Vol. XIV No. 6
November / December 2020
Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost & Wood Pellet Producers www.SoilandMulchProducerNews.com
NEWS
Mulch Manufacturing, National Storm Recovery Merger Creates Outstanding Business Model
I
t could turn out to be one of the most notable marriages of 2020. No, not the Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie nuptials, or the tying of the knot between Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi, or even the exchanging of vows between Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost. We’re talking here about something more down to earth: the joining together of Mulch Manufacturing and National Storm Recovery into the Sustainable Green Team. Both Ralph Spencer, chief executive officer of Mulch Manufacturing, and Tony Raynor, CEO of the Sustainable Green Team, both said the combination of businesses created “an By P.J. Heller industry powerhouse.” “This looked like a good marriage for Aerial view of plant at Apopka, Fla. Photos courtesy of Mulch Manufacturing, Sustainable Green Team. several reasons,” explained John Spencer, who founded Mulch Manufacturing in 1985 in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. The company has since which could address the needs of each of more expensive. And the availability keeps grown to become one of the largest wholesale the combined customers with a new level of going down. We were paying top dollar for the and retail mulch suppliers in the nation. quality and cost effectiveness,” said Mulch wood fiber. We bought it either locally, for National Storm Recovery, based in Florida, Manufacturing. hardwoods, or were shipping cypress up here provides storm and disaster recovery services, The merger with National Storm Recovery [to Ohio] by rail.” including dangerous tree removal, debris made eminent sense for Mulch Manufacturing, As part of the merger, Mulch Manufacturing hauling and debris management. Its subsidiary, John Spencer said, noting that it gave the closed its processing facility in Ohio and moved Central Florida Arbor Care, specializes in tree company a continuing source of feedstock for the operation to Florida, which among other removal, tree care and services, stump grinding, mulch at no cost. things gave it better access to cypress. grapple hauling and storm recovery. “The most prominent reason [for the These days, National Storm Recovery The combined companies, now under merger] is access to feedstock for mulch,” he gets paid to collect logs from its governmental, the banner of the said. The merger, residential and commercial customers and then Sustainable Green he said, addressed brings them to the mulch facility. Team, reported the problem “The only cost for us is grinding it into revenues of $24.5 of feedstock mulch,” John Spencer said. million for the first availability and the T h e m e rg e r a l s o a l l ow e d M u l c h nine months of fact that “the cost Manufacturing to expand its operations in 2020. of lumber has gone Florida. National Storm Recovery will market “ T h e through the roof. Mulch Manufacturing’s Softscape mulch Sustainable Green “ We h av e products throughout central Florida as well as Team was created a sawmill so we other bulk and bagged cypress mulch products by combining the know a lot about that it produces. resources of three the price of lumber “It extends our reach, it gives us more companies which and timber,” he production capability in the area where the raw were leaders in added. “It keeps materials are, and enhances our ability to get a their specialty to getting more supply of feedstock,” John Spencer said. create a company expensive and Continued on page 3 Aerial view of plant at Callahan, Fla.
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Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2020
Soil
Mulch Manufacturing, National Storm Recovery Merger Continued from page 1
National Storm Recovery also benefitted from the merger which occurred in early 2020. Among the benefits was the fact that by diverting its wood debris to Mulch Manufacturing, it no longer had to pay dump fees at the local Waste Management landfill in central Florida to dispose of the material. Waste Management, one of the largest solid waste management companies in North America, “is under a lot of pressure to get wood fiber out of the landfill and out of the waste stream,” John Spencer said. That may account for the fact that the Sustainable Green Team’s wood debris recycling facility is located within Waste Management’s Vista landfill in Apopka, Fla. A dual line mulch bagger and fully automated electric grinding screening operation was completed at the facility in July. Raynor said the facility is now able to increase its mulch production by 4 million bags per year within one shift in the facility. “The completion on both the dual line mulch bagger and fully automated electric grinding screening operations will allow full vertical integration at WM’s (Waste Management’s) landfill by utilizing unused debris that would normally be buried there,” the company said in statement announcing completion of the facility. “The unused debris will now be reused and branded into a premium mulch product through the new, fully electric equipment installed within the facility.” Raynor called the effort “a pivotal advancement. “With our strong relationship with Waste Management, we are progressing toward achieving true green sustainability,” he said. John Spencer said downfall from the mulch making process would be used as a growing medium to cap the landfill. “And they’ll pay us,” he said. “So we turned a cost operation into a profitable operation.” It was not known if similar operations would be set up at other Waste Management sites. “The company’s primary corporate objective is to provide a solution for the treatment and handling of tree debris that is historically sent to
