Friday, February 26, 2016

March 10: RI Compost Conference

Be there at the 2016 RI Compost Conference & Trade Show
From the Environment Council of Rhode Island

Thursday March 10, 2016 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Rhode Island College, Providence RI 02908

This year's Compost Conference and Trade Show will be held in the Student Union at RIC. It will be jointly put on by the Environment Council of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island College Office of Sustainability.

As the wave of the Green Economy washes over Rhode island and the planet, composting food scrap is often the odd man out after solar energy and stormwater management. 

But creating a compost industry needs to be front and center in the Green Economy as it is part of both healing ecosystems and providing new resources for the economy. 

Creating and using compost reduces trash, stores carbon in the soil, reduces runoff, and improves the size and quality of the food supply, while offering jobs in the places in RI that could really use them.


The way Rhode island deals with food scrap is changing. 

The organics collection law passed in 2014 has taken effect, and with facilities coming on line to compost and digest the food scrap. 

New regulations are going into effect that will boost the development of community and neighborhood composting. 

This event is the best place to learn about what is going on and to connect to the people making it happen.


Registration, which includes lunch, is $35.00 per person.
To register and arrange payment, complete the form here.
To learn about Conference sponsorship, to have a table/booth at the Trade show and more, go here.


Conference Agenda

This year the keynote address will be given by Michael Bradlee of Earth Appliance. Michael is a long time composter and compost bin innovator and will talk about his work with the pilot compost project in Providence, his data on how much compost you can get from food scrap, and where he thinks the industry is going on Rhode island. His talk will be particularly informative for schools, community gardens and urban farms.

Workshop presenters thus far include:
  • Richard Pederson, City Farm Steward for Southside Community Land Trust, will be speaking on Urban Agriculture Composting.
  • Waylon Pleasanton of Sustainable Generation, Wilmington, Delaware. Waylon was the Facilities Operations Supervisor for the Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s Cherry Island facility and now works with Sustainable Generation’s customers to get operations up and running. He will discuss “Lessons Learned in a Food Waste Composting Operation.”
  • Marissa Desautel is an environmental attorney who will explain Rhode Island's new compost law and regulations.
  • A new vermiculture cooperative, the Rhody Worms Cooperative, is getting off the ground. Monique Bosch and Bob Barnes will lead the discussion about what they are doing and how you can participate.
  • Michael Bradlee will join Leo Pollock, one of the founders of The Compost Plant, and some surprise guests for a discussion of where RI is going. Speakers will offer their perspectives on how the industry is progressing in Rhode Island and what some of the obstacles and opportunities are. This is also an excellent opportunity for others to share what they are seeing in RI as the speakers are just to get the ball rolling.
We are also still trying to add a speaker from one of the anaerobic digesters being built in Rhode Island.

The focus during our lunch break will be our annual trade show.

Exhibitors thus far include:
There is still room for additional exhibitors.

The day will end with a panel discussion featuring:
  • Christine Beiling, United States Environmental Protection Agency
  • Michael McGonagle, RI Resource Recovery Corporation
  • Christopher Shafer, RI Department of Environmental Management

This panel will focus on what our government agencies are doing to reduce food waste and where this is heading from the government’s perspective.


© 2016 Environment Council of Rhode Island • PO Box 9061 • Providence, RI 02940 • (401) 621-8048
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