Prairieland Compost Facility

Process Used at the Prairieland Facility

What is Composting?

Backyard compost piles are familiar to many people. Usually, they consist of leaves, grass clippings, orange peels, etc., slowly turning into rich soil. This is undoubtedly the oldest form of recycling known to man. Composting transforms organic items that are no longer needed into something of value. However, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) composting is a relatively new method of managing our garbage.

MSW composting is similar in many ways to backyard composting. But MSW composting possesses several significant advantages over traditional composting. Most importantly, it can make use of a much broader range of household wastes, including paper and wood products. In addition, MSW composting is much faster than backyard composting. This is because MSW composting uses a mechanical process that includes shredding of the waste and closely monitoring its condition while it is composting. MSW composting greatly accelerates the process of turning organic garbage into a soil-like materials called "humus".

Because of these advantages, MSW composting can play an important role in managing our solid waste. At the present time, the Prairieland Compost Facility utilizes 60 - 70% of the solid waste generated in the counties, that would normally go to a landfill, thereby turning today's refuse into a useable product!

Compost has beneficial properties for growing plants. It helps retain moisture while allowing good drainage. Nutrients are better able to cling to composted soil particles, so the need for chemical fertilizers can be reduced. Roots are able to penetrate deeper, resulting in healthier plant growth. Less fertilizer and better soil penetration reduces fertilizer run-off into rivers and streams.

This valuable product has many uses. It can be used in home and commercial landscaping, on farm fields and for livestock bedding.

How is Compost Made?

MSW compost is made through a process known as biodegradation or decomposition, aided by mechanized controls.

Garbage trucks deliver the collected waste,
both household and business, directly to the tipping floor.

The collected waste is pushed onto a conveyor belt by a front-end loader.
A member of the production team monitors the waste to eliminate pieces
of waste which would damage the composting equipment.

The conveyor belt delivers the waste to a grinder, which resembles a large cement mixer.
This grinder shreds the waste to a uniform size and consistency.

The shredded compost passes through a large tube shaped area which facilitates metal recovery.
It also passes through a screening process to remove plastic and glass.

The compost is placed in windrows and a wheel turns the compost at a very slow rate to help the process of biodegradation and to keep the odors to a minimum. Here temperature, moisture and oxygen content are monitored closely to maximize efficiency and rate of biodegradation. Much of the work in the decomposition, which is taking place here, is done by aerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria are small organisms that need oxygen to survive. These organisms break down the collected garbage and convert it into the soil-like material we call compost. During the composting process, the bacteria generate heat. At times, the temperature in the compost can reach well over 140 degrees Fahrenheit. At the elevated temperature (133 - 170 degrees Fahrenheit), Thermophilic Bacteria thrives. The temperature needs to stay above 131 degrees for two weeks for pathogen destruction.

The compost, which looks like soil, is then placed in another larger building to further cure the compost and
wait for it to be shipped to a location where it can be used. Here the temperature starts dropping to an ambient
temperature of 50 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, where Mesophilic Bacteria thrive.
The entire process from collection to finished product takes approximately 120 days.