After months of decomposition and aeriation, all the dead grass and yard waste dropped off at Pierre’s Solid Waste Facility is ready to be put back to good use as high-quality compost.
Solid Waste Superintendent Val Keller says they processed about four million pounds last year, up from the yearly average of 3.5 million pounds.
Once the decomposition process is complete, Keller says they screen the material to remove any inorganic matter. After that, the City adds it to top soil for city landscaping projects and makes the compost available to the public.
Cost to purchase the compost is $20 per ton or a minimum charge of $4. The compost is registered as a fertilizer with the South Dakota Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources. If you’re interested in purchasing the material, visit the Solid Waste Facility on East Park Street in Pierre during normal business hours.
It takes 3-12 months for the Solid Waste Facility to turn yard waste into ideal compost. The decomposition process is dependent on ambient air temperature and generally slows in the winter months.
Staff places the yard waste in large windrows near the City’s materials recovery site. Once the temperature of the windrows is between 130 and 140 degrees, the staff runs a compost turner over the product to aerate the material and assist the biological composting process.
Courtesy photo.
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