Overview
The Moravian Court Compost and Recycling Facility is a full service commercial trash and recycling depot in West Philadelphia, in the heart of the University of Pennsylvania campus. Supported by a $37,400 grant for the composting equipment, the site is first of its kind in Pennsylvania.
The facility services 24 commercial establishments and 435 Penn administrative office employees including a drug store and hair salon, four coffee shops, a five vendor food court, five restaurants, and eight retail shops.
The Recycling Center features separate containers for mixed paper, commingled glass, plastic and metal containers, corrugate cardboard, used fryer oil, and trash. This site features Pennsylvania’s first, on-site, in-vessel composting units, servicing food scrap from four restaurants.
The Compost Bay receives 150 to 200 lbs a day of food scraps and expects to yield some 26 tons a year of compost that is being used in horticultural applications at the nearby University City High School community garden. Deposited in one of two Jacuzzi-sized “Earth Tubs,” food scraps are completely contained and processed on-site for 30 days, and off-site for another 15 days, reducing food scraps to a dark, soil-like humus, called compost.
Work Performed
Niche performed the design and oversight according to client specifications Tasks (PADEP), selection and installation of the equipment, and receptacles, development of maintenance protocols, collection arrangements with hauler and preparation of instructional materials and tenant orientation sessions. Niche identifies, and completed the application for funding received for purchase of the Earth Tubs from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Results
- Total capital cost of $128,645 including a PA DEP grant of $37,400.
- Process 3 tons a month of food scraps producing 1 ton a month of compost.
- Recover 20 tons a month of cardboard and 207 tons of commingled recyclable containers.
- Recycling system reduced the first year waste hauler costs of $43,526.04 in 2003 for mixed waste to $34,752.00 in 2004 for system including recycling, compost and waste removal a reduction of 20% (before food waste removal).
- Saved $28,130.64 in waste hauler paybacks for food waste diversion to composting in the period from June 2008 to September 2009.