{"id":8766,"date":"2014-07-15T21:14:39","date_gmt":"2014-07-15T21:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/?p=8766"},"modified":"2024-02-07T15:02:46","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T23:02:46","slug":"its-all-about-the-bulking-agent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/its-all-about-the-bulking-agent\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s All About The Bulking Agent"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16205 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/compost-bulking-agent.jpg?resize=300%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/compost-bulking-agent.jpg?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/compost-bulking-agent.jpg?resize=100%2C75&amp;ssl=1 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/>In the food waste composting business, our constant companion, our nemesis, our savior, our persistent crutch and limitation is: bulking agent. \u00a0I\u2019d love to not be dependent on it but\u2026 bulking agent really is what makes the food waste composting world go round. \u00a0If a food waste composting operation is in trouble, bulking agent is usually at the heart of the matter.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>What is bulking agent? \u00a0Bulking agent is a carbon-based material that adds structure (or bulk) to your compost pile. \u00a0Classic examples include: wood chips, wood shavings, saw dust, dry leaves, shredded landscape waste, shredded paper, shredded cardboard and animal bedding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Almost 20 years ago, I did an experiment. \u00a0I took a trash can and began filling it with food waste. \u00a0Once that can started to get full, I got a revolting lesson in the importance of bulking agent. \u00a0By itself, food waste turns into a kind of an unspeakable porridge. \u00a0I live and breathe composting and I can tell you this: rotting food waste by itself is a superb repellent. \u00a0It gives visceral meaning to the term, \u201cputrescible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Now, add bulking agent to your food waste and, voila, you have a manageable, even somewhat pleasant composting process. \u00a0Rotting food does stink but bulking agent is vital to keep those odors under control. \u00a0The key is the switch from anaerobic to aerobic decomposition. \u00a0Aerobic decomposition smells MUCH better than anaerobic decomposition. \u00a0Aerobic decomposition smells like a bunch of\u00a0foods all cooking at the same time. \u00a0Anaerobic decomposition smells sour, acidic, putrid, \u2026perfectly awful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>I\u2019ve never liked the term bulking agent. \u00a0It sounds like an evil spy who causes his enemies to gain weight. \u00a0The name makes it sound like we are \u201cputting on pounds\u201d. \u00a0But what we are really doing is \u201cbulking up\u201d, adding volume to our compost pile. \u00a0That is a good thing (and also a liability, as we will see later).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Bulking agents do so much for hot composting, that it&#8217;s\u00a0difficult to fully appreciate its value.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few of its virtues:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>We know that bulking agent adds vital air space to the compost pile. \u00a0Aerobic microbes have to have air to breath. \u00a0They breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, just like us. \u00a0Food waste tends to have too high of a moisture content and inadequate structure for air space. \u00a0Bulking agent gives the microbes room to breathe.<\/li>\n<li>You can tell a good bulking agent has air space in it because it is light in weight. \u00a0A good bulking agent has low bulk density (typically less than 600 lbs per cubic yard). \u00a0This means it holds a lot of air space. \u00a0Wood shavings are a classic example (at about 400 lbs per yard).<\/li>\n<li>A good bulking agent is a dry material that effectively balances the high moisture content of the food waste. \u00a0Therefore, keeping your bulking agent dry is <strong>super important<\/strong>. \u00a0If your bulking agent is wet, you are adding wet to wet (wet + wet = WET, aka, \u201ca mess\u201d).<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0A good bulking agent also provides available carbon to balance out the high nitrogen content of food waste. \u00a0If you have a food waste mix that is very wet and goopy, you would be wise to have a supply of saw dust on hand for quickly absorbing the moisture and balancing the high nitrogen in the food waste with lots of available carbon.<\/li>\n<li>A good bulking agent provides some air space but not too much. \u00a0Imagine trying to compost food waste in a brush pile (tried it:)). \u00a0It doesn\u2019t work. \u00a0Too much air space. \u00a0The compost cannot generate thermal mass to heat itself. \u00a0So particle size distribution is an important characteristic of\u00a0an effective bulking agent.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Bulking agent itself also acts as a biofilter. \u00a0Microbes living on the bulking agent literally \u201ceat\u201d odor compounds out of the air. \u00a0So adding bulking agent gives your compost pile an ability to control its own odors. \u00a0Have a smelly compost pile? \u00a0Notice what happens when you put a layer of bulking agent over the top. \u00a0Almost immediately smells are extinguished and bugs are driven away. \u00a0It\u2019s almost like magic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">So, why is bulking agent a thorn in our sides? \u00a0Here are some downsides with bulking agent:<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Bulking agent takes space, almost always more than we want. \u00a0By volume, recipes of 2 parts bulking agent to one part food waste are quite common. \u00a0So, in this case, about two-thirds\u00a0the volume of your compost pile will be bulking agent. \u00a0That\u2019s a lot! \u00a0So, for in-vessel systems, bulking agent takes up a lot of precious real estate.<\/li>\n<li>Bulking agent isn\u2019t always cheap, free, easy to get and readily available (fortunately, sometimes it is). \u00a0So one of our main challenges with our clients is helping them source a quality bulking agent that is easy and inexpensive and\u00a0<b>reliable<\/b>.<\/li>\n<li>Finding a\u00a0<b>high quality<\/b>\u00a0bulking agent, with all of the desirable characteristics isn\u2019t always the easiest thing. \u00a0There are plenty of mediocre to bad options for bulking agent and they produce mediocre to bad composting results.<\/li>\n<li>People stop putting the bulking agent in. \u00a0Probably the #1 reason institutional composting operations get into trouble is this: people\u00a0stop adding bulking agent. \u00a0Kitchen staff add food scraps but not bulking agent. \u00a0Do this for two weeks with no bulking agent added, and you\u2019ve got a recipe for a stinky, bug infested compost pile.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>So here are my bulking agent tips for a happy composting operation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep a ready supply of bulking agent on hand,\u00a0<b>directly adjacent<\/b>\u00a0to your composting operation.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure that bulking agent is added to your compost pile on a regular basis.<\/li>\n<li>Keep food scraps covered with a layer of bulking agent at all times, to discourage bugs and prevent nuisance odors.<\/li>\n<li>Keep a supply of sawdust on hand for compost \u201cemergencies\u201d. \u00a0Nothing absorbs odors so quickly as dry sawdust.<\/li>\n<li>If you are starting to run low on bulking agent, give yourself plenty of time to get more. \u00a0Once you run out, things can turn south in a heart beat.<\/li>\n<li>Select your bulking agent carefully. \u00a0Your bulking agent should supply a nice combination of air space and available carbon. \u00a0A mulchy consistency is good.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your bulking agent nice and dry. \u00a0Store your bulking agent under cover in rainy\/winter conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<p>Much success in hot composting comes from following this time-honored maxim: \u00a0honor thy bulking agent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">Happy Composting,<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/team\/van-calvez\/\">Van Calvez<\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the food waste composting business, our constant companion, our nemesis, our savior, our persistent crutch and limitation is: bulking agent. \u00a0I\u2019d love to not be dependent on it but\u2026 bulking agent really is what makes the food waste composting world go round. \u00a0If a food waste composting operation is in trouble, bulking agent is usually at the heart of &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,404],"tags":[228,61,229],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/compost-bulking-agent.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8766"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8766"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20148,"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8766\/revisions\/20148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compostingtechnology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}