Page 6 - Nov/Dec 2015 Vol. 33 No. 5
P. 6
SEVIER COUNTY, UT KNOXVILLE, FRANKLIN, UT MARTIN By Leila Donn
Compost vs. Landfill Waste
In the United States, food is the second The facility was built in 1992 as a our county don’t necessarily know all of
most common type of waste found in the response to limitations on the life cycle of the county’s specific composting and re-
landfill. Each year, Americans throw away the landfill and associated difficulty with cycling rules. The aerobic digester ensures
a total of 30 to 40 percent of the food sup- securing new land for a landfill. The aero- 100 percent participation because all waste
ply. This is equal to more than 20 pounds bic system currently processes all types of goes into the same receptacle, which keeps
of food per person per month. municipal solid waste, excluding construc- it simple.”
tion demolition debris, as well as biosolids.
Composting could be part of the solu- The cycle is continuous and operates 24 Sevier County has the highest landfill
tion, and here in Tennessee we are working hours a day, 365 days a year. diversion rate in the State of Tennessee at
to incorporate it into the lives of Tennes- 70 percent.
seans. Sevier Solid Waste, Inc., the Univer- Material from the digester is screened
sity of Tennessee at Knoxville, the City of and placed into windrows, where it The University of Tennessee at
Franklin, and the University of Tennessee remains for about 30 days during which Knoxville’s food waste program
at Martin are early players in the game and it is periodically turned. Municipal wood
serve as practical examples of larger-scale waste is ground up to serve as a biofilter Sustainable food options are the most
composting. to provide odor control to the windrows. pressing environmental topic of discussion
Then, the material is screened once more at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Grants offered by the Tennessee Depart- and is transferred to a storage area for one
ment of Environment and Conservation’s to three months. The compost program has two compo-
Division of Solid Waste Management will nents: a curbside/dorm-side/office-side
help to support and encourage the spread The finished product is sold to farmers, pick-up coordinated by the university that
of composting programs across the state. contractors, and soil blenders, providing started in 2009, and since 2013 drop-off of
revenue. Tom Leonard, general manager cafeteria food waste managed by a national
Sevier Solid Waste, Inc.’s, of SSWI, points out other benefits to the nonprofit called Food Recovery Network.
municipal solid waste program program:
UTK provides compost bins at request
Sevier Solid Waste, Inc., composts 70 “This system of composting all munici- to any area of campus that has trash
percent of their municipal solid waste, pal solid waste works particularly well for service. Raw material is then picked up
which is equivalent to 300 tons of solid our situation. Since much of our waste and brought to the composting area. Food
waste each day. Their aerobic digester stream comes from highly touristed areas Recovery Network manages all the other
composts material in-vessel in long rotary including Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, we food waste that is generated from dining
tube drums, speeding up the process never know how much waste we are going services. They operate on a tiered system,
and enabling more material to be moved to get or what its composition is going to donating usable extra food to shelters and
through the facility. be. Also, the tourists that come through then composting what remains.
The veterinary school on campus
Left: Aerobic digester at Sevier Solid
Waste, Inc. Rotary digesters are
tube-like structures pictured at left.
Windrows are pictured at top right.
Photo courtesy of Sevier Solid Waste, Inc.
Above: Orange is the new green. UTK
is excited to compost, among other
sustainable initiatives that the school
enthusiastically takes part in.
Photo courtesy of UTK.
6 TPW November/December 2015
Compost vs. Landfill Waste
In the United States, food is the second The facility was built in 1992 as a our county don’t necessarily know all of
most common type of waste found in the response to limitations on the life cycle of the county’s specific composting and re-
landfill. Each year, Americans throw away the landfill and associated difficulty with cycling rules. The aerobic digester ensures
a total of 30 to 40 percent of the food sup- securing new land for a landfill. The aero- 100 percent participation because all waste
ply. This is equal to more than 20 pounds bic system currently processes all types of goes into the same receptacle, which keeps
of food per person per month. municipal solid waste, excluding construc- it simple.”
tion demolition debris, as well as biosolids.
Composting could be part of the solu- The cycle is continuous and operates 24 Sevier County has the highest landfill
tion, and here in Tennessee we are working hours a day, 365 days a year. diversion rate in the State of Tennessee at
to incorporate it into the lives of Tennes- 70 percent.
seans. Sevier Solid Waste, Inc., the Univer- Material from the digester is screened
sity of Tennessee at Knoxville, the City of and placed into windrows, where it The University of Tennessee at
Franklin, and the University of Tennessee remains for about 30 days during which Knoxville’s food waste program
at Martin are early players in the game and it is periodically turned. Municipal wood
serve as practical examples of larger-scale waste is ground up to serve as a biofilter Sustainable food options are the most
composting. to provide odor control to the windrows. pressing environmental topic of discussion
Then, the material is screened once more at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Grants offered by the Tennessee Depart- and is transferred to a storage area for one
ment of Environment and Conservation’s to three months. The compost program has two compo-
Division of Solid Waste Management will nents: a curbside/dorm-side/office-side
help to support and encourage the spread The finished product is sold to farmers, pick-up coordinated by the university that
of composting programs across the state. contractors, and soil blenders, providing started in 2009, and since 2013 drop-off of
revenue. Tom Leonard, general manager cafeteria food waste managed by a national
Sevier Solid Waste, Inc.’s, of SSWI, points out other benefits to the nonprofit called Food Recovery Network.
municipal solid waste program program:
UTK provides compost bins at request
Sevier Solid Waste, Inc., composts 70 “This system of composting all munici- to any area of campus that has trash
percent of their municipal solid waste, pal solid waste works particularly well for service. Raw material is then picked up
which is equivalent to 300 tons of solid our situation. Since much of our waste and brought to the composting area. Food
waste each day. Their aerobic digester stream comes from highly touristed areas Recovery Network manages all the other
composts material in-vessel in long rotary including Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, we food waste that is generated from dining
tube drums, speeding up the process never know how much waste we are going services. They operate on a tiered system,
and enabling more material to be moved to get or what its composition is going to donating usable extra food to shelters and
through the facility. be. Also, the tourists that come through then composting what remains.
The veterinary school on campus
Left: Aerobic digester at Sevier Solid
Waste, Inc. Rotary digesters are
tube-like structures pictured at left.
Windrows are pictured at top right.
Photo courtesy of Sevier Solid Waste, Inc.
Above: Orange is the new green. UTK
is excited to compost, among other
sustainable initiatives that the school
enthusiastically takes part in.
Photo courtesy of UTK.
6 TPW November/December 2015
