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 From the Top of the Pile
I want to bring to your attention the significance of participating in our Compost Industry Study. Our industry is growing, and we have not had accurate metrics to evaluate both the environmental impact and the economic impact that we have in the US. The time is now to participate in this critical study. Every Compost Manufacturer needs to be counted to move our industry forward, we need to understand where we are currently and what our potential impact can be in the future. As a compost manufacturer member, you will be receiving email correspondence see details below.
From: sboxman@erefdn.org via SurveyMonkey | member@surveymonkeyuser.com
Subject Line: Tell Us About your Compost Facility!
Date: This email should arrive on Monday, November 15
This past summer the USCC and the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) began the process of undertaking a critical step in advancing the Compost Industry. This project will be the first-ever in-depth study of commercial composting. This has been made possible by the underwriting of members and the Corporate Compost Leadership Council. The EREF will be facilitating the study, which will gather data that ranges from facility throughput, compost volume sold, employee headcount and other downstream financial impacts of the industry, to the current state of practice regarding equipment types, tipping fees, feedstock types and technologies.
USCC NEWS
By Leslie Lukacs
California compost pioneer and visionary, Will Bakx passed away peacefully surrounded by his life partner Claire Victor, son Xander Bakx, step-daughter Ariana Victor and close friends on Saturday, November 6, 2022.
Will Bakx grew up in the Netherlands and moved to California in 1979. He started composting in 1982 at Sonoma State University as student manager of the Ecological Food Production Garden. In 1985, he launched Bennett Valley Farm Compost, processing various agricultural and fish industry discards. In 1993 he started the Sonoma county-wide yard debris composting program as Sonoma Compost Company (SCC). Will was an experienced soil scientist with a demonstrated history of organics resource recovery, creating healthy soils, carbon farming and a leader in the industry. He has diverted over 2,000,000 tons of organics from the landfill, creating high quality mulches and composts allowed for organic food production, including biodynamic® composts.
We are in the final testing phase on the new STA gateway and very close to launching for 2021 STA Program participation and renewal. If you are a participant in the STA Program, you will receive a detailed email, as well as be invited to a webinar to walk you through using the new technology for the renewal process. In the meantime, please review the linked new 2021-22 STA Agreement and the new 2021-22 Consumer Compost Use Program (CCUP) Agreement documents.
We have updated our definition of compost, rules for committees reviewing test results, tightened the program with fraud penalties, adjusted our new applicant proration structure, and added an optional fast-track fee for new applicants. Before you log into the new system, have your current production quantities, feedstock percentages, and any updates to your directions for use ready. Note that you should be keeping all regulatory permits up to date with STA staff throughout the year, and this will be necessary before you renew. Please have your current permitting and documentation ready before you log into the new system. Also note that we have increased the annual fees for the program for the first time in five years. If you have any questions regarding these agreements, please contact Hilary Nichols, our Market Development Coordinator & STA Program Manager, and she will provide you with the answers you need. We are looking forward to launch!
The USCC’s Town Hall on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion drew 45 attendees and 103 registrants and has resulted in six people so far who want to work on the issue in a newly formed group, The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Working Group.
The meeting began with polls, and a sampling of the results are here:
The compost industry is supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion
· 10 Disagree
· 35 Agree
My organization's culture is supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion
· Strongly Disagree 2
· Disagree 2
· Agree 19
· Strongly Agree 14
· No Opinion 1
COMPOST2022 will be the ONE and ONLY national assembly of organics recycling professionals this year. Don't miss this opportunity to network with industry thought leaders.
COMPOST2022 will have a powerful lineup of compost manufacturing industry speakers. More than 100 speakers will share their expertise and send you home with the latest information. Texas State University Soil Scientist Nicole Wagner, will talk about soil microbial activity. Compost business minds like Michael Stevens from WeCare Denali will discuss acquisitions and selling your business. Brenda Platt, of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, discusses why your business can’t afford to ignore data and analytics. With our incredible lineup of speakers, workshops, tours, equipment, and exhibitors you really cannot afford to miss this conference. Early Bird Ending
USCC members have been upping their advocacy game! Along with the work our Chapters and other members are doing, we now have 20 members who have signed up for our new Advocate membership since it opened this summer. With many statehouses going into session in January, this is an opportunity to hear the best ways to advocate for composting from members, an environmental lobbyist and the Maryland delegate who sponsored the state’s recently passed organics diversion law. Come away with new insight into state policy!
Contact 
ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC POLICY BRIEFS
USCC unveiled a new suite of web pages this month that provides more user tools for members and composting advocates and organizes top composting issues for easier navigation.
The pages, which can be found at www.compostingcouncil.org/advocacy, will help advocates and visitors find information about state regulations and legislation more easily; provides guides on how to be better advocates and easy access to background on the most pressing issues facing composting. The revamped site meets member requests for more information to improve their ability to lobby for composting in their areas and nationwide.
A toolkit (find it here) provides sample letters to the editor and language about the importance of composting. It can be used in testifying in favor of compost facilities or programs. There is also a tip sheet on recommendations on testifying virtually and an “advocacy tracking form” so USCC can keep up with advocacy efforts.
