Is Findlay Market licensed to compost?
YES! Findlay Market is licensed through the Ohio EPA as a Class 2 Composting Facility.
Does water need to be added to the bucket while collecting at home?
If a household was backyard composting and managing the process from beginning to end, then the answer would be yes, at times water would be necessary to add. However, as a participant in the Findlay Market Composting Program, each household is acting as a collection station that will be added to a larger bin. Water does not need to be added to the individual buckets. Findlay Market staff monitors the large composting bins by checking the temperature each week. Bulking agent or water is added if the compost material calls for it.
Can paper towels or coffee filters be included in the food waste bucket? Why or why not?
Paper towels and coffee filters should not be added to composting buckets at Findlay Market. The Ohio EPA and the Cincinnati Health Department deems these items as “foreign objects” inside composting bins; this can affect Findlay Market’s licensing.
Paper towels, coffee filters, and other paper products are considered “foreign objects” because they take significantly more time to decompose than food waste. They remain solid pieces of waste when all other items are decomposed. Because we exclude these objects from our bins, we are able to process our compost more quickly.
If a household was managing a backyard composting setup, then paper towels and coffee filters would be allowed. Unbleached coffee filters and paper towels are better in compost than bleached versions. This is due to their chemical makeup. Paper towels and coffee filters take a longer to decompose, even in backyard composting.
What does Findlay Market do with the completed compost product?
The completed compost product is distributed throughout the landscape of the Findlay Market District in order to green the Market District.
Hopefully, by next spring, completed compost will be for sale in the Farmers Market Shed and online. Batches of completed compost require testing before any sales can take place, so Findlay Market is currently working on the process.
Why does Findlay Market not accept meat or dairy food waste?
It is true that dairy and meat food waste are compostable. However, because of the chemical complexity of the waste, dairy and meat take a longer time to decompose than plant waste.
In addition, the chance for “bad” bacteria contamination is higher when adding in meat or dairy food waste. Good bacteria helps the decomposition process go faster and break materials down, but bad bacteria can cause exposure to disease if the finished compost is spread across landscapes.
What is the difference between an industrial composting facility and the composting facility at Findlay Market?
The composting bins at Findlay Market are a few steps above backyard composting because the temperature is better managed and maintained due to the structure of the bins. Findlay Market is a commercial composting facility, but we aren’t considered an “industrial facility.”
Industrial composting facilities use equipment that adds high levels of heat and a higher concentration of bacteria. Under those conditions, decomposition can occur at a faster rate and tougher materials like compostable foodware can break down.
The composting bins at Findlay Market are much more manual. They do not produce heat, but rather manage and maintain the heat naturally produced by the decomposition process.
Why does Findlay Market NOT take compostable foodware?
The majority of compostable foodware is made of plant-derived resin that is tougher and requires a higher temperature and bacterial level than a facility like Findlay Market can produce.
Similar to backyard composting, Findlay Market can only accommodate products made from plant material.
In addition, the Ohio EPA requires all compostable foodware that is added to any Class 2 Composting Facilities to meet ASTM D6400 or D6868 compostability standards, including those displaying the Biodegradable Products Institute's "Compostable Logo”.
Where should someone take the compostable foodware since Findlay doesn’t accept it?
The Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub accepts compostable cutlery and food packaging. Their location is 911 Evans Street, Cincinnati OH, 45204.
What is a bulking agent (or “brown material”)?
Brown materials (aka bulking agents) are low in nutrients, but absorb moisture, create more air space, and add texture and structure to the compost. They give the compost more of a “mulchy” consistency. Examples of brown material include wood chips, sawdust, shredded newspaper, and shredded cardboard.