STA Price Increases

The fees for the STA Program keep the program strong. We have heard you, that you are looking for greater services from this program. To accommodate this, greater funding is needed for this STA Program. These fees pay for staff time to administrate the program, create marketing materials for you, as well as maintain and upgrade technology. Below includes more about what the program fees are used for, as well as see the new fee structure. Thank you for understanding that greater funding is needed to increase the services we offer you for this compost product marketing program, the STA Program.

This includes:

• Staff and contractors managing the Compost Analysis Proficiency (CAP) lab testing program. This includes hiring a new role - lab assessor.
• Staff oversight of enforcing testing, permits and renewal rules. We expect the new Gateway database to greatly speed this up.
• Staff collaborating with the STA Advisory Committee (STACC) to tighten up the STA Program requirements and day-to-day maintenance.
• External contractor contributing their expertise to the STAAC, which started in 2020.
• Staff time to process new applications.
• Staff collaborating with the Market Development Committee to create valuable marketing materials for you to use.
• Contracting with Joe Lamp’L of PBS’s Growing a Greener World to create marketing videos on compost use.
• Contractor creating a custom database for the STA Program, and maintaining that technology, which started fall 2020.
• External contractor representing the USCC’s and composting industry’s interests at the American Association of Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO).

These STA fees have not increased in four years. However, as in all our businesses, costs required to maintain, improve, and grow the program have increased. The USCC Board voted to increase the STA fees this year. With more funding provided through fees, the STA program will be able to provide better services to you.

We are raising the STA participant fee by $100 for the first product for all large facilities who are also USCC Members. This affects 157 companies.

USCC Member prices for STA Participation are now:

• Regular Sized Facility: $750
• Small Sized Facility: $400
• Additional Products: $400
• Derivative Products: $100 *program under revision to offer separate costs and benefits for alternate naming, alternate sizes, and blended products

Non-USCC Member prices for STA Participation are now:

• Regular Sized Facility: $1,050
• Small Sized Facility: $450
• Additional Products: $450
• Derivative Products: $100 *program under revision to offer separate costs and benefits for alternate naming, alternate sizes, and blended products

We will now increase the Non-USCC Member fees, to have a USCC Member discount of $300 for Regular Sized Facilities to join the STA Program. This incentivizes more facilities to support the growth of the composting industry through their USCC Membership. This affects 11 regular-sized facilities and 4 small facilities.

The fee changes also reduce confusion as there used to be a fee difference between Small Sized Facilities and Additional Products.

Thank you for understanding that greater funding is needed to increase the services we offer you for this compost product marketing program, the STA Program. For any questions, please contact STA Program Manager and Market Development Coordinator Hilary Nichols at hnichols@compostingcouncil.org.