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News From The Mulch & Soil Council By Robert LaGasse, Executive Director
MSC Ends 2020 with Another Victory for Members
F
or several years, the Mulch & Soil Council Transportation Committee chaired by Jim Weber at Ohio Mulch has met with Senators, Congressmen and Administrators at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requesting that mulch and soil products be classified as “Agricultural Commodities” under 49 CFR Part 395.1(k) which exempts product shipments less than 150 air miles from origin from Hours of Service (HOS), ELD, break times and other transportation regulations. In September 2019, the Council again petitioned the FMCSA as part of an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) requesting mulch, soil, manures and other horticultural products be included either as an Agricultural Commodity or, alternatively, mulches, soils and manures should be classified as a “Farm Supply”, which gets the same exemption from HOS regulations as agricultural commodities receive. In November, the FMCSA published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) adopting a new
regulatory definition of the term “agricultural commodity” for purposes of the driver hours of service exemption in 49 CFR Part 395.1(k). The Mulch & Soil Council supports the new IFR and believes the new regulation will allow bulk or bagged mulch or soil to be considered “farm supplies” that are exempt from the driver hours of service requirements in 49 CFR 395.1(k)(2) or (3). Under the driver hours of service rules, time spent transporting an agricultural commodity within the 150 air-mile radius from the source does not count against the limits on maximum driving. On-duty time does not apply during harvest and planting periods, as determined by each State, to drivers transporting agricultural commodities (and farm supplies for agricultural purposes) from the source of the commodities to a location within a 150 air-mile radius of the source. 49 CFR 395.1(k). The new rule clarifies the definition of “agricultural commodity,” and states that horticultural products subject to perishability or significant degradation in product quality during transport by CMV fall within the meaning of ‘‘any agricultural commodity,’’ as
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Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2020
the term is used in 49 CFR 395.2. For example, the Agency considers plants, including sod, flowers, ornamentals, seedlings, shrubs, live trees, and Christmas trees, within the scope of the definition. The definition does NOT include those horticultural products which are not sensitive to temperature and climate and do not risk perishability while in transit, such as timber harvested for lumber, or wood pulp or related products Thus, the FMCSA did not interpret the definition of agricultural commodity to include bulk or bagged mulch and soil as the Mulch & Soil Council requested in its September 2019 comments to the agency’s ANPRM. But by including perishable horticultural products in the definition of agricultural commodity, the agency allowed MSC members to use the alternate exemptions from the HOS rules for transportation of farm supplies as we requested and as set out in 49 CFR 395.1(k)(2) or (3). Under 49 CFR 395.2, “farm supplies for agricultural purposes” means products directly related to the growing or harvesting of agricultural commodities during the planting Continued on page 6
Founded in 1972, the Mulch & Soil Council (MSC) is the national non-profit trade association for all producers of horticultural mulches, consumer potting soils and commercial growing media. The mission of the MSC is to define quality products and promote a fair and open marketplace for its members and the industry. To assist the industry in achieving these objectives, the Council provides members with: • • • • • • • •
Uniform Product Standards National Product Certification Legislative & Regulatory Representation Annual Membership Meeting On-Line Training Courses Industry Information Special Reports Access To Industry Research
C of A is short for Certificate of Analysis. Just as nutritional information on food labels helps people control their diets, an AgriCoatings C of A provides information to assist mulch manufacturers control colorant costs. Density and Viscosity. Although mulch colorants are purchased by the pound, they are consumed by the gallon. When a mulch producer sets the desired color, regardless if by a peristaltic pump or a mixing chamber, it is imperative to know how much color is being applied and the cost associated with it. By using a product with uniform density and consistent viscosity batch to batch color costs can be more accurately established. Tint Strength and Filter Checks Consistent tint strength helps the mulch producer make consistent colored mulch. Tint strength is determined by comparing a specific batch against a liquid standard. While processing pigments, AgriCoatings periodically takes color readings, examines the mill filters for particle size and then adjusts the color; maximizing pigment efficiency. The dispersion of the pigments allows the color system to adequately cover the mulch. Some people refer to this as “hide”. C of A’s offer the mulch producer important data and assures, with relative certainty, that the next batch will be the same as the last. An AgriCoatings Certificate of Analysis is a straight forward document, easily understood and is provided with every shipment...at no charge. Publicizing this report requires us to be ever vigilant in our practices and procedures. If your colorant supplier does NOT provide a Certificate of Analysis, ask WHY?
