Recycling Stories: Cocoa Compost Corporation
Composting may not seem like the type of disruptive high-tech venture that would get Silicon Valley’s attention, but Holland-based Cocoa Compost Corporation captured top prize at the 14th Annual Global Technology Symposium this October. Cocoa Compost is turning organic waste into a rich compost that West Michigan farmers are using as a substitute for commercial fertilizers. The potential for quality compost is huge given the annual output of organic waste and Michigan’s nearly 10 million acres of agricultural land.
After generations of intensive crop production, soils lose the necessary organic matter, biological communities, and nutrients necessary for viable crop production in years to come. The organic components of soil give it good structure, water holding capacity, and increase nutrient uptake by plants. Ironically, Michigan has an ample supply of organic waste, considering that makes up almost 50% or about 8 million tons of Michigan’s annual municipal waste stream. This supply is ripe for composting and ultimately diverse application across sectors, including agricultural.
Cocoa compost owner, Adam Brent, mixes yard waste and soiled paper collected from the curbs of West Michigan communities by Chef Container, with organic waste from food processors in the region to make a high quality and important soil amendment. Brent contends, “Composting could be a billion dollar industry that virtually eliminates a waste problem. But current State policy hinders innovation and I had to go to California to get the recognition this work deserves.”
The result of the composting process is a stabilized organic matter soil amendment whose environmental benefits are significant and numerous. Compost is unique because it improves the intrinsic health and biochemical functioning of soil. It is applied to fields with lime or manure spreaders to keep stable, high value organic materials available for plant utilization. One West Michigan farmer using Cocoa Compost reported an initial 4% yield increase and with continued application, the benefits are cumulative. These results suggest that employing compost more broadly across the agricultural sector will likely be financially attractive for farmers.
Michigan’s current policy incentivizes landfilling organic wastes as opposed to managing these materials for beneficial end uses. This policy creates an economic and environmental burden for communities and residents who shoulder the economic and environmental costs of cheap disposal. Successfully connecting Michigan’s organic waste supply to compost manufacturers will improve the health and productivity of Michigan soils through the agriculture and landscape industries and is a win-win.
The State must create the right conditions and lead us away from managing organics as a waste product to managing organics as the resource it is. Ultimately, this is good for Michigan communities and their economies as the core activities of the composting industry create jobs, revenue, and are best managed at the local level.