Community Hospital Anderson Food Waste Composting Feasibility Study

Background:

Food-related waste is a major contributor to disposed municipal solid waste, and is the
largest component of municipal solid waste that is landfilled​1​. Hospitals contribute substantially
to the waste stream and food waste comprises 10-15% of total hospital waste​2​. An estimated
4-10% of commercial food purchases, including by hospital kitchens, becomes food waste before
reaching a consumer and an average of 30% of food purchases becomes post-consumer plate
waste​3,4​. Food waste can be estimated as up to 450 pounds of food waste per day for a hospital
the size of Community Hospital Anderson​2​.
Waste reduction plans help to divert materials from the waste stream. These diversions
include source reduction, food recovery and donation (to food pantries, soup kitchens, etc.),
scrap recovery and donation (for animal feed), industrial utilization of food waste (for generation
of biofuel or renewable energy), or composting​5​. An ideal waste reduction plan would utilize
several different avenues to decrease total waste production, though any reduction in waste
generation or removal can have a sizable financial impact. While food waste makes up the
largest percentage of solid waste, it is also one of the least recycled materials. In 2017, only 6.3%
of food waste generated was composted, substantially less than recycled steel (73.1%) and paper
and paperboard (73.3%)​1​.
Community Hospital Anderson does not have a specific food waste reduction plan in
place. Indiana, and Anderson specifically, lacks much of the required infrastructure for food and
scrap reclamation and food waste composting​6​. It is difficult for facilities interested in food waste
reduction to find organizations that are able to accept recovered food or compostable goods.
While the national average for the food waste portion of total organics composted was 9%,
Indiana falls short with an average of only 2% in 2018​7​.
It is clear that there is room for the development of a food waste composting program,
and Community Hospital Anderson is uniquely positioned to provide such a service. Since 2018,
Community Hospital Anderson has had a 2-acre working farm on site that grows produce that is
utilized by the hospital kitchen to feed both customers in the cafeteria and patients​8​. Community
Farm currently has an informal yard waste composting system that could be expanded to a
permanent, self-contained composting system for food and yard waste.

Goals:

1. Implement a formal composting system.

 2. Reduce waste sent to landfill by 10% by diverting compostable waste products including
pre- and post-consumer food waste, landscaping yard waste, and compostable paper and
cardboard products.
3. Reduce expenditures related to trash hauling, landscaping (mulch), and Community
Farm.

Composting System Options:

Composting can be done using various systems, including: passive composting, aerated
static piles, windrows, bins, vermicomposting, or in-vessel systems. Passive composting requires
the least maintenance and has the lowest associated cost, but the composting process is very slow
and can produce foul odors​9​. Given the proximity of homes and businesses to the farm, and the
total volume of input, this type of system is not appropriate.
In generated static pile composting, the compost pile is aerated by blowers and pipes
running under the pile​9​. It is a low maintenance system, but it is weather sensitive and can have
insufficient pathogen reduction​9​. Given that the compost will be used to fertilize crops that feed
high risk patients in the hospital and may be distributed to the community, this system is
inadequate.
Winrows are long, narrow compost piles that are turned to maintain an appropriate
temperature and oxygenation level​9​. These systems can accommodate large volumes of input;
however, turning the compost either is labor intensive or requires expensive equipment​9​.
Winrows also can produce foul odors or lead to water contamination (leachate)​9​. Taken together,
this system is not compatible with the needs of Community Hospital Anderson and Community
Farm.
Bin composting allows for faster compost production​9​. They are relatively inexpensive
and low maintenance, but they work best for small amounts of food waste, making this system
incompatible with the hospital’s needs​9​.
Vermicomposting uses worms to produce high-quality composting​9​. The produced
compost can be sold for a premium price; however, the investment in the worms and
infrastructure would be significant​9​. Further, meat products are not consumed by the worms,
which would increase the effort needed to sort the food waste into compostable and
non-compostable bins​9​. While high-quality compost would allow the project to become
sustainable sooner, the increased labor at sorting makes this type of system insufficient.
In vessel composting requires minimal maintenance, particularly if the system is
automated, and is compatible with urban composting, as the vessel itself prevents pests, odor and
water contamination by leachate​9​. In vessel systems are the most flexible type of system for
changes in input volume and can compost virtually any type of organic waste, including meat
and dairy products and agricultural waste (manure)​9​. These systems can be expensive to
establish, but they use less land and labor, and expenses over time are low​9​. For these reasons, in
vessel composting is the ideal type of composting system to meet the needs of Community
Hospital Anderson and Community Farm.

