TAP Composting
Operator: The Compost Factory
Location: Puyallup, WA
Feedstock: Agricultural, Food, & Green Waste
Capacity: 60,000 T/year
Year Installed: 1999
Project Components:
Location: Puyallup, WA
Feedstock: Agricultural, Food, & Green Waste
Capacity: 60,000 T/year
Year Installed: 1999
Project Components:
Client’s Requirements
Growing volumes of organic waste in Pierce County called for additional composting capacity beyond the existing Purdy facility. The new operation also needed to handle odorous feedstocks near residential and commercial development. Odor control, efficient use of space, and rapid movement of material through the facility were central to its design.
Our Solution
Jeff Gage, now GMT’s Director of Consulting, helped design the Compost Factory, building on experience gained at Purdy. The facility combined a fully enclosed composting hall, forced aeration, mechanical turning, and a large biofilter to manage organic materials in an increasingly developed area.
The turned aerated pile process combines reversible airflow through the compost with turning to mix material and restore porosity. Watering is done with either contact water or fresh water with a hose reel attached to the turner to manage moisture throughout the process. Enclosure and exhaust-air treatment provide an additional level of odor control for processing food waste, manure, and yard trimmings.
Opened in March 1999, the facility processes approximately 60,000 tons annually.. It demonstrates the value of designing compost processing, material handling, and odor management as one integrated operation.