For state issues, visitors can find resources under a section devoted to states, which is where most compost issues are regulated. The sections focused on “hot issues”, namely persistent herbicides and perfluoroalykl substances (PFAS), as well as extended producer responsibility and infrastructure development, consolidates resources on these issues.
Watch this video to get a quick tour.
Anticipating that a number of bills will again be introduced putting Extended Producer Responsibility – a method of tapping product manufacturers to pay for costs of product disposal/recycling – the Legislative and Environmental Affairs Committee has appointed an EPR Task Force to determine proactive strategies to ensure positive impacts on composting.
The task force, made up of LEAC Chair Neil Edgar; Jeanette Hanna, BASF, David Fridland, Eco-Products, Laurie Hansen, Strategic Partners Group, Gary Robinson, TIPA, Janet Thoman, Compost Manufacturing Alliance, Rhodes Yepsen, BPI and staff Linda Norris-Waldt and Hessa Al Maghlouth, staff, is working to meet and/or serve as a resource to legislators who are introducing EPR bills to understand the position of compost manufacturers. Many of last years’ bills (including bills that passed in Maine and Oregon), included compostable products in those on which fees will be assessed, but did not clearly designate any funds for the composting industry that must grow to support them.
STATE CHAPTER NEWS
This month, chapters and USCC’s membership team are on a quest for new members to boost the chapters’ human and financial resources. The theme is COMPOST IS LOCAL, because so much work is done by our 13 chapters (see where they are here).
New members who come through the work of the Chapters, who are sharing social media posts, eblasts, and calling potential members, are being offered a 15% discount through November 19. Chapters earn 20% from the USCC for every member who joins in their state (10% for renewing members).
Chapters are competing for prizes they can give away as a member incentive:
1st prize= 2 nights’ hotel at COMPOST2022 (drawing-one chapter wins if they recruit 10 members, five of whom are bronze or higher)
2nd prize=1 preconference workshop at COMPOST2022 (drawing-one chapter wins if they recruit five members, 3 of whom are bronze or higher)
3rd prize= $100 USCC gift certificate (use for store, conference etc.) to each chapter who recruits at least three new members.
Let the Games begin!!!
Hear what’s happening in the composting arena, from understanding its value to addressing challenges and more!
Ohio Organics Council
2021 Annual Meeting and Conference
Friday, November 12 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Nationwide & Farm Bureau 4H Center, OSU Campus, Columbus, Ohio
In-person and virtual options
 We invite you to peruse the November Chapter Bulletin to see what USCC Chapters are working on!
Check it out here!
The North Carolina Composting Council presents U.S. Farm Bill/Compost Act Legislation Education Mashup. Get the 411 on the time-honored omnibus Farm Bill, learn about the brand new Compost Actin need of co-sponsors in Congress, and pick up tools to take action.
Do you care about compost and its benefits, but are concerned about the lack of collection, hauling and creation infrastructure? Do you envision safe, stable and available food systems that lead all farms, farmers and communities to thrive? Do you wish you were more inspired and confident to reach out to legislators to influence their decisions, and the future?
YOUNG PROFESSIONALSThe Emerging Composter Challenge is an annual business pitch/poster competition, open to young professionals looking to showcase their businesses and research within the composting, compostable products, and organics recycling space. Applicants from college students to any business (that meets requirements) that recycles or supports the recycling of organics are encouraged to apply!
Volunteer committee is looking for volunteers to help with volunteer project at Austin, Texas, during COMPOST2022 conference. If you are planning on in attending the conference, please contact Jana Pearce to participate in the project. Project date, time and location is to be decided.
The popular YP networking event happens every month on the first Thrusday of the month. Grab a drink, relax and chit chat with a fun group. YPHH is on December 2 from 7 to 8 p.m. ET. Contact Coryanne Mansell and Leilani Ching to know more about YP happy hour.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 856 0759 6445
Passcode: YPG2021
Greg Mankowski CCOM is a young professional participating in the USCC Young Professionals Group (YPG). He attended Compost Operator Training Course and is a Certified Opperations Manager through USCC professional certification program.
He oversees the Organicycle composting site in Michigan. Mankowski attended the Michigan Recycling Conference and promoted composting along with Michigan Organics Council - Michigan State Chapter. He is actively engaged in composting industry and would like to invest his available time with the upcoming young professional through YP program.
Sashti Balasundaram from We Radiate is one of the finalist for Grow-NY Summit, Food & Agriculture Competition (https://www.grow-ny.com) happening in Syracuse Nov. 16-17. Top prizes for pitch competition $250k, $500k, $1Million. Wish We Radiate Good luck!!! To Register for the same virtual or in-person event follow the link https://cvent.me/vwaYK3 . Virtual tickets free & in-person use code: HALF [Agenda - WeRadiate pitching Nov 17 at 11:15am EST]
In 2020 Sashti and We Radiate won the USCC Young Professionals/CCREF COMPOST 2020 Poster and Pitching Competition.
