Courtesy of Republic Services
In October, Republic Services’ Otay Compost Facility at the Chula Vista, California, Otay Landfill opened for business. The compost facility helps communities in San Diego County meet the requirements of California’s SB 1383 law mandating the diversion of organic waste from landfills.
The composting facility, which was designed by Long Beach, California-based SCS Engineers in collaboration with Wilmington, Delaware-based Sustainable Generation, operates completely off the grid using solar energy. It is the first fully solar-powered compost facility in the state and can process 100 tons of organics per day, with plans to double capacity by the end of 2021.
Republic Services hired SCS Engineers to design the Otay Compost Facility using renewable energy to run 100 percent of the composting operations at the site. The facility design includes using technologies to speed the maturation rates and reduce excessive odors. This includes blowers to aerate the organic material, oxygen and temperature sensors and advanced compost cover technology produce a high-quality product.
“Republic’s taken the goals of SB 1383 to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants further. They’re running a sustainable facility that enables residents, businesses and government to easily reuse and recycle more within a smaller carbon footprint than ever expected,” Vidhya Viswanathan, engineer and project director for SCS, says.
As California collects and recycles organic materials from homes and businesses, local governments will use the products made from recycled organic material for compost and mulch. Recycling organic waste into compost creates a nutrient-rich soil amendment, preserving natural resources and reducing water consumption working within a circular economy.
“Republic Services supports California’s effort to divert food and yard waste from landfills to facilities such as this one,” Chris Seney, Republic’s director of organics operations, says. “We’re grateful to SCS for their partnership in helping us bring this facility, co-located at an active landfill, to reality.”
Watch a video of the opening of the Otay Compost Facility below, courtesy of Republic Services:
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