Composting with Biochar

The US Biochar Initiative, defines biochar as a…. “fine-grained charcoal made by pyrolysis, the process of heating bio-mass with limited to no oxygen in a specially designed furnace …” This form of carbon has very high surface area, a huge amount of pore space, which allows it absorb odors, and hold onto water, ammonia, and methane.

Composting logistics and challenges

Ideally, in composting you get paid a decent fee to receive, process and create a quality product. But what happens when it doesn’t go quite right ? Maybe you have a solid contract for food waste, but now you’re overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material you need to process in a timely manner. You can only pre-mix and stockpile so much material. If you don’t process it fast enough, you can get tangled in regulatory issues.

This is where biochar comes in. While carbon products have been used for decades to clean up spills and contaminants, using charcoal in composting has been largely ignored. In many cases in the past, carbon was just too expensive. With newer, less expensive sources, it can now provide a lower cost option.

Biochar for composting operations  CONTACT US

To determine if biochar is right for your compost operation, you will need to figure out what works best with your specific set of feedstocks. For instance: Do you have extra liquid to deal with, materials that can go anaerobic quickly, or high levels of oils or grease? Do you need to stabilize and deodorize materials as they come in? Is your site in a pinch to get materials processed faster, so you can take on that next contract? All of these factors determine the cost effectiveness of adding biochar to your operation.

Research shows that composting with biochar can…

When added in at anywhere from 5-20% (by volume), biochar

• Accelerates the composting process
• Reduces nitrogen loss
• Reduces GHG emissions
• Reduces ammonia
• Reduces odor
• Eliminates most toxic organic compounds, pathogens and pests

As the compost cures, the pore space in biochar allows the compost to hold much higher populations of beneficial microorganisms. These benefits create higher quality compost, with better nutrients and higher value when you put it out for sale.

To learn more about how biochar can work for your operation, give us a call at 828-348-7992. We blend compost with biochar for our products. Once your customers see the end results, we think you will too.