Many of you have heard about the report released this year by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on compostable products and their impact on compost (see Advocacy Bulletin below). There was a lot of discussion at the BioCycle West Coast conference in a panel dedicated to the issue. A formal response from USCC will be forthcoming later this month after it’s adopted by our Board of Directors.
One of the hallmarks of all professional certification programs is the requirement for continuing education as certificants continue to refresh their knowledge of industry advances. All USCC/CCOMs and CCPs must earn 30 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) every three years in order to remain certified.
USCC’s Michigan Chapter, known in the state as the Michigan Organics Council, is making sure organics and composting are part of the discussion at the Michigan Recycling Coalition’s 37th Annual Conference, to be held May 14-16 at the Ann Arbor Sheraton. It is especially timely because Michigan’s legislature established a Renew Michigan Fund at the end of last year to support planning and grants for recycling and organics management projects ( applications for which are due soon).
Check out the newest posts on the Soilbuilders Blog! It's been spiffed up to match the quality of content from our bloggers! The newest pieces from Nellie Brown, Pierce Louis and Evelyn Rhodes will intrigue you.
CCREF and sampling video script developer Andrew Carpenter (Northern Tilth) created a companion guide to accompany the earlier released sampling videos, serving as a field reference for compost facility employees. The final guide is available on the CCREF’s Sampling Video website, where both sampling videos are also available. The guide is offered in two downloadable formats, one a foldable pocket form and the second a larger guide that can be laminated for repeated use.
The Strategic Alliance Committee (SAC) is focusing on efficiency for 2019. Communication between USCC Committees is one of the first areas the group is working on to improve efficiency.
ICAW 2019 is just around the corner. Starting May 5 and running until May 11, people across the country will be recognizing the importance of composting and organics recycling. To learn about what might be going on in your community or to share with others your plans, there is an ICAW events page where you can enter upcoming activities or get ideas on what you can do. Enter your ICAW plans here, and remember to send in photos from your ICAW event to share with everyone else participating in this annual program. Send photos to info@compostfoundation.org.
Susanna Baker, a junior at UWSP, received the Outstanding Achievement in Waste Reduction & Recycling – Student Award from the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin for her work since June 2018 with Rising Sand Organics (RSO). Additionally, senior Chelsea Huckbody, studying Soils and Waste Resources - Waste Management and Geography, received an award from the SWANA Badger chapter for her work at the Village of Weston, Wisc., where she engaged and organized community outreach and events for proper recycling.
The USCC is the national leader in promoting the use of compost. One of the key ways the USCC’s Market Development Committee is expanding and encouraging compost use is by enlisting a national television celebrity as our spokesperson. For the last four years, Joe Lamp’L of PBS’s Growing a Greener World and JoeGardner.com has been representing compost and STA Certified Compost for the USCC.
We're proud to announce all of our new members from February and March!
If you didn’t get to COMPOST2019 to get a copy of USCC member Rhonda Sherman’s new book, The Worm Farmer's Handbook, here’s your chance!
This book, including cover reviews by our own Executive Director Frank Franciosi, is aimed at commercial worm farmers, composters, researchers, community gardeners, colleges, military bases, restaurants, prisons, schools and non-profits. It’s a must-read. And, the first 10 buyers get a signed copy. Click here to buy!
 
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USCC has identified governmental developments of great interest in Oregon, New York, Maryland, Colorado, California, New Jersey and Washington. Click "Learn More" for additional information on all these issues.
CompostNow, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, is one of the nation’s growing group of "community composters." These grassroots organizations help individuals, organizations and food service providers divert compostable waste like food scraps, paper products and coffee grounds from the landfill.
Amid a wave of opinions about the future of recycling, consumer packaging has become a key focal point. Now, a group of leading edge policymakers have found the most foundational terms being used in these conversations may not mean what we think.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Waste Hierarchy illustrates the series of approaches taken to mitigating the impact of food waste. But it is also important to contextualize this problem in light of the most urgent threat to humanity: climate change.
When food goes to waste, so does all the energy, water, and labor it takes to get it on our plates. The New York State Senate included the Food Donation and Food Scrap Recycling Act in their one house budget proposal - taking a critical leadership role in both addressing climate change and getting more food to hungry New Yorkers.
If you’ve thought about training - whether it’s the USCC Conference or the Compost Operations Training Course run by the Composting Council Research and Education Foundation - and acted on it yet, do it now! Various discounts are available to members.
Join us on May 23, 2019 at the 2019 NYC Food Waste Fair, an interactive experience connecting food, beverage and hospitality professionals with the resources and knowledge they need to get to zero food waste. Ticket sales are now open!
The Ground Up has released the latest in a line of products they call My Organic Compost, including the new My Veggie & Herb Soil bag and, as of mid-March, the My Bohemian Pot[ting] Blend bag at independent garden centers.
Full Cycle Bioplastics is a mission-driven startup company. We make biodegradable, compostable plastic alternatives using organic waste. We’re scaling our solution now to contribute significantly to solving the global issues of plastics waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA R4 is soliciting Applications that accelerate solutions or propose innovative ways of capturing, using, and reusing materials. The total funding available for this competitive opportunity is approximately $125,000.
Global Green has been given the opportunity to expand our Eco-Ambassador Program and Food Waste to Biogas Technical Assistance projects for a second year in a row thanks to a SoCal Gas Environmental Champions grant. The key focus of this initiative is to help cities plan and adopt solutions to meet the organics diversion mandates set by California bills AB-1826 and SB-1383.
DSNY, in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOT), is seeking creative solutions for containerized refuse and recycling. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2019.
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Apr 2019
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April 24, 2019; Creskill, NJ
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1
May 2019
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May 1, 2019; Sacramento, CA
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14
May 2019
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May 14-16, 2019; Ann Arbor, MI
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23
May 2019
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May 23, 2019; Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, NY
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10
Jun 2019
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June 10-12, 2019; Indianapolis, IN
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18
Jun 2019
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June 18, 2019; Asheboro, NC
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25
Jun 2019
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June 25-26, 2019; University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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30
Jun 2019
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June 30-July 3, 2019; Fort Collins, CO
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5
Aug 2019
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Aug. 5-9, 2019; Ithaca, NY
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26
Oct 2019
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October 26-27, 2019; Raleigh, NC
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From the Top of the Pile
