Resource Management, Inc. (RMI) works closely with municipalities and commercial composters to ensure premium composting recipes. This is an exciting time of growth in the composting community. Both the State of Vermont and the State of Massachusetts are promoting the diversion of food waste from landfill disposal, encouraging the growth and creation of composting facilities. RMI has participated in the preliminary research on binding persistent herbicides in compost using high-carbon wood ash. RMI’s Heart & Soil® product line also provides two of the five key elements necessary in the composting process, pH control and moisture.
Persistent Herbicide Management; Recipe Amendment
In 2012 Green Mountain Compost in Williston, VT discovered that persistent herbicides in some of its compost were causing damage to a variety of garden plants. These herbicides enter the composting stream via grass clippings, hay, straw and manures from herbivorous animals that have grazed in pastures or eaten hay or grains containing persistent herbicides; persistent herbicides have also been found in food scraps. Hearing of this problem, RMI offered our high-carbon wood ash, High Carbon Wood Ash, as a solution. Lab analysis performed by Woods End Laboratory for Green Mountain Compost demonstrated that High Carbon Wood Ash effectively bound residual herbicides in herbicide-impacted composts rendering them inactive.
Odor Control
Foul odors emanating from an active composting operation are a recipe for closure of the facility. High Carbon Wood Ash is an outstanding product for controlling odor-causing compounds. In addition to killing odors, High Carbon Wood Ash minimizes the vector attraction of stacked compost windrows. Both the decrease in odors and vector attraction reduction makes any compost facility a better neighbor.
pH Control
High Carbon Wood Ash helps balance nutrients in a composted end product. High Carbon Wood Ash quickly raises the pH of compost to optimum neutral levels. A balanced pH makes all nutrients naturally existing in compost more available to plants for growth. High Carbon Wood Ash also adds significant amounts of potassium and essential micro-nutrients to the composted end product.
Moisture
Compost moisture content must initially be between 40-60% to support aerobic thermophilic composting. High-moisture manure or other organic materials can be dried to this ideal range by bulking compost with RMI’s Paper Fiber which absorbs excess moisture.
Marketable Product
High Carbon Wood Ash has a distinctive dark color that will deepen the aesthetic quality of any compost. Friability and porosity of the compost are also increased, making it more touchable and manageable. By adding High Carbon Wood Ash to compost, the final product will be a rich, dark, well-balanced soil amendment and therefore a more valuable product for your customers.
RMI puts your organic waste to work
RMI provides turnkey recycling services, including product development, regulatory permitting, compliance oversight, transportation, and beneficial use throughout the Northeast and eastern New York.
RMI—Your Partner from Start to Finish
For more information about our RMI services or products, please contact us at 603-536-8900
email: RMI@RMIrecycles.com