Page 1 10/01/2019 at 8:57 am
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TARGET/UOM
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500 CPS
200 - 800
200
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9.50 -10.50
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102.25
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News From The Mulch & Soil Council Continued from page 4
and harvesting seasons within each State, as determined by the State, and livestock feed at any time of the year. But now that horticultural products are specifically included in the definition of “agricultural commodity,” Council members may take advantage of the HOS exemptions in 49 CFR 395.1(k)(2) or (k)(3) as transporters of farm supplies. This was our alternative argument in the comments to the ANPRM: “MSC specifically requests that FMCSA include the term ‘horticultural commodity’ in the definition of ‘agricultural commodity’ in 49 CFR § 395.2 so that all of the primary customers for mulch and soil deliveries, whether they be farms, nurseries, or suppliers to
those users [are included]. Thus, delivery of mulch and soil would be ‘transportation of farm supplies for agricultural purposes’ and alternatively exempt from the Part 395 requirements”. 49 CFR 395.1(k)(2) states that the HOS rules shall not apply during planting and harvesting periods, as determined by each State, to drivers transporting farm supplies for agricultural purposes from a wholesale or retail distribution point of the farm supplies to a farm or other location where the farm supplies are intended to be used within a 150 air-mile radius from the distribution point. 49 CFR 395.1(k)(3) states that the HOS
rules shall not apply during planting and harvesting periods, as determined by each State, to drivers transporting farm supplies for agricultural purposes from a wholesale distribution point of the farm supplies to a retail distribution point of the farm supplies within a 150 air-mile radius from the wholesale distribution point. The interim final rule became effective Dec. 9, 2020, and may now be used for mulch and soil product shipments during the growing season in each state for 2021. For further information, contact the Mulch & Soil Council office at info@ mulchandsoilcouncil.org or 806‑832-1810.
Update on Certification Program Interpretations That Impact Product Labeling Under Weights & Measures
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Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2020
t the last MSC Board meeting, the Certification Committee recommended adoption of two Statement of Uniform Interpretation of Policy (SUIP). A SUIP is simply an official clarification of the Council’s position on a rule or regulation. In this case, both SUIPs relate to certification program interpretations of weights & measures issues that impact product labeling under the Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulations of NIST that are part of the MSC Product Certification review and approval process. Specifically, the UPLR in NIST Handbook 130 specifies under 6.2§net quantity that a net quantity statement shall appear on the principle display panel of a package and shall be in terms of the largest whole unit. That means there would be no measures > 25.71 dry quarts and no cu ft measures < 1 cu ft. The mulch & soil industry has long provided packaging in dry quarts > 25.71 and in fractional (0.50 and 0.75) cu ft which under §6.2 is illegal EXCEPT THAT under 6.4§TERMS: Weight, Measure, Volume or Count it states that, “However, if there exists a firmly established general consumer usage and trade custom with respect to the terms used in expressing a declaration of quantity of a particular commodity, such a declaration of quantity may be expressed in its traditional terms, provided that such traditional declaration gives accurate and adequate information as to the quantity of the commodity.” It is the Certification Committee’s opinion, and the Board concurred, that dry quarts >25.71 and fractional cu ft measures are and have been an established and accepted trade custom and the recognition of each as an established industry trade custom should be the responsibility of industry — not regulators. With that said, the Committee proposed, and the Board adopted the following SUIP statements: Continued on page 18
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Strategic Alliance Partners Aim to Boost Food Waste Recycling, Reduce Greenhouse Gases
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nilever, Starbucks and Dairy Farmers of America have joined together to increase food waste recycling through a nationwide network of partners, according to a sponsored article by Vanguard Renewables. Vanguard Renewables, one of the country’s leading food waste recyclers, has more than 20 Farm Powered anaerobic digesters in operation, construction and development across the United States. The Vanguard Renewables’ Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA) intends to keep organic waste out of landfills and reduce greenhouse gases by turning food waste into renewable energy via Vanguard Renewables’ farm-based anaerobic digesters. Entities that become Alliance members commit to sending their waste to a regionally-located Vanguard Renewables anaerobic digester and to procure the resulting renewable natural gas (RNG). Unilever, Starbucks and Dairy Farmers of America are working with FPSA partners plan to expand their organics-recycling facility network to all major metro areas nationwide over the next five years. They have been reaching out to leading US food manufacturers and retailers to grow the number of partnerships and extend the program to their partners’ supply chains. Dairy Farmers of America has been working with Vanguard Renewables for more than six years to empower family farms and support a more circular economy. One DFA member and an early Alliance partner is the multi-generational Bar-way family dairy farm in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The 600-acre farm has 300 milk cows that have been supplying an annual 9,000 tons of manure to a Vanguard Renewables’ Farm Powered Anaerobic Digester located on the property. The digester constructed at Bar-Way Farm in 2016 features a 660,000-gallon capacity anaerobic digester tank. In addition to the manure, the farm takes in 36,500 tons of food waste annually and converts it to renewable energy and fertilizer. According to Vanguard, this offsets more than 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The 7,700 MWh of renewable energy produced each year by the Deerfield anaerobic digester system is enough to power 1,600 homes.
