BDP’s role in the COMPO regional food waste facility

The Compo-Haut-Richelieu Regional Food and Green Waste Composting Center (COMPO) commenced operations in September 2023 and is distinguished by its simple compost feedstock preparation process. The 52 million Canadian dollar ($38.75 million) facility is located 40 minutes southeast of Montreal in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.

Organic material, such as green waste and food waste, is collected weekly through the surrounding municipality’s brown bin program, BRUN’O Lebac, and processed by the facility. Additional green waste is collected from nearby municipalities seasonally. COMPO is designed to process 20,000 wet metric tons (22,046.23 wet tons) of food waste and 30,000 wet metric tons (33,069.34 wet tons) of green waste per year. 

After the organic materials are delivered to the facility, the material is loaded into a Komptech “Crambo” shredder, then conveyed under a magnet. Ferrous metals are dropped into a bin for recycling, while the compostable materials are brought to a Hexact 6-inch disc screen. There, the smaller, organic compost materials are dropped into a bunker. The larger woody materials are shredded and recycled, and inorganic waste is removed.

Once the materials are screened and ready to be composted, they are loaded into the BDP/BacTee enclosed, aerated and agitated bay facility. The facility uses eight concrete 10-foot-wide by 312-foot-long bays and is served by two automated 100-horsepower BDP agitators. The temperature of the compost is monitored in five different spots along the bay, and aeration is adjusted automatically based on the measurements. The agitators simultaneously shred, mix and translate material daily, creating optimal food source availability to keep the microbes in the bays happy. COMPO processes up to five bays per day in an 8-hour workday.

Once the agitators reach the end of a bay, they are automatically loaded onto a BDP dolly, which moves agitators over to the next bay to continue the agitation process. After 21 days, approximately 25 cubic yards of compost material is removed. The compost is then subjected to a postscreening process, which involves destoning and a vacuum system to remove remaining inorganics. The relatively dry material is then transferred to an onsite megadome curing structure and placed in windrows for 30 days. There is no air collection or treatment inside the dome.

The flooring of each bay is fitted with BacTee aerated base plates. Fresh or recirculated building air continuously enters the compost feedstock through the aerated base plates, which can be driven on with loaders to load and unload bays. The aeration in the composting process aids oxygen control and can control odor and moisture. If necessary, moisture is added.

Foul air is taken from the inside of the compost facility through an exhaust fan and into the BacTee biofilter via duct work. The biofilter is made with the same baseplates used in the bays and contains an 8-foot-deep woodchip media made from the Crambo shredder. The air travels through the media in approximately 1 minute before it is turned into clean air. To maintain optimal moisture content in the biofilter, a high-pressure misting system is sprayed on the surface.

In Quebec, weather can have a significant effect on compost, so it is essential to utilize an enclosed facility.

COMPO prioritizes neighborliness, and key factors such as truck traffic, odor and liquid emissions, noise and aesthetics were all considered when constructing the facility.

The brown bin system and the durability of the BDP agitated bay technology allow small inorganics, such as plastic film, to pass through the compost process without negatively impacting it. The BDP/BacTee technology leverages enclosure, agitation and aeration, which are the only methods for enhancing the compost process.

BDP Industries is a family owned, Greenwich, New York-based company. It has been designing and manufacturing in-vessel, agitated bay compost agitators and other composting related equipment since 1986 with over 30 reference facilities worldwide.

The combination of agitation and aeration inside an enclosed facility is a process that is widely recognized as the most space-efficient type of system to achieve stable, homogenized compost for any given feedstock while allowing for optimal odor containment and control.