Page 7 - Nov/Dec 2015 Vol. 33 No. 5
P. 7
provides manure to help manage the and leafy, so Franklin began composting to The University of Tennessee at
chemistry of the compost process, and the help deal with a huge amount of leaf litter. Martin’s cafeteria food waste
grounds department supplies leaf litter composting
and woody debris to serve as the biofilter. Two city employees oversee the com-
posting in a set of 10 windrows that each The University of Tennessee at Martin
Since the composting area is shaded, hold 4,000 cubic yards of material. They (UTM) has been composting cafeteria
compost typically sits for more than 120 go through two sets of 10 windrows per food scraps for a long time – since 1991.
days. After that, it is used on the campus year. In 2008 the City processed over 1,900 The program was envisioned by Dennis
grounds and at several student-run tons of yard waste, which has risen to Kosta, UTM Custodial Manager, who was
gardens where it provides a good example more than 4,400 tons in 2014. used to composting in his native Wiscon-
of a closed loop food system. sin.
Diverting this material from the landfill
In fiscal year 2010, UTK composted 73 from 2009 to 2014 has saved the City Four or five 55-gallon barrels are com-
tons of organic material. Five years later $711,312. Franklin also sells the finished posted on the University farm each day.
they’re composting 1,143 tons. compost at $20/yard, and has made The food scraps are covered with bedding
$35,000 in sales since 2011. This revenue and manure from the campus agricultural
“Beyond the emotional desire to be a is used to pay for equipment, equipment operation which helps to expedite the
steward of our local environment, the maintenance, and the annual composting compost process.
composting program at UTK brings us permit, which means that these costs don’t
one step closer to our carbon neutrality come out of the City budget. “It’s really simple, the hard part is get-
date of 2016, set forth within the Climate ting food into the barrels and from there
Action Plan for the campus,” says Preston Todd King, City of Franklin Compost it’s just up to the tractor [to turn the mate-
Jacobsen, UTK Sustainability Manager. Facility Manager, sees these and other rial],” said Walter M. Davis, UTM Recycle
benefits: Coordinator. “Years pass between our
UTK is one of the few large universities raw materials and the finished compost
to offer a robust composting program, “The City of Franklin has not had to product.”
proving that institutional composting, buy soil for their projects since 2009. We
with the right partners, is possible for can take an undesirable soil and blend it The finished compost is used around
Tennessee. with our compost to make a good quality the community and on campus. Dr.
product. The Parks Department utilizes Paula M. Gale, Professor of Soil Science
City of Franklin’s yard waste our compost for their flower beds and top at UTM, said, “the composting opera-
composting dressing. The Stormwater Division in the tions on our campus have helped us divert
Street Department uses our mix of com- waste streams, create a free and useable
The City of Franklin has diverted over post and soil to help stabilize banks and soil amendment, and most importantly
25,000 tons of material from the landfill [for] erosion control.” serve as a teaching tool for our students at
since opening its yard waste composting UTM.”
facility in 2008. The operation has plans to expand to in-
clude biosolids and wood chips at a larger Tennessee should see a statewide expan-
Franklin has a lot of trees, many of facility, but will continue to use existing sion of composting over the next five years
which were planted in the 1990s as Frank- infrastructure. as these four trailblazers lead by example.
lin became a popular residential commu-
nity. These trees have grown to be large
Above: Steam rising off windrows at Franklin’s compost facility. Adequate heating ensures View online at tnpublicworks.com 7
that finished product contains no pathogens or fertile seeds. Photo courtesy City of Franklin.
Right: Taking the compost temperature at UT Martin. Adequate heating ensures that finished
product contains no pathogens or fertile seeds. Photo courtesy of UTM.
chemistry of the compost process, and the help deal with a huge amount of leaf litter. Martin’s cafeteria food waste
grounds department supplies leaf litter composting
and woody debris to serve as the biofilter. Two city employees oversee the com-
posting in a set of 10 windrows that each The University of Tennessee at Martin
Since the composting area is shaded, hold 4,000 cubic yards of material. They (UTM) has been composting cafeteria
compost typically sits for more than 120 go through two sets of 10 windrows per food scraps for a long time – since 1991.
days. After that, it is used on the campus year. In 2008 the City processed over 1,900 The program was envisioned by Dennis
grounds and at several student-run tons of yard waste, which has risen to Kosta, UTM Custodial Manager, who was
gardens where it provides a good example more than 4,400 tons in 2014. used to composting in his native Wiscon-
of a closed loop food system. sin.
Diverting this material from the landfill
In fiscal year 2010, UTK composted 73 from 2009 to 2014 has saved the City Four or five 55-gallon barrels are com-
tons of organic material. Five years later $711,312. Franklin also sells the finished posted on the University farm each day.
they’re composting 1,143 tons. compost at $20/yard, and has made The food scraps are covered with bedding
$35,000 in sales since 2011. This revenue and manure from the campus agricultural
“Beyond the emotional desire to be a is used to pay for equipment, equipment operation which helps to expedite the
steward of our local environment, the maintenance, and the annual composting compost process.
composting program at UTK brings us permit, which means that these costs don’t
one step closer to our carbon neutrality come out of the City budget. “It’s really simple, the hard part is get-
date of 2016, set forth within the Climate ting food into the barrels and from there
Action Plan for the campus,” says Preston Todd King, City of Franklin Compost it’s just up to the tractor [to turn the mate-
Jacobsen, UTK Sustainability Manager. Facility Manager, sees these and other rial],” said Walter M. Davis, UTM Recycle
benefits: Coordinator. “Years pass between our
UTK is one of the few large universities raw materials and the finished compost
to offer a robust composting program, “The City of Franklin has not had to product.”
proving that institutional composting, buy soil for their projects since 2009. We
with the right partners, is possible for can take an undesirable soil and blend it The finished compost is used around
Tennessee. with our compost to make a good quality the community and on campus. Dr.
product. The Parks Department utilizes Paula M. Gale, Professor of Soil Science
City of Franklin’s yard waste our compost for their flower beds and top at UTM, said, “the composting opera-
composting dressing. The Stormwater Division in the tions on our campus have helped us divert
Street Department uses our mix of com- waste streams, create a free and useable
The City of Franklin has diverted over post and soil to help stabilize banks and soil amendment, and most importantly
25,000 tons of material from the landfill [for] erosion control.” serve as a teaching tool for our students at
since opening its yard waste composting UTM.”
facility in 2008. The operation has plans to expand to in-
clude biosolids and wood chips at a larger Tennessee should see a statewide expan-
Franklin has a lot of trees, many of facility, but will continue to use existing sion of composting over the next five years
which were planted in the 1990s as Frank- infrastructure. as these four trailblazers lead by example.
lin became a popular residential commu-
nity. These trees have grown to be large
Above: Steam rising off windrows at Franklin’s compost facility. Adequate heating ensures View online at tnpublicworks.com 7
that finished product contains no pathogens or fertile seeds. Photo courtesy City of Franklin.
Right: Taking the compost temperature at UT Martin. Adequate heating ensures that finished
product contains no pathogens or fertile seeds. Photo courtesy of UTM.