Kentucky’s Pulaski County Will Open Long-awaited Green Waste Compost Site
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omerset, KY – The new green waste composting site soon to open in Pulaski County is one of a very small handful of government-run facilities in the state of Kentucky, reports Somerset-Kentucky.com. Funded by a $25,000 Kentucky Pride Fund Composting Grant administered by the state Division of Waste Management, the facility is expected to become an asset for clean ups of weather-related debris. The money is to be applied toward equipment rental for mulching, which can be used in parks and other locations. Located off the Kentucky 914 Bypass, the composting site will be within easy reach of all county municipalities. Out of 120 counties in the state, only about 4 or 5 have green waste composting facilities, according to a local official. Property owners will be able to drop their green materials off for free. The county will offer permits for landscapers, tree trimmers and other local businesses to dump their materials, a move that will generate revenue for the facility to continue to grow.
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California Treated Wood Disposal Rule Takes Effect January 1st
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ed Bluff, CA – Under Senate Bill 162 (2105), the state of California requires all treated waste wood (TWW) to be managed as hazardous waste and provides for tracking, compliance inspections, and public reporting. California’s Health and Safety Code (HSC 25150.7) and regulations (22 CCR 67386.1 et seq.) that have allowed treated wood waste to be handled with alternative management standards expire after December 31, 2020. After that date, all hazardous treated wood waste (not exempted by HSC 25143.1.5 as utility generated) managed in California will have to be stored and manifested as hazardous waste and transported to Class I hazardous waste landfills for disposal. TWW comes from old wood that has been treated with chemical preservatives. These chemicals help protect the wood from insect attack and fungal decay while it’s being used. Fence posts, sill plates, landscape timbers, pilings, guardrails, and decking, to name a few, are all examples of chemically treated wood, according to the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) website. TWW contains hazardous chemicals that pose a risk to human health and the environment. Arsenic, chromium, copper, creosote, and pentachlorophenol are among the chemicals used to preserve wood and are known to be toxic or carcinogenic. Harmful exposure to these chemicals may result from touching, inhaling or ingesting TWW particulate (e.g., sawdust and smoke). Throughout the state, solid waste districts have prepared for handling this
wood. For example, in Tehama County, located between Sacramento and the Oregon border, treated wood waste may be brought to the Tehama County and Red Bluff Landfill Household Hazardous Waste Facility, according to Red Bluff Daily News. The stipulation is that the TWW must have been generated in Tehama County. Residents, contractors, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies with smaller amounts of TWW – less than 220 pounds or 27 gallons per month – will be able to bring the waste to the facility themselves. If they have larger volumes to dispose, they must use a registered specialty waste company. The fee to dispose of treated wood waste at the facility is $0.21 per pound. Payment is due at the time of the appointment. Commercial entities must have a permit with a Hazardous Waste Identification Number or use a specialty waste company, which holds the permit, to dispose of treated wood at the facility. SB 162 provides for a tracking system requiring all TWW facilities or TWW landfills to report to DTSC by July 30 and January 30 the amount of TWW received. The information is kept in the Hazardous Waste Tracking System (HWTS), a data repository for hazardous waste manifest and ID Number information. DTSC relies on HWTS for issuing and tracking ID numbers, registering transporters, and providing information to analyze hazardous waste activities for policy purposes and enforcement. The system generates reports from 1993 to the present on hazardous waste shipments for generators, transporters, and treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDFs).
