Nurturing the earth

Owned and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility’s mission is to recycle organic materials that would have otherwise ended up in landfills, with a focus on creating nutrient-rich compost.

That valuable soil amendment is used for gardening, farming and landscaping purposes on the organization’s golf course, tribal farms and other indigenous community projects, closing the recycling loop and ensuring the end product is being incorporated locally.

The SMSC Organics Recycling Facility, located in Shakopee, Minnesota, sprouted from the tribe’s deep-rooted belief in respecting and nurturing the earth. In 2008, after recognizing the detrimental environmental impact of organic waste piling up in landfills, SMSC decided to pioneer a solution—the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility—as a testament to the tribe’s commitment to sustainable practices.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 66.2 million tons of wasted food were generated in the food retail, food service and residential sectors of the U.S. and only 5 percent of that wasted food was composted. Additionally, food and other organic materials comprise 54.1 percent of municipal solid waste in U.S. landfills, the EPA says.

Equipped for success

From its inception, SMSC has partnered closely with companies such as Denver-based Viably and local Komptech dealer Hennen Equipment in Chaska, Minnesota, to get technical support and guidance and to outfit the facility with the latest technology. Viably and Hennen Equipment have supplied the facility with essential commercial compost processing equipment solutions, including a Komptech low-speed, high-torque waste shredder, a Komptech compost windrow turner and two Komptech Multistar star screens.

“We were able to package all the equipment together to get a shredder, a turner, a screener and a stacker all in one so we could start composting on the right foot and make sure we were doing it with all the best, up-to-date technology,” says Dustin Montey, assistant manager at the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility.

From a maintenance standpoint, it’s proved an enduring relationship, as the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility continues to operate with two of the initial Komptech machines purchased through Hennen Equipment, Montey says.

The SMSC Organics Recycling Facility has made significant strides in diverting organics and food waste from landfills and converting it into beneficial compost soil amendments, processing 70,000 tons of organic waste each year. By recycling organic materials at this scale, the facility not only substantially reduces the volume of waste ending up in landfills but also creates a significant quantity of valuable, nutrient-rich compost for use in various applications.

Overcoming challenges

Like all pioneering business ventures, the company’s journey to success has not been without challenges. Over the years, the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility has worked with strategic partners, including Viably and Hennen, to successfully navigate obstacles related to feedstocks, contamination and production.

Montey says the facility initially was limited in the volume of materials, or feedstocks, that could be brought in for composting because some incoming materials were heavily contaminated. By incorporating a Turbo Separator food waste depackaging system manufactured by Scott Equipment Co. in New Prague, Minnesota, which can process liquids and foods in containers or other packaging, the facility has been able to expand its ability to accept and process preconsumer food waste. It now can accept materials with heavy packaging or certain types of contamination such as ice cream and milk cartons and cans, expanding its feedstock options for commercial composting operations.

Several years ago, the facility encountered freezing issues with its Komptech Multistar S3 star screen in the winter. Upon investigation, Montey and his team discovered that during the cold Minnesota winters, steam produced from the compost being screened was creating moisture and freezing inside the star screen machine. Working with Viably and Hennen Equipment, the SMSC team provided feedback to resolve the issue, and Hennen engineered modifications to prevent the screen from freezing.

“We put our heads together and solved the issue, so we were able to continue screening all through winter,” Montey says of the system modifications.

The following year, when the facility purchased a new Multistar XL3 star screen, Montey was pleasantly surprised to see that the expanded metal modifications they’d worked together to innovate now came standard as part of the design of the machine.

Making a difference

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has a state goal to achieve a 75 percent recycling rate by 2030. The agency’s Metropolitan Solid Waste Policy Plan aims to reduce waste across the metro area with strategies ranging from weekly curbside trash, recycling and compost collection to fees for takeout containers and grants for businesses to reduce food waste.

“We know the way to increase that rate to 75 percent is to increase the amount of organics diverted from landfill,” Montey says.

As local composting efforts continue to capture more organic material, the SMSC facility is nearing capacity. Looking ahead, SMSC has begun construction on a new composting facility, Dakota Prairie Composting, expected to be operational by summer 2024. The new facility will allow SMSC to double the amount of compostable organic materials it takes in and divert from local landfills, according to the SMSC website.

“I think the future of the facility is to continue to grow and get the organics out of landfills, create that compost as a quality product and be a reputable and profitable facility,” Montey says.

John Morgan is vice president of marketing and communications for Denver, Colorado-based Viably. He can be reached at jmorgan@thinkviably.com.