{"id":16602,"date":"2021-05-06T19:14:28","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T19:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/?p=16602"},"modified":"2024-02-07T14:54:47","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T22:54:47","slug":"earth-flow-composts-biodegradable-plastics-in-3-weeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/earth-flow-composts-biodegradable-plastics-in-3-weeks\/","title":{"rendered":"Earth Flow Composts Biodegradable Plastics in 3 Weeks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In 2014, Green Mountain Technologies conducted a collaborative research project with Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota and World Centric, a manufacturer of compostable serviceware, to test the compostability of World Centric serviceware items in an Earth Flow<\/a> composting system installed at Gustavus Adolphus. The goal was to provide a real life practical evaluation of how readily serviceware items would compost inside of the Earth Flow composting system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Earth Flow<\/a> is an in-vessel composting system with an automated mixing technology integrated into the vessel. The Earth Flow system provides optimal conditions for hot, aerobic composting. The particular model installed at Gustavus Adolphus was a 24-foot custom vessel<\/a> Earth Flow (EF-24-CV) with a compost capacity of about 24 cubic yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Earth flow is a continuous-flow composting system. This means that new feedstocks can be added at any time on the load-end of the vessel. Similarly, finished product can be removed from the discharge end of the vessel at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Dontje, head of the Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation at Gustavus Adolphus, directed and conducted the tests.  James Dontje manages the Earth Flow composting system for the College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Centric provided about 38 compostable serviceware sample items from their line for the test.  These included cups, plates, clamshells and cutlery.   Some samples we’re made out of PLA-based compostable plastics.  This included a thick PLA plastic plate designed for reuse.  PLA (polylactic acid) is a thermoplastic resin made from fermented plant starches such as corn or sugar cane.  Other samples were made out of paper or other plant-based fibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All samples received both plastic and aluminum identification tags, which were attached to each sample using a hole-punch and a zip-tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Compostable Serviceware Samples<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Gustavus Earth Flow System<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The idea with this test was to place all of the samples at the same time into the active compost process inside of the earth flow and track their progress through the vessel to obtain a sense of how rapidly and completely the items break down and compost inside the vessel.\u00a0 In other words, the samples were added to a compost mass that was already in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Samples being added to the Earth Flow compost system on Day 1<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The tests were conducted over a period of about one month.\u00a0Compost samples were
collected on six different dates throughout a four-week period: day 1, 10, 16, 20, 23 and
29.<\/p>\n\n\n\n