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Oak Leaf Extract May Solve Florida’s Citrus Crop Disease
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esearch conducted at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) and published in the science journal, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, has turned up a natural enemy of a pathogen that has been decimating the state’s citrus crops. The pathogen, caused by the fastidious gram-negative α-proteobacteria bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is spread by an insect vector. Since its discovery in Florida in 2005, the disease caused by CLas, Huanglongbing (HLB), has caused citrus acreage in that state to decline significantly, resulting in a 90% reduction of crop yield. HLB’s worst damage has occurred to grapefruit groves in the Indian River District
near the state’s central east coast, from its northernmost point in Micco, Florida, to its southernmost point in northern Palm Beach County. The American form of the disease apparently originated in China, University of California Riverside researchers have noted. In North America, the insect vector of the disease is the psyllid, Diaphorina citri, which is found in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and Hawaii, and arrived in Southern California from Mexico around 2012. Currently, there is no cure for HLB. No compounds have been successful in controlling HLB, and no sustainable management practices have been established for the disease. Tree removal has been critical for preventing the disease from spreading but searching for
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alternative citrus greening disease mitigation strategies is considered an urgent priority for a sustainable citrus industry. Meanwhile, irrigation and plant nutrition remedies help HLB-affected trees tolerate the disease and extend their production years. Interest in studying the link between the oak trees and HLB began when growers across Florida reported that citrus trees that stood under oak tree canopies, or alongside oak trees, remained healthy. Grapefruit trees in a row or two away from the oak trees showed signs of HLB. The UF scientists began conducting research experiments to test the growers’ field observations, leading them to study oak leaf extract, which displays curative effects against CLas. They soaked oak leaves in water overnight and then sprayed the solution on affected citrus trees in a greenhouse. The leaves treated with oak extracts showed a decrease in the presence of CLas bacteria. Other notable results were increased chlorophyll content and plant nutrition. The HLB-affected citrus plants treated with oak leaf extract were better able to uptake nutrients than were the citrus plants treated with only water. According to researchers at University of California Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research, the HLB bacteria can infect most citrus cultivars, species and hybrids and even some citrus relatives. Leaves of newly infected trees develop a blotchy mottled appearance. On chronically infected trees, the leaves are small and exhibit asymmetrical blotchy mottling (in contrast to Zinc deficiency that causes symmetrical blotching). Fruit from HLBinfected trees are small, lopsided, poorly colored, and contain aborted seeds. The juice from affected fruit is low in soluble solids, high in acids and abnormally bitter. The fruit retains its green color at the navel end when mature, which is the reason for the common name “citrus greening disease.” This fruit is of no value because of poor size and quality. A federal quarantine has been in effect for some time to restrict all movement of citrus and other plants in the family Rutaceae from Asian Citrus Psyllid or HLB-infested areas into California in order to prevent introduction of the disease. And last June, a Florida representative introduced HR 7184, the U.S. Citrus Protection Act, banning importation of commercially produced fresh citrus fruit originating from the People’s Republic of China.
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New York City Compost Project Facing Interruptions, Closures
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ig Reuse, the largest food waste composter in New York, is grappling with the prospect of site relocation or possible closure as its lease with the city ends on December 31, reports a Bedford + Bowery article. The fate of the compost facility hinges on a decision by New York City Department of Sanitation and Parks and Recreation Departments – and the support of dedicated community advocates. Parks plans to move its regional operations into the space vacated by Big Reuse, freeing up parkland elsewhere and providing recreational amenities for the community, according to a city statement. Big Reuse processes nearly 1.7 million pounds of food and green waste each year from Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. This includes almost 34 percent of the food waste picked up and processed in 2019 by the seven New York City Compost Project partners. The outfit has been processing New York City’s compost at its two lots in Queensbridge and Gowanus for the past three years. The bulk of the waste gets processed at the Queensbridge site, but the New York City Parks Department, which owns the Big Reuse Queensbridge lot, said it does not plan to renew Big Reuse’s lease when it expires on December 31. There are five other New York City Compost Project partners, all of which are at near capacity and wouldn’t have the space to process all of Big Reuse’s food scraps. In 2015, New York City announced a goal to send zero waste to landfills by the year 2030. The composting project has been important to the city reaching its zero-waste goal. Big Reuse and its supporters hope to extend the lease with Parks, at least until the end of the fiscal year. This will allow time to seek alternative sites and make an easier transition from one site to another.
