500 or 868.65 tons I FORGOT TO MENTION ATHLETIC FACILITIES FOOD LEFT OVERS AND PAPER TOWELS FROM CAMPUS RESTROOMS! This can be HUGE !

WHAT DO WE NEED TO START? ~4 ACRES OF LAND, on Campus Capital Investment. (Equipment) Turner, ~$50,000 In-Vessel Equipment ~$195,000 Trailer w/dumping bed ~$12,000 water source,(sprinkler hoses) ~$ 500 Site Preparation $40,000 TOTAL $ 297,500

Annual operation expenses Operation COST A COMPOSTING TECH. FTE $50,000 Assistant, FTE %40 $15,000 Site operation (fuel, equip. Maint.) $12,000 TOTAL $77,000/year Remember, the other department expenses of $111,500 ??

Equipment for composting TURNER $50,000 Remove CO2 and replace with O2 - the breakdown of organic matter and subsequent build-up of humus is a microbial process that uses oxygen and generates carbon dioxide. Breakdown phase, considerable heat in generated during the composting process. If the temperature becomes too high, the heat can kill the microbes that are responsible for material breakdown. Maintain Moisture - Like oxygen, water is essential to the breakdown and build-up phases of the composting process. compost turners expose the surface of each compost particle to the water spray coating all sides. This water coating action is particularly valuable when you are inoculating the compost with supplemental microbial species. The microbes can only work on the material they touch, so the more thorough the coating

IN-VESEL TUMBLER This unit will eliminate the odor, Insects/wild life problem and speed up the decomposting process.

Trailer with dumping bed to collect organics from campus Price tag ~ $12,000 Less expensive option than a dumping truck and easy to maneuver in small roads. http://www.americanloanmasters.com

Sprinkler Hoses HOSES CAN BE PURCHASED AS WINDROW EXTENDS THRU THE SITE. Price $40.00/50ft/hose. Sprinklers hoses are inexpensive and they can be use for the control of windrow humidity levels

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS? Andres Harris LSU,Manager Solid Waste/Recycling aharri2@lsu.edu (225)268-3385