Local Business Finds a Way to Not Waste Waste
Where will we site new landfills as old ones fill to capacity? What is the best way to protect our air and water quality when disposing of or burning trash? How do we reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from the hauling of and disposing of our garbage, to protect ourselves against the worst consequences of climate change?
Trash turns out to be a surprisingly fascinating topic. This week I attended the Southern California Waste Management Forum’s annual conference, with about 150 municipal and private sector individuals engaged in waste management in our region. A legislative and regulatory update panel focused on how AB 32 (CA’s climate legislation) will require landfills to reduce and monitor their greenhouse gas emissions and how a new mandatory commercial recycling program will both reduce waste and greenhouse gases. Another panel highlighted emerging technologies that are striving to advance the innovation in the “waste to energy” realm.
While the presenters were excellent, including the lunch keynote speaker Kathy Kellogg Johnson of Kellogg Garden Products, the most interesting aspect of the day was spending time with a local company, Agri-Service, Inc. based in Vista with facilities in Oceanside and Coachella Valley.
Agri-Service is in the business of composting “green waste” in Southern California, which includes yard clippings and tree trimmings. Agri-Service, founded by agronomist and entrepreneur Mary Matava, has two facilities, one of which serves Oceanside and surrounding communities, and another which serves 12 jurisdictions in the Coachella Valley. Currently the company has the capacity to process a total of 155,000 tons of green waste per year at the two sites, but they are not yet at capacity. Still, they have made a big dent in reducing the amount of waste going to landfills--according to Matava, since its inception, Agri-Service has composted over 1 million tons of green waste.
The idea of composting is not new. Many backyard gardeners know that saving food scraps, composting them and putting them back into your garden makes the soil richer, increases the yield of plants, helps reduce watering needs, and can also help fight pests. But composting at a commercial scale is not yet widespread in San Diego, even though it is a profitable business. The model looks like this: people who want to get rid of green waste bring the waste to one of Agri-Service’s compost facilities, pay a tipping fee to dispose of it (the fee is about the same as if it was brought to a landfill) and the Agri-Service team puts the material through several steps to produce soil amendments (humic compost), ground cover (mulches), and erosion control products used in public works departments and the construction industry. Those products (which are certified organic) are then sold to customers, including landscapers, farmers, golf courses, and contractors and developers. The citizens and the City of Oceanside have free access to the products because of an agreement Agri-Service has with the city.
Organic matter of the type that Agri-Service processes makes up a significant portion of our waste stream. An expert from the California Integrated Waste Management Board from the conference stated that of the commercial waste stream in the state, which is about 50% of all waste disposed, 50% is compostable.
Processing this waste into useful products saves landfill space, which stretches the lifespan of our existing landfills. In addition, when added to soils and used for erosion control, compost improves water quality, reduces water usage for landscaping, reduces the need for the use of toxic pesticides, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, adds nutrients to the soil, and saves customers money in the end. The business also helps the local economy by creating jobs(30), stabilizing landfill tipping fees (if landfills are filling less rapidly, disposal fees at landfills do not need to rise as quickly), and helps communities meet waste diversion targets set by the State.
San Diego’s climate and projected population growth require us to be thoughtful about how we use our resources. While the wise use of resources starts with minimizing use up front, the next step is reusing or recycling waste, as in the case of composting. Agri-Service’s model demonstrates that what can be good for the planet, can also be good for people, the economy and community.
We’d like to highlight more businesses in San Diego County that align with all of Equinox’s values: healthy environment, strong economy and vibrant communities. If you know of a local company that is operating with a “triple bottom line” methodology, please tell us about it.
Other interesting commentaries about trash:
http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/thegreengrok/trash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_L612od8Ng