Senate Hearing on Biomass Energy Bill Looks Positive for Forest Restoration in Arizona
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lagstaff, AZ – Proponents of The Forest Health and Biomass Energy Act of 2020, sponsored by Sen. Martha McSally, R-Arizona, say that logging policies under the bill will lead to reduced wildfire hazards and provide fuel for powering biomass plants, DailyYonder.com reports. The bill allows for collecting small trees, limbs and treetops that are removed as part of forest restoration efforts. Now in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee, the Forest Health and Biomass Energy Act, if passed, has provisions to help establish markets for this waste wood. Clearing denser parts of the forest prevents wildfires from getting out of hand – one of the goals of the Four Forests Restoration Initiative, or 4FRI. Arizona has been able to clear only 14,000 acres of its goal of 300,000 acres, in part because of a lack of a market for the forest waste collected, says Coconino County Supervisor, Art Babbott, who is co-chair of 4FRI and a small business advocate. He points out that a biomass generator near Snowflake has been successful at turning wood into electricity. Babbott believes the Act will aid the state in achieving its goal of clearing 30,000 to 50,000 acres per year. The hearing comes during a year in which Arizona has seen a sharp increase in wildfires, with 2,375 more than 955,000 acres burned as of December, a spokeswoman with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said.
Highland Pellets Closes $135 Million Capital Partnership with Orion Energy Partners
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marisa@e-milagro.com
14 Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2020
ine Bluff, AR – A partnership between family-owned Highland Pellets LLC and Orion Energy Partners, L.P. will support increased production capacity to supply global markets with sustainably sourced wood pellets, according to an Associated Press article published in Oklahoman.com. Under the deal, Houston-based Orion Energy is funding equipment upgrades and other infrastructure improvements at Highland’s wood pellet facility in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The equipment upgrades will improve operational performance and increase production capacity, allowing Highland to fulfill its long-term contract with a major European power producer to produce up to 74,4060 tons of wood pellets per year. The partnership agreement supports additional long-term growth initiatives, as well. Highland sources sustainable fiber for its wood pellets from trees that are not suitable for the lumber market (either due to size or quality), thinnings from crowded forests, and leftover material from local sawmills. The facility supports over 90 full-time jobs to the local community and over 330 jobs in the adjacent forest industries and transportation supply chains. According to its website, Highland’s future plans include building additional pellet plants throughout the Southeast located within “abundant fiber baskets” with proximity to port transportation routes. All fiber supplied to these plant sites will be fully sustainable from managed semi-natural forests, with a significant proportion coming from residual waste wood (shavings and woodchips) from local sawmills. The company produces pellets with low-ash content for use in the home heating market, and the high calorific value suitable for industrial markets in Europe and Asia. The Pine Bluff facility supports around 94 full-time jobs to the local community and around 338 direct jobs in the transport and forest industries supply chain. The direct annual economic benefit of our Pine Bluff facility is estimated at $166 million per year.
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Los Angeles Sanitation Districts Expand Food Waste Recycling System to Produce Vehicle Fuel
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arson, CA – As part of its mission to convert waste into resources, the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (Sanitation Districts) recently started up a biogas purification system to recycle food waste into renewable vehicle fuel. Food waste includes dinner scraps, spoiled fruit and vegetables from grocery stores and restaurants. The Carson facility has been turning food waste into electricity for over six years. Now the new biogas purification system allows it to produce renewable natural gas that is used to fuel vehicles like cars, buses and trucks. Waste haulers collect food waste that has been placed in separate bins by their customers, the Sanitation Districts’ Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility in Whittier, where food waste is loaded into specialized equipment that removes contaminants like plastic bags and forks and blends the food waste into a slurry. Then, the Sanitation Districts transport the slurry to their wastewater treatment plant in Carson. Waste haulers who have their own processing equipment also deliver slurry to the Carson plant. The slurry is added to the plant’s digesters, which are large, sealed tanks where microorganisms convert food waste and wastewater solids into biogas. The biogas is used in two ways. Some is sent to the Sanitation Districts’ power plant located at the Carson facility where the biogas is converted to electricity that runs the treatment plant. The remaining biogas is sent to the new purification system to make fuel grade renewable natural gas. The purification system is capable of producing the renewable natural gas equivalent of 2,000 gallons of gasoline per day. The renewable natural gas is dispensed at the Sanitation Districts’ nearby fueling station that is open to the public. Because the Sanitation Districts manage both solid waste and wastewater, the infrastructure needed for food waste recycling was in place. A grant from the California Energy Commission helped fund the new biogas purification facility at low cost and pass those savings onto customers. Use of the system has been steadily growing to the point where there is additional available capacity to help more cities. The Sanitation Districts are a regional public agency that serves the wastewater and solid waste management needs of 78 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County. The agency protects public health and the environment and, in so doing, converts waste into resources like recycled water, green energy and recycled materials.
