1. Copyright 2013 Coker Composting & Consulting Markets for Recycled Organic Wastes VRA 2013 Annual Conference Craig S. Coker Virginia Composting Council

2. Markets Recovered Energy –Electricity –Recycled Natural Gas –Compressed Gas Vehicle Fuel Soil Amendments –Composts –Engineered Soils Copyright 2013 Coker Composting & Consulting

3. Recovered Energy Derived from anaerobic digestion to make biogas –50% - 70% CH 4 & 25% - 35% CO 2 –Produced at 3,000 – 5,000 ft 3 /ton Contaminants – can affect marketability –Hydrogen sulfide –Ammonia –Siloxanes (organosilicon compound) More common in landfill biogas due to decomposition of personal care products Copyright 2013 Coker Composting & Consulting

5. Brecht, Belgium 50,000 tonnes/yr of kitchen & garden wastes Digester dimensions are 15 m diameter and 25 m high >9 million kWh/yr electricity production Digestate composted onsite

6. Copyright 2012 Coker Composting & Consulting UW-Oshkosh, WI Opened Oct 2011 First U.S. installation of dry fermenter 8,000 tons/yr capacity Food scraps and landscaping debris Will provide ~ 5% of campus heat & electricity

7. Electricity Markets Biogas combustion system –Gas turbine, reciprocating engine generators –Often in Combined Heat-and-Power (CHP) generators

8. Price paid for power produced relatively low –Vanderheyden Dairy, Pittsylvania County - $0.03/kwh from Dominion Also need extensive surge protection infrastructure USEIA Electricity Growth Forecast –2011 – 2040 –Residential electric usage - +0.7%/yr –Industrial electric usage - +0.6%/yr

9. RNG Markets Biogas cleaned up to tariff specifications –98+% methane purity –Heating value > 950 BTU/ft 3 –Less than 0.0007% moisture Need dedicated supply pipeline Current prices (April, 2013) –Virginia “citygate” price = $4.95/1000 ft 3 –U.S. average wellhead price = $2.66/1,000 ft 3 Copyright 2012 Coker Composting & Consulting

10. RNG/CNG Vehicle Fuel Biogas cleaned up to RNG tariff specs Compressed to 4,200 psi Need dedicated filling station Virginia stations: Arlington, Newport News and Norfolk (2) CNG now ½ the cost of diesel fuel (on Diesel Gallon Equiv. basis) Payback times now < 2 yrs

11. Soil Amendments Composts & compost-amended engineered soils Produced by aerobic composting of various organic residuals –Food scraps – 7 in VA –Yard trimmings – 6 in VA –Manures – 11 in VA –Biosolids – 5 in VA Copyright 2012 Coker Composting & Consulting

12. Compost Benefits Improve soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics Reduces irrigation demand Reduces storm water runoff –Reduced N, P loadings to Ches. Bay Markets: –Agriculture –Landscaping –Sediment & erosion control Copyright 2012 Coker Composting & Consulting

13. Synthetic Blankets Lack Intimate Contact

14. Compost-based landscape practices Streambank protection “Soft” planters Living walls

15. Engineered Soils Blends of compost, sand, sandy loam soils Bioswale & bioretention pond media –20% compost, 80% sand/sandy loam –In Chesapeake Bay watershed, need to use low-P compost, like leaf compost Athletic field turfgrass media –30% compost, 70% sand/sandy loam Copyright 2012 Coker Composting & Consulting

16. Bioretention/Bioinfiltration/Rain Garden

17. Copyright 2010 Coker Composting & Consulting Thank You! Craig Coker Coker Composting & Consulting (540) 890-1086 cscoker@verizon.netwww.cokercompost.com