Virginia Corrections Dept CASE STUDY

Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) sought a straightforward, efficient solution for composting food waste while keeping maintenance costs low. Faced with the challenge of replacing a high-maintenance composting system, they turned to Green Mountain Technologies (GMT).

In September 2013, VADOC selected GMT's Earth Flow Composting System for their needs at two facilities: Deep Meadow and White Post. The EF-30 Earth Flow system at Deep Meadow handles approximately 1 ton of feedstock daily, combining food waste with horse manure, yard waste and ground-up pallet wood chips.

The Earth Flow in-vessel composters in use at VADOC are supporting a vocational training program that empowers inmates to acquire job skills in agriculture and sustainability. Automated mixing, aeration, and moisture control ensure optimal conditions for aerobic composting.

VADOC simplifies the process by collecting food waste in rolling toters, using an automated tote tipper to load it into the Earth Flow vessel. VADOC's team hails the Earth Flow's performance as simple, user-friendly, and dependable, making sustainable composting easy.

The compost blends food waste from the prison, green waste, horse manure, and bedding, including food waste from approximately 100 inmates and 15 staff members. Finished compost is used to enrich the soil in greenhouse operations.