PRODUCT & EQUIPMENT Housing Starts Hold Steady Through & Horticulture Professionals Nationwide SHOWCASE Pandemic Year – Lumber Prices Climb
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ypically, December softwood lumber prices in North America slip as construction slows to very
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for solid wood products. Since near-record spikes in August and September of this year, the lumber market has remained hot. Underpinning brisk sales and rising prices is the continued extremely rosy US home sales and house price data. Lumber manufacturers in Canada and the US are experiencing such strong demand that sawmill order files are pushing out into the start of next year. Forest industry veterans and home builders with 40 years’ experience are viewing the unusual situation with optimism, agreeing that home sales, house prices, and home building will not reverse direction any time soon. Madison’s expects a hot US housing market to last at least to the end of 2021. Prices have continued to climb into the fall months. Prices of dimension lumber commodities have been moving up, while Western S-P-F sales in the U.S. increased as buyers stock up. Sawmills pushed their order files into late-December or early-January 2021, Madison’s reported. Canadian producers of Western S-P-F lumber reported another good week at the start of December as prices on every dimension item climbed yet again. Mills sold out so quickly each morning often closing out US cash market buyers. Resultant order files on all items were into the first week of January 2021. Rising again at a time of year when prices are usually soft, for the week ending December 4, 2020, the price of benchmark softwood lumber commodity item Western S-P-F KD 2x4 #2&Btr was up another +$32, or +5%, over the previous week to US$652 mfbm, according to Madison’s. The week before, the price was +$72, or +12%, more than it was a month earlier. Compared to 2019 at the same time, the price was up +$258, or +65%. Compared to the 1-year rolling average price of US$547 mfbm, Western S-P-F KD 2x4 #2&Btr was selling for +$105, or +19% more, and was up +$193, or +42%, compared to the 2-year rolling average price of US$459 mfbm.
16 Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2020
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News From The Mulch & Soil Council
Continued from page 6
SUIP #6 — Fractional Cu Ft Measures <1 cu ft
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he Mulch & Soil Council recognizes that a net quantity statement in fractional cu ft quantities less than 1 cu ft in a market where products are dominated by cu ft measures above 1 cu ft is a wide-spread practice in the mulch & soil industry. This measure provides more consistent, understandable, accurate and adequate price and quantity comparisons for consumers than the largest whole unit (dry qt) measures specified under UPLR Section 6.3. Products less than 1 cu ft have been expressed in fractional cu ft industry wide for almost two decades. We accept that the above describes an equitable trade custom that would fall under the exception to UPLR Section 6.3 under Table 6.4 note stating: However, if there exists a firmly established general consumer usage and trade custom (many manufacturers and retailers for almost two decades) with respect to the terms used in expressing a declaration of quantity of a particular commodity, such a declaration of quantity may be expressed in its traditional terms, provided such traditional declaration gives accurate and adequate information as to the quantity of the commodity.
SUIP #7 — Dry Quart Packages >1 cu ft
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he Mulch & Soil Council recognizes that nurseries and garden centers historically utilize planting containers in both diameter dimensions (4”, 6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, etc.) AND volume in terms of 1, 2, 3, 5 and more
ADVERTISER NEWS
GALLONS as a standard industry practice in selling to consumers. Soil products labeled in dry quarts have long been provided to assist end users in determining how much product is needed to fill gardening containers in dry quart and gallon quantities. The quantity and size of containers used by consumers has grown over the past 30 years and over 20 years ago retailers increased their demand for larger packages in dry quart quantities to help consumers estimate the amount of soil products needed and to facilitate an accurate comparison of quantity and price among similar products. Soil products packaged in 8, 10, 16, and 20 dry qt for small or single container projects have been complimented by 30, 40, 50 and 64 dry qt packages for multiple container and large container projects identified in dry gallon volumes. Accordingly, the Mulch & Soil Council recognizes that soil products packaged in quantities greater than 1 cu ft (25.7 Dry Qt): • Provide consumers with an easy comparison and translation for the nursery industry’s standard use of “gallon” quantity containers • Provide an understandable, equitable and customary sales comparison demanded by the retail industry
• Are an exception to UPLR Section 6.2 provisions for “largest whole” measure as a long-standing and accepted under the note to UPLR Section 6.4; Table 6.4.
Mulch Manufacturing, National Storm Recovery Merger Creates Outstanding Business Model Continued from page 3
Rotochopper Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary
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otochopper has reached an exciting milestone as the company celebrates 30 years of delivering innovative waste grinding solutions. Through Rotochopper’s offerings, companies have been able to find solutions that turn everyday waste materials into profitable end products like colored landscape mulch, animal bedding, compost, and more. Rotochopper co-founder Vince Hundt said, “For 30 years the people of central Minnesota who are Rotochopper have been inventing and building machines that solve problems. Our product offerings have expanded over the last three decades in response to our customers’ evolving business and operational needs. Today, you can find horizontal grinders in a broad range of businesses including not only wood waste, but organic waste, food waste, and municipal waste.” “The Rotochopper name means thirty years of working with customers and industry partners who share our vision for profitable, sustainable approaches to waste and recycling. We’ve been fortunate from the beginning to be able to collaborate with people who are committed to exploring new solutions for some big challenges, like green waste and MSW,” shared Rotochopper COO, Jamey Brick. “The best is yet to come! We remain excited and ready to build on the legacy that our company founders created. Our team is strong, and the passion, energy and expertise of our people will empower growth and innovation for the next 30 years,” remarked Tosh Brinkerhoff, Rotochopper CEO. 18 Soil & Mulch Producer News November / December 2020
local landfills and disposal sites, creating an environmental burden and pressure on disposal sites around the nation,” Raynor said. Corporate headquarters for Mulch Manufacturing remain in Ohio. The company also maintains another mulch plant in Florida and in Georgia operates what is described as the largest all-cypress sawmill facility in the U.S. A nearby mulch plant has been merged into the sawmill operation. “We call it our cypress mulch plant with lumber as a byproduct,” John Spencer said. National Storm Recovery is headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. Both John Spencer and Raynor said the merger of National Storm Recovery and Mulch Manufacturing was “beneficial for both companies.” Raynor noted that the merger provided the company with a significantly larger footprint in the mulch industry. He cited Mulch Manufacturing’s national distribution, its sales contracts with big box retailers and the increase in production and packaging capacity it provides. “Not only does this transaction make good economic sense, but we both share the same vision and commitment of providing environmentally friendly products to the public . . .” added Ralph Spencer. “The belief that we are ‘stewards of the environment’ should not be understated.” John Spencer, who handed control of the business over to his son late last year, agreed that Mulch Manufacturing has the product line and distribution system to address a substantial customer base which can be expanded. John Spencer, 83, remains active in the business. “National Storm Recovery generates a large volume of wood fiber which can feed the raw material needs of Mulch Manufacturing and Central Florida Arbor Care has an impressive customer base in the landscaping and nursery business in central Florida,” Mulch Manufacturing said. “This combined mixture of customers, products, raw materials, knowledge and transportation assets makes an impressive opportunity to address a large and expanding business base.”
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November / December 2020 Soil & Mulch Producer News 19
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Inside This Issue
Mulch Manufacturing, National Storm Recovery Merger Creates Outstanding Business Model PAGE 1 News From The Mulch & Soil Council PAGE 4 Strategic Alliance Partners Aim to Boost Food Waste Recycling, Reduce Greenhouse Gases PAGE 8 Oak Leaf Extract May Solve Florida’s Citrus Crop Disease PAGE 12 Senate Hearing on Biomass Energy Bill Looks Positive for Forest Restoration in Arizona PAGE 14 Housing Starts Hold Steady Through Pandemic Year – Lumber Prices Climb PAGE 16
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