Abbotsford, British Columbia: Double Cover At Composting Facility

BioCycle August 2013, Vol. 54, No. 8, p. 12

A new composting facility in Abbotsford is receiving approximately 10,000 tons/year organic materials from the City of Abbotsford’s recently implemented source separated organics collection program, which includes yard trimmings, residential food waste and commercial organics from restaurants and grocery stores. Net Zero Waste Abbotsford (NZWA) designed the facility, which it owns and operates. It is permitted for 40,000 tons/year, providing capacity as Abbotsford’s and regional curbside organics collection increases. The program is currently being expanded to include a wide range of businesses, schools and other municipal and agriculturally generated organics. Tipping, shredding and Phase 1 active composting take place within a fully-enclosed fabric building. NZWA utilizes a bunker wall design with GORE® Cover technology. “The regulators preferred we start the process inside under cover to maximize control of the moisture and leachate,” explains Mateo Ocejo, president of NZWA. “One advantage is that employing the GORE technology within the building reduces the emission loading on the biofilter, providing operational cost savings to our facility.” The building uses a 3,000 sq. ft. biofilter, mainly to scrub emissions from the tipping and mixing floor.

Phase 2 of the composting process, which includes curing, maturation, screening and storage, are completed outdoors on a paved surface. “Our master plan for the facility includes a significant demonstration garden and a waste heat energy recapturing system which will pull heat generated during the composting process through an in-slab piping and distribution system,” adds Ocejo. “This system will be used to heat greenhouses and the already in-place farm barns that are located on the same property and were previously used as part of a commercial hog farm.” Compost will be sold for gardening, landscaping, athletic field application and other end uses.