The Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCCRA) was created in 1990 to manage all types of solid waste in Onondaga County. Today, OCCRA consists of projects to manage recycling initiaves, toxic waste disposal, waste to energy programs, and compost sites. The compost site at Amboy, N.Y., is the largest of its kind in the entire state. In 2016, the site took in over 13 tons of food waste and nearly 54,000 tons of yard and agricultural waste. Since 15% of Onondaga County’s waste is compostable, the facility is making major strides in reducing the county’s impact on the environment. The nutrient dense compost is created through a multi-step process. After the material is dropped off, is it shredded into an easily decomposable size. After shredding, it is mixed into a 3:1 ration of food waste to yard waste. The yard waste, the majority of the mix, is referred to as a bulking agent. Once mixed, the material is transferred into a curing bay. Curing bays are large concrete holding cells where soon-to-be compost is stored while being broken down by microorganisms released from the decomposing material. The compost must maintain a minimum temperature of 131° F according to the U.S. Compost Council, and this temperature is monitored by probes that are inserted into the piles. A computer constantly measures the internal temperatures, and a state of the art oxygenation system ass more or less oxygen to the piles. Traditional composting systems require the piles to be manually rotated in order to keep the microorganisms fueled with oxygen to keep break down of the materials going. OCCRA’s system however, allows the piles to stay oxygenated without the added energy expense of manually moving the bays. After the material sits in a curing bay for roughly 50 days, it is moved to a finishing pile where is will stay for 20 – 30 days. From there, it is sorted one more time. The final sorter removes any non-compostable scraps — like plastic — and also sorts the compost into quarter or half inch sizes. When the final sort is completed, the compost is ready for sale to the public. The nutrient dense is used as a soil additive for homes, parks and other community areas throughout Onondaga County. The site saw a 138% increase in food waste intake form 2015 to 2016, proving that composting on a large scale is starting to take a hold in the county. Thanks to OCCRA’s initiaves, central New York is on its way to being one of the leaders in green programs in the country.
The compsot site as seen from above. OCCRA also has a compost location in Jamesville, NY. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the US Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
The facility received nearly 13 tons of food waste from residential and commercial customers in 2016. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
Much of the site's daily operations consist of moving piles of waste to the next stage of their process to become finished compost. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
Compost in various stages of completion sit in curing bays to break down. The U.S. Compost Council mandates that all compost must maintain a minimum temperature of 131 F, but OCCRA consistently exceeds this standard by striving to keep their compost between 131 F and 180 F. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the US Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
A front end loader drops bulking agent, which consists mostly of shredded yard waste, onto food waste piles to be mixed together before being moved into a curing bay. The facility mixes bulking agent with other waste in a 3:1 ratio. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
Traditional compost sites require the curing bays to be manually rotated in order to introduce fresh oxygen to the microbes working to break down the piles. However, OCCRA's curing bays have a state of the art oxygenation system that utilizes the temperature probes to monitor when the bays are in need of more or less oxygen to aid decomposition. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
Michael K. Wilbur II removes temperature probes from a curing bay in preparation to move its contents. Temperature probes, which are electronically monitored, help ensure the bays are maintaining a temperature consistent with appropriate rates of anaerobic decomposition. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
Shredded compostable material is dropped from the shredder into a pile that will be mixed with shredded food waste before sitting for up to a month in a curing bay. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
The sorter is the final step in the composting process. Compost is passed through the shredder and screened into quarter or half inch sizes. The shredder also acts as a final screening process to sort out any non-compostable materials, such as plastics, before the finished product is sold into the community. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
Plastic that was sorted out of finished compost sits awaiting transport to OCCRA's waste-to-energy facility, where is will be broken down to fuel the surrounding areas of Onondaga County. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
Dale Coccla, the recycling specialist at OCCRA, holds finished compost in his hand. It takes roughly 70 to 90 days to create finished compost. The OCRRA industrial compost facility at Amboy, NY, turns yard and food waste into quarter and half inch, nutrient-dense compost for use in home gardens, public parks, and various outdoor facilities through the Central New York Area. The site is certified through the U.S. Compost Council, and has won numerous awards recognizing its green initiaves.