MEMBER NEWS
The 2021 Organics Recycler of the Year Award also went to Waste Management. Waste Management’s current organics recycling program manages more than 3.5 million tons of material annually across 44 organics recycling facilities in the U.S., including 38 mulch and composting operations, four CORe food waste processing plants, and two new advanced facilities that employ state-of-the-art technologies to extract organics from the waste stream.
Vancouver, British Columbia – October 21, 2021 – Evanesce®, a sustainable technology innovator driven to accelerate the adoption of sustainable and economically viable packaging solutions, today opens its first U.S. production facility in Hampton County, South Carolina. With the launch, the company not only hits a milestone in its global expansion plans but also addresses the worldwide shortage of eco-friendly Polylactic Acid (PLA) products due to overseas shipping delays. By ushering production into the U.S., Evanesce is set to truly disrupt the packaging industry by producing price competitive, 100% plant-based and 100% compostable single-use products including straws, cutlery, and take-out containers.
OAKLAND, CA - Today, nonprofit organizations Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and Clean Production Action (CPA) unveiled the GreenScreen Certified™ Standard for Food Service Ware. The groundbreaking certification program sets a new safety standard for everyday items like disposable plates and bowls that do not contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) plus thousands of other chemicals of concern. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they take thousands of years to break down in the environment and can cause cancer, thyroid disease, birth defects, hormone disruption, decreased fertility, and other serious health issues.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – November 4, 2021 – Morbark, LLC, debuted the Rayco 4000AWL Articulated Wheel Loader at the TCI Expo in Indianapolis, IN. The company also offered an overview of additional equipment within the Morbark, Boxer, Denis Cimaf, and Rayco brands that complement the equipment needs of tree care professionals.
"At Morbark, we are focused on continually providing new products and product improvements that meet our customers' needs and help them succeed in their businesses," said Jason Showers, Morbark Director of Tree Care Products. "The new 4000AWL articulated wheel loader is in direct response to our customer's requests and feedback for higher capacity, with cost and labor-saving tool options."
Content Password: 4000AWL
RFPS AND PROPOSALS
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is accepting applications for grant funding to help expand or improve recycling and composting programs across the state.
According to a news release from MPCA, the agency plans to award about $1 million to help counties, cities, townships or tribal communities reduce the amount of waste entering landfills by establishing best practices to reuse more materials and make recycling or composting programs more efficient and effective. MPCA says the proposals for these grants must include projects that are locally administered, have an educational component with measurable outcomes and include one or more of the following elements:
OPPORTUNITIES, JOBS AND GRANTS
Get your hands on the latest in compost and sustainability jobs by taking a look at the job postings from our member organizations on our website. Plus, your membership gives you the benefit of posting jobs on our Career Center for free. It's easy, so why not take advantage of it?
How to post a job on the USCC website: Step 1: In your membership account go to Account Settings Step 2: Click Content & Features Step 3: Submit an Opening Have questions? Contact Gowri Sundaram at gsundaram@compostingcouncil.org. CREF NEWS
CREF is offering a new training focused on Compost Manufacturing Safety. It will be held December 8th from 8am – 4pm (EST). This daylong, online training will assemble leading composting workplace safety professionals to explain potential hazards at composting sites and teach proper health and safety management throughout the compost manufacturing process. This training will meet the annual training requirements for licensed Maryland compost operators and qualifies for six professional development hours. Learn more: https://www.compostingcouncil.org/event/CompostSafety
After many years and many people dedicating countless hours, particularly the editor Robert Rynk, the new book The Composting Handbook is going to be published very soon. Many know Robert Rynk’s earlier book, The On-Farm Composting Handbook. This new book, being published by Elsevier, is going to be a how-to and why manual for farm, municipal, institutional and commercial composters. It will be a single guide to the science, principles and best practices of composting. CREF is proud to be a part of this new publication and excited that it will be available for sale by early 2022.This publication will be available in paperback and digital options. Details about how to purchase will be publised soon.
IN THE HEADLINES
Chattanooga’s curbside recycling program got some attention over the summer due to a temporary suspension resulting from a driver shortage.
Although the curbside recycling program is set to resume November 1st, after a pay increase for drivers outlined in the most recent budget, today the city and local entrepreneurs got together to discuss ways to improve Chattanooga’s recycling and waste management systems.
That was the focus of Tuesday’s Sustainability and Recycling Pitch & Pilot Competition, a Chattanooga startup week event hosted at the Waterhouse Pavilion in Miller Park.
SONORA, Calif., Oct. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Diestel Family Ranch's Pasture-Raised Whole Turkey has won Good Housekeeping's 2021 Sustainable Innovation Awards in the smarter, healthier food and kitchen category. A key part of the fourth-generation family farm's regenerative agricultural practices, these birds are raised with the freedom to forage on Diestel's holistic farm and feature tender, juicy, full-bodied flavor.
Upcoming Events
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The COMPOST2022 Tradeshow currently 80% SOLD OUT. Just 23 booths left available and only one premium equipment display booth left. COMPOST2022 will allow you to market to 800 member organizations and potential customers representing more than 2,100 individuals. You will be able to engage with the 900 daily visitors to the trade show. If you are interested in exhibiting at COMPOST2022, now is the time to signup for a booth as they are selling out quickly. 
