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| Home > Resources > Composting > Institutional > On-Site Composting |
On-Site Composting in SaskatchewanComposting in institutional settings is rare in Saskatchewan but we do have some pioneers. The two examples described below show the wide variation of circumstances and solutions that can fall under the umbrella of ‘institutional composting’. Saskatoon ZooThe Saskatoon Zoo was established in 1972 and focuses on prairie animals that are housed in spacious outdoor enclosures. The zoo is part of Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park, a National Historic Site acquired by the City of Saskatoon in 1966. The park’s original role (1913-1964) was to grow and distribute tree seedlings for farm shelter belts. Many years ago, the zoo began accumulating manure and plant material in static piles but there was no active composting. The ’Zoo Poo’ project was initiated in the late 1990s when Larry Mullen, then a local market gardener, asked to buy some of the older decayed material. After discussion, the Park hired Larry with the compost initiative as part of his job. After Larry’s retirement a couple of years ago, Linda Farwell assumed the role of chief composter. The Zoo now has an ongoing program to compost non-carnivore animal wastes and bedding mixed with plant materials from that park as well as other nearby city parks. (The City of Saskatoon grasscycles, so there are relatively few grass clippings). The materials are mixed and arranged in outdoor windrows and turned with front end loaders. Temperature is monitored and water is added if needed. A portion of the finished product is screened, bagged and sold to raise money for zoo projects. The $2,500 raised in 2005 was directed towards a butterfly house. The product is marketed at Gardenscapes, a spring garden trade show, and at a local garden store. A 12 kg. bag sells for $5.00. The remainder is used by the Parks Department. Regional Psychiatric CentreThe Regional Psychiatric Centre (RPC) in Saskatoon is operated by the Correctional Services Canada. It opened in 1978 and is both a penitentiary and a mental health facility. Correctional Services Canada facilities generally have good waste diversion and recycling programs. RPC is an excellent example. Here the program serves the double purpose of reducing waste and providing meaningful work for inmates. The work is considered part of an inmate’s correctional plan. A separate building to accommodate the recycling activities has been built on the grounds. RPC prepares and serves meals on-site, so food waste is a major part of the waste steam. They use a Wright in-vessel system to compost the food waste mixed with other organic wastes. Material is added to the composter in 1000 kg. batch lots every four or five days. At this loading rate, it takes six to eight weeks for a batch to make its way through to the end. The composter stirs the materials and adds air and water. Three probes measure the temperature at different stages of the process. The composter easily achieves the 55°C necessary to kill disease-causing organisms. Controls can be set to prevent overheating. More details about the Wright in-vessel system can be found at www.wrightenvironmental.com. The batch recipe used at RPC is:
The grass is a valued ingredient because it gives a much finer texture to the compost product. RPC has it own shredder, so waste wood can be processed on-site. The woody materials are slow to decompose, thus some coarse compost is introduced to the mix to give it a second chance. The compost is cured for an extended period outdoors before use. (Source: June 2006 WasteWatch)
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