Erik Martig of LA Compost Los Angeles, California

1. Small-Scale Compost Systems

2. What is small-scale in California?
Excluded tier:
• No more than 100cy of compostable material on site at any given time
• No more than 750sf
• Vermiculture is excluded at any scale, considered agriculture
750
square
feet

3. Elysian Valley Community Garden Northeast LA
Browns storage
~20cy
Active Windrow
~5cy
Curing pile
~5cy
3-bin and worm-bin

5. Windrow Process: Receiving
• Browns are delivered by local arborists
• 10cy of browns per month
• Greens are delivered in bins by community partners, LA Kitchen
• 6,200lbs per month of greens

6. Windrow Process: Layering
• Bottom layer is always browns, 4-6 inches deep
• Green layers 2-3 inches deep, spread evenly
• Top layer is always browns plus unscreened cured compost if available

7. Windrow Process: Turning
Material Flow
New
Old
• Material flows in one direction
• Prevents raw material mixing with older material
• One continous pile reduces footprint
• Curing pile is detached and monitored separately

8. Windrow Process: Cover + Monitor

9. Community Managed Hub
epm
“IN”
“COOK” “CURE”
Material Flow
Community
drop-off
Community
garden
• Each bin is 1cy volume
• 1cy of mixed material weighs 800-900lbs
• “In-box” fills up in 2-3 weeks
• Occasionally light on browns (drop-off participants forget to add browns)

10. Community Managed Hub

11. Build-it-Green!Compost
Site Location
06/05/2013
BIG!Compost site
location.
Queensboro
Bridge
(overhead)
Queens
Plaza
South
(at
grade)
Subway
tunnels
(below
grade)
41st
Rd
Medium Scale in NYC
Registration tier:
• Less than 1,000cy/year of food scraps
• Grey area...What’s the bulk density of food scraps? 1,200lbs?
• 1,000cy x 1,200lbs = 1.2 million pounds = 600 tons

12. Build-it-Green!Compost
Site Inventory
Scale 1”=20’ North
06/05/2013
Notes:
Agreed site boundaries with DPR.
Approximately 12,000 SF.
Existing guard-rail
Existing storage container
for Land Restoration
Project (LRP)
Existing concrete blocks;
unknown owner
Bridge edge line overhead

13. Build-it-Green!Compost
Proposed Operational Zones
Scale 1”=40’
06/05/2013
Notes:
Site rests between >100’ to over
200’ from closest residential
building.
Closest residential
building
Phase 1 (mixing;
active stage)
Phase 2 (mesophilic
stage)
Phase 3 (curing
stage; sifting)
~100’
~150’
~200’

14. Build-it-Green!Compost
Operation Layout
Scale 1”=20’ North
06/05/2013
Notes:
Mixing and active composting
to be located furthest from
residential neighbors in Zone 1.
Receiving and
mixing hoop house
Phase 2; material
arrives at this
face after it has
been harvested
from Phase 1
Phase 3 curing and
sifting
Sifting space,
kept clear
Plant buffer
Proposed storage
container
Product storage
Existing concrete
blocks relocated
in planting buffer
Contact signage
Zone1Zone2Zone3
Leaf silos; carbon
storage
Phase 1; all
incoming material
is added to leading
face
Aeration manifold
pipes

15. Site Condition Before Registration

16. Registered Facility

17. Core Equipment
• Vertical Auger Mixer (Jay-Lor)
• Skid-steer (Case 430)
• Gore cover (Sustainable Generation)