Proposed system:

Green Mountain Technologies produces a fully-automated, self-contained in vessel

composting system by upcycling shipping containers​10​. The Intermodal Earth Flow was designed
to streamline composting by automatically mixing and aerating the compost, while maintaining
consistent moisture and temperature​10,11​. Food and yard wastes along with bulking agents are
continuously loaded into one end of the vessel and the finished product is removed from the
other end after 14-21 days​10,11​. A traveling auger shreds, mixes, aerates, homogenizes, and
transports the waste and stacks the finished product at the unloading end​11​.
The Intermodal Earth Flow is an ideal choice for composting system for Community
Health Anderson and Community Farm because it has a small footprint, can be placed on a
concrete slab on site, and the fully-contained system controls for pests and air and water quality.
Using a repurposed shipping container reduces start up costs and is environmentally
conscientious. The system itself is stainless steel and is insulated, allowing for year-round
composting with a long system lifetime. Operation of the system is simple; the food and yard
wastes are manually loaded into the vessel and the compost is removed with a front end loader.
Community Hospital Anderson is already in possession of a front end loader, further reducing
costs of implementation.
The system is programmed to mix the material 1 to 4 times per day to produce
high-quality, homogenous compost, which can be used immediately as cover mulch by
Community Hospital Anderson grounds. The product can also be cured to produce mature
compost, which can be utilized by Community Farm or bagged and sold to the community.
Additional space will be required for curing of the compost.

Community-level factors:

In Indiana, composting facilities must be registered with the Solid Waste Division of the
Department of Environmental Management. Of the 123 registered facilities, only 13 currently
accept food waste​7​. Registration is valid for 5 years, has no associated fee, and can be renewed
>60 days before expiration​12​. To become a registered composting facility, an application must be
filled out including a detailed description of the composting site and its location, a description of
the estimated end use of composted materials and annual volume processed, procedures for
managing dust, odor, noise, pests, vectors, and pathogens, procedures for storing and disposing
non-compostable materials, and a description of controls to prevent groundwater or surface water
contamination from leachate​12​. Each registered facility must provide an annual summary report​10​.
To determine what requirements and permits are applicable, the Compliance and Technical
Assistance Program of the IDEM can be consulted​13​.
Compostable materials available on site include plant waste from Community Farm,
landscaping waste (cut grass, leaves, and tree and bush trimmings), pre- and post-consumer food
waste from the hospital kitchen, soiled paper waste (napkins, paper towels, compostable to-go
containers), and some cardboard. After the composting system has been implemented using
waste from Community Hospital Anderson and Community Farm, community partnerships (with
schools, restaurants, landscaping businesses, etc.) can be developed in order to acquire additional
yard and food waste for optimal compost generation. While some of the compost produced by
this system can be utilized by Community Farm or on the Community Hospital Anderson
grounds, any excess compost could be bagged and sold to the community or transported in bulk
to businesses.

Site-specific factors:

The composting system can be placed on site, as the farm is greater than 200 feet from
residences​12​. Additionally, proximity to the farm aids in loading and unloading of the
composters, and allows for ease of utilization of product.
Sorting of compostable material will occur at the source. Food waste receptacles can be
strategically placed next to standard trash receptacles in the kitchen and cafeteria. 16-gallon bins
will be used to collect food waste throughout the day. The bin can be used with a compostable
liner, or emptied and washed daily. Food waste receptacles will be emptied into 64-gallon toters
with wheels at minimum at the end of the day.
The employees who will be responsible for waste sorting will receive education on
compostable waste to ensure appropriate separation. The use of color-coded and labeled bins,
and posted signage will assist in separation. Once employees have been trained, there will be
minimal extra time required for sorting. If or when compostable paper products are collected,
more thorough training, including training for consumers, will be required.
The City of Anderson Waste Services collects and composts yard waste, which is made
available to the community. This program does not collect food waste. The quality of the product
is variable as the input is not sorted; compost may contain non-compostable waste such as
plastic. Despite this product being made available to the Anderson community, a market exists
for high-quality compost.

Environmental Impact:

Diverting food waste for composting can have a significant impact on the environment.
Due to the temperature and oxygen levels of landfilled waste, decomposition occurs
anaerobically, releasing methane gas into the atmosphere, while composted food waste produces
carbon dioxide instead​9,14​. Composting food waste can ultimately slow climate change as
methane has 23 times the impact compared to carbon dioxide​15​. Landfilled food waste also
produces leachate, which can contaminate the nearby soil and groundwater when proper
protections are not in place​9,14​.
When food waste is added to yard waste, high-quality compost is produced. Compost can
be used to replenish trace minerals and organic material in the soil and provide nutrients and
microorganisms that are essential for plant growth​14,16​. Further, the addition of compost can
reduce the need for watering, as compost improves water retention​16​. Ultimately,the addition of
compost can improve soil structure and reduce run off.

Projections:

Expenses:
Expenses associated with the implementation of this project include pouring a concrete
slab, the purchase and installation of the composter, and purchase of waste receptacle bins, tools,
etc. Yearly expenses include: operation and maintenance expenses and bags for products, as well
as wages and benefits for an employee to collect food and yard waste, run the composter, and
bag the final product.
Cost of Intermodal Earth Flow: $48,000​17
Concrete pad: $8-10/ft​2​ at 450 ft​2​ (45 ft x 10 ft x 12 inch), $4500​18
Assuming the hospital would pay employee’s wages and benefits for the first few years of the
program, start-up costs would be approximately $55,000.

Food waste and compost estimation:

The generation of food waste can be estimated based on an equation specific to hospitals
by Draper and Lennon​19​. A minimum ratio of carbon (yard and paper waste) to nitrogen (food
waste) sources of 3:1 is required, though the initial mix may require a greater carbon
component​14​. Using the estimated total input, the amount of compost that would be generated can
also be estimated, assuming the final compost will be between 15% and 25% of input weight,
though this value has the potential to be greater, depending on composition of input.
F ood waste (lbs/day) = N of beds x 5.7 meals/bed/day x 0.6 lbs/meal 19
F W (lbs/day) = 85 to 95 x 5.7 x 0.6 = 290 − 325 lbs/day
F W (lbs/year) = 105, 850 − 118, 625 lbs/year
Minimum yard waste and compostable paper or cardboard: 345,000 lbs/year
Compost generated: 67,600 - 116,000 lbs/year

Sales:
 Compost sales can be estimated based on an average of 75,000 pounds of compost
produced per year. The product can be sold in units of cubic feet to the community or in bulk in
cubic yards. Sale price estimated using pricing structures of local and national businesses. Sales
in cubic yards would lead to less labor costs than sales in cubic feet, however these volumes are
more appropriate for businesses rather than community use. Likely a mix of sales of each unit
would be required.
75,000 lbs = 75 y​3​ at $50/y​3​ = $3750
75,000 lbs = 2025 ft​3​ at $5/ft​3​ = $10,125
Between household and bulk sales, an estimated $5000 in revenue will be generated each year.

Waste disposal expenditure reduction:

The reduction in expenditures associated with the collection and disposal of waste can be
approximated based on the estimated food, yard, and paper wastes that will be diverted and an
average cost of $45 per ton for removal and disposal, based on Indiana state average in 2018​20​. If
an assumed 180 tons of food, yard, and paper wastes are diverted from the landfill each year, the
potential savings in waste removal costs is just over $8,000.
180 tons/year x $45/ton = $8,100/year

Assessment of projection:

Between revenue from compost sales and savings in waste expenditures, the start up costs will be
paid off in less than 5 years (51 months).
$55,000/($13,100/year) = 4.2 years

With the addition of community partnerships, the program can recover start-up costs
sooner due to increased compost production and possible sales, and the potential to charge fees
for food or yard waste pickup and necessary infrastructure. Expanding the program to include
community partners will also allow the program to become sustainable. When operating at
maximum capacity, 325-550 tons of compost can be produced each year​10​. When sold entirely in
bulk ($50/y​3​), this amounts to $54,750 each year.

Expenses associated with this project are primarily start-up costs, with the exception of
operating costs (utilities, maintenance, employee wages and benefits). In order to establish a food
waste composting system, financial backing would be essential. Financial support could either
come from the hospital budget, an endowment, or grant. Without this financial support, this
project would not be feasible. The farm itself does not currently have a source of income to cover
these major expenditures. However, if start-up costs were covered by another entity, the
establishment of a food waste composting program would be relatively simple and could be
supported by the infrastructure already in place.
Final determination of feasibility:

While this project does require a significant investment in order to be initiated, the
environmental and financial benefits support the implementation of such a program. Food waste
composting reduces landfilled waste and the formation of methane. The Intermodal system also
specifically prevents air and water contamination that can occur with the decomposition of food
waste, and reuses a retired shipping container.
On-site composting would allow for the use of the finished product on the farm, reducing
expenditures associated with soil amendments. Additionally, the diversion of compostable waste
reduces waste disposal expenditures, making the project economically feasible, provided start-up
costs are covered. For these reasons, if funding can be obtained, this project should be pursued.

References:

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