Crop Circle CASE STUDY

Crop Circle LLC, a new Sacramento-based composting company, planned a new business model in 2024 around a unique approach to composting the waste by-products of the cannabis industry. Crop Circle needed a composting technology solution to rapidly and reliably convert cannabis waste and agricultural waste into nutrient-rich, high value compost. 

The production of premium quality compost was a top priority, because the business plan is focused on selling premium potting soil products back to the cannabis industry and local organic farms.

Other primary goals were to make a significant impact on California state waste diversion efforts, converting cannabis industry waste into valuable resources, reducing landfill impact and methane emissions, specifically within the cannabis industry. 

Spent potting soil, root balls, stem and leaf residuals and other waste products from the cannabis industry are highly regulated waste materials that have limited and costly disposal options. Similarly, the cost of buying new potting soil for every grow cycle in a cannabis operation is another significant expense. 

Crop Circle saw an opportunity to close the waste to value loop in this industry, and was awarded a CalRecycle grant in 2024 specifically focused on waste diversion from the cannabis industry.

Crop Circle chose an Earth Flow IM20 in vessel composting system as the hub of their new enterprise, because it has been proven effective at processing cannabis industry waste at other facilities in Oklahoma and other locations.

Crop Circle financed the purchase price of the Earth Flow system with a loan from Ascentium Capital, enabling the operation to get into production with minimal cash outlay. A CalRecycle grant also supported the setup of the composting facility. 

Cannabis industry waste materials are loaded on a continuous basis into an in-vessel Earth Flow composting system. The Earth Flow composting system is fully contained with automated mixing and aeration that optimizes the composting process and captures all odors with a biofilter on the aeration exhaust system. The Earth Flow is a modified intermodal shipping container with stainless steel lining, an aeration system built into the floor & an automatic mixing auger that converts raw compost feedstocks into ready to cure compost in just two to three weeks, compared to conventional composting processes that take 2 to 4 months. 

The in vessel composting system has capacity to process up to 200 tons of material per year. A biofilter system is used to capture all odors from within the Earth Flow.

The compost and potting soil products produced are sold back to cannabis industry growers and community gardens, closing the loop on the cannabis waste stream. 

Other unique aspects include a commitment for compost and potting soil products that do not use any plastic packaging. The facility does not accept biodegradable plastics as a feedstock, to prevent any chance of contamination of the finished compost product.