Recycling and Composting

1
Recycling and Composting

• ENVM 649 Principles of Waste Management and
  Pollution Control
• Dr. Robert Beauchamp

2
BENEFITS OF RECYCLING

• CONSERVES RESOURCES
• PREVENTS EMISSIONS OF MANY GREENHOUSE GASES
  WATER POLLUTANTS.
• SAVES ENERGY.
• SUPPLIES RAW MATERIALS TO INDUSTRY.
• CREATES JOBS.
• STIMULATES DEVELOPMENT OF GREENER TECHNOLOGIES.
• REDUCES NEED FOR NEW LANDFILLS INCINERATORS. .

3
COMPOSTING

• BIODEGRADATION
• WASTE WATER SLUDGE (BIOSOLIDS)
• YARD WASTE
• BULKING MATERIALS (RETAINS H2O AND ALLOWS AIR
  CIRCULATION)
• PLANT RESIDUE
• MSW REFUSE
• PAPER
• SAWDUST

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COMPOSTING (cont)

• REQUIREMENTS
• MICROORGANISMS-INOCULUM
• O2 SUPPLY
• MOISTURE (40)
• Ph (NEUTRAL)
• TEMPERATURE
• NUTRIENTS
• SPACE
• NOTE SELF GENERATION OF HEAT IF THE MASS OF
  COMPOST PILE IS HIGH.

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USES OF COMPOST

• EROSION CONTROL
• EROSION EFFECTS ORGANISMS, WATER RESOURCES,
  CONSTRUCTION RECREATION.
• COMPOST CAN ESTABLISH TURF, REDUCE H2O VELOCITY,
  REDUCE EROSION OF SLOPES.
• PROVIDE PLAYING SURFACES.
• REPLACE PEAT MOSS.
• PROVIDES NUTRIENTS MICROORGANISMS.
• ENHANCES MOVEMENT OF H2O, AIR, NUTRIENTS. ?

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LANDSCAPING

• COMPOST IS ALTERNATIVE TO TOPSOIL.
•  
• LANDSCAPE RENOVATION
•  
• CONTAINER GARDENS.
•  
• STIMULATES PLANT GROWTH
• REDUCES PESTS PLANT INFESTATION.
• IMPROVES SOIL STRUCTURE.

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AS COMPOST MULCH

• STABILIZES SOIL TEMPERATURE
• CONSERVES WATER
•  
• CONTROLS WEEDS
•  
• SLOW RELEASE OF NUTRIENTS
•  
• PREVENTS SOIL EROSION
•  
• DARK COLOR ACCENTS COLORS OF FLOWERING PLANTS. 

8
DISEASE CONTROL

• FOR PLANTS AND ANIMALS
• 10 OF VEGETABLES PLANTED IN U.S. ARE LOST TO
  ROOT ROT SOILBORNE PATHOGENS.
• PROTECTION MECHANISMS
• COMPETITION OF NUTRIENTS BY BENEFICIAL
  MICROORGANISMS.
• ANTIBIOTIC PRODUCTION BY MICROORGANISMS.
• SUCCESSFUL PREDATION OF PATHOGENS BY MICRO-ORG.
• DISEASE-RESISTANT GENES.

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TAILORING COMPOST

• CAN ENRICH COMPOST WITH DISEASE FIGHTING
  MICRO-ORG.
• REPLACES PESTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES.
• SALT CONTENT OF COMPOSE CAN SUPPRESS DISEASE.
  TOO MUCH SALT CAN WEAKEN PLANTS.
• NEED TO TAILOR COMPOST FOR SPECIFIC DISEASES.

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MORTALITY COMPOSTING

• 37 MILLION CHICKENS, DUCKS, TURKEYS (18-25)
  DIE FROM DISEASE.
• COMPOSTING IS AN OPTION FOR DISPOSAL. PATHOGENS
  ARE DESTROYED BY HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE
  PROCESS.
•  
• MARKETS EXIST FOR HIGH QUALITY COMPOST. A 250
  MILLION PER YEAR PRODUCT.

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PEST CONTROL

• CAN ERADICATE PARASIDIC NEMATODE (WORM)
  INFECTIONS
• NEED A TAILORED COMPOST
•  
• NUTRIENTS ENCOURAGE GROWTH OF FUNGI OTHERS,
  WHICH COMPETE WITH OR DESTROY NEMATODES.
•  
• CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH OF PLANTS.

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REFORESTATION/WETLAND RESTORATION/HABITAT
REVITALIZATION

• BARREN SOILS RESTORED WITH COMPOST.
• ADDS HUMUS, NUTRIENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE FOR
  PLANTS TO RE-ESTABLISH.
• CAN ABSORB 4 TIMES ITS WEIGHT IN H2O CAN
  REPLACE ORGANIC MATERIALS IN WETLANDS.
• ASSISTS IN REVEGETATE BARREN HABITATS BY
  PROVIDING CHEMICAL MINERAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL.
• FACILITATES PLANT GROWTH WHICH PROVIDES FOOD FOR
  ANIMALS.
• PROJECTS HAVE SHOWN THAT COMPOSE TREATED WETLANDS
  HAD SUPERIOR GROWTH OVER NON-TREATED WETLANDS..

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BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING

• KEEPS ORGANICS OUT OF LANDFILLS.
• PROVIDES NUTRIENTS TO SOIL.
• INCREASES BENEFICIAL SOIL ORGANISMS.
•  
• SUPPRESSES PLANT DISEASES.
•  
• REDUCES NEED FOR PESTICIDES FERTLIZERS.
•  
• PROTECTS SOIL FROM EROSION.
•  
• ASSISTS IN POLLUTION REMEDIATION.