The First Facility Management Blog

Converted Organics Inc., a Boston-based manufacturer, is diverting food waste from landfills to produce fertilizers for lawns, golf courses, sports turf, and other landscape uses. According to the EPA, about 96 billion pounds of food waste is disposed of each year in the U.S. Due to the difficult nature of composting food waste on a large scale, the majority of this waste is destined for landfills or incineration.

Turf-Blend 6-0-0 from Converted Organics

To combat this, Converted Organics collects food waste from supermarkets, restaurants, and processing plants and then uses its patented technology to transform the food waste into a high quality, organic fertilizer. The process is large-scale, expedited version of backyard composting, which introduces additional oxygen as well as heat into a closed, carefully monitored tank, as a way to accelerate the digestion process.  As a result, what would take months to compost can be quickly converted to a useful all natural fertilizer product in a matter of hours.

One of company’s products, Turf-Blend™ 6-0-0*, is a liquid fertilizer. Its nutrients are derived from L-Lysine Amino Acid, compost, and phosphoric acid. This product has been formulated to provide professional greenskeepers and landscape professionals with a high quality, fully pasteurized liquid fertilizer suitable for use on all types of turf and any soil condition.

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) will soon be able to water its green space and turn its fountains back on after a water ban that went into effect October 2007. Water restrictions are still in place, but the 200 acre campus will no longer be as much of a strain on the local water supply.

The GWCCA, which includes the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome, and Centennial Olympic Park, has bored two 660-foot deep wells. One is located at the northeast corner of the Park and the other is underneath International Plaza, which is in front of the GWCC’s Building B entrance. Water from the wells will be used for watering lawns and plants as well as operating ornamental water features.

A pump test to identify the rate of water flow is performed on the well located under Centennial Olympic Park.

The well at Centennial Olympic Park should be fully operational in 9 to 10 weeks, and the Georgia World Congress Center project will be complete in late August or early September.

Looking Long-Term
Since the City of Atlanta’s Level Four water ban was implemented, management at the GWCCA facilities has had to invest more than $100,000 in repairing, resealing, and recaulking water features that have dried out and cracked. Additionally, $500,000 worth of plant life on the campus has been lost.

“As an economic generator to the state, we welcome millions of visitors to the Park and GWCCA campus each year,” said Mark Banta, general manager of the 21 acre Centennial Olympic Park. “The wear and tear of foot traffic requires water to rejuvenate the plant life. Water from these wells will enable us to keep our 200 acre campus green.”

The Park project, which ties the well to the water garden storage and irrigation system, will cost $142,712. Testing has confirmed that it will produce 12.5 gallons of water per minute once construction is complete. Consequently, the investment will be recouped in just seven years. The GWCC project is estimated to cost $292,000, but can produce 54 gallons per minute meaning that it will take three years to recover the investment. Special piping in International Plaza that connects to cisterns below the plaza will also allow for water harvesting. The return on investment will be significant over time.

Banta explains, “Water harvesting takes rainwater that falls on the International Plaza and store it in cisterns for later use. The well uses underground water that exists already.”

“We are extremely pleased with the projected output of the two wells on our campus,” said Mark Zimmerman, general manager of the Georgia World Congress Center. “With local water limitations, we are happy that we’ll no longer have to put a strain on the state’s water supply and that, at the same time, we’ll be able to maintain much needed green space in our downtown area. The wells tie in perfectly with our continual goals to be good stewards of our facilities and to take responsibility for the huge impact we can have on the environment.”

Fifty-eight trees recently planted in two schoolyards in Bacon County, GA will improve the appearance and safety of those properties. Through its Making the Shade partnership, the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) is partnered with Milliken & Company, the City of Alma, and Bacon County Board of Education to implement the program in that county.

(left to right): Jamie Calloway, Milliken & Company, Alma Plant with student volunteers from Bacon County High and Middle School and Vance Burkett, Milliken & Company, Alma Plant

GFC announced its first three Making the Shade partnerships, including Milliken, in 2007 on Georgia Arbor Day. Today, nearly 500 trees have been planted, with the program expanded to benefit more than 9,000 students at 14 schools in 13 counties throughout Georgia.

“We are very grateful to our partners who helped achieve healthier and more attractive school playgrounds by planting 13 species including oak varieties, maple, poplar and cypress trees,” said Daniel Westcot, Georgia Forestry Commission community forester.

The 58 trees were recently added to the Bacon County Elementary and Bacon County Primary School campuses, which had offered very limited shade areas for faculty and students. Adding shade trees to the landscapes will reduce the effects of high temperatures and related health and safety concerns, while those shading HVAC equipment will improve energy efficiency.

“As a major employer in the community, Milliken is pleased to have worked with our local schools and the state to implement the Making the Shade program,” said Vance Burkett, Bacon County Board of Education member and Milliken associate.

Milliken supports Making the Shade as part of its Trees For All initiative, reflecting concerns for healthy environments—indoors and out. Milliken demonstrates its commitment to improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) with its adhesive free TractionBack® modular installation system, which eliminates offgassing. Outdoors, the company nurtures millions of trees and is certified carbon negative through reduced emissions and carbon sequestration in its forests, without purchased credits.

The Georgia Forestry Commission research indicates compelling reasons to add shade trees to the landscape:

• Traditional elementary school campus design often eliminates the health benefits provided by shade trees.
• Children are more susceptible to ground level ozone because they often play outside on hot, muggy days.
• Children’s skin damage can occur in as little as 15 minutes of overexposure to the suns ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
• Elevated playground temperatures reduce air quality and increase risks for children with asthma and other lung related issues.
• Elevated surface temperatures of school yards and playground equipment can cause serious and painful burns to students.

To see other companies involved in planting trees, visit the Arbor Day Foundation.

The Bio Chemical Weed Pharm(TM), EPA Reg. No. 81936-1-81935 is a “food grade” non selective weed and grass killer, having an active ingredient of 200 grain vinegar (20% Acetic Acid) and which qualifies for use in organic production under Rule 205.605 of the USDA National Organic Program. Weed Pharm is manufactured by Pharm Solutions Inc. based in Port Townsend, WA.

Weed Pharm is a food grade weed and grass killer.

University experiments have shown that show 20% acetic acid is as effective as chemical herbicides in killing annual and broadleaf weeds and weedy grasses with one application, (perennial weeds may require a second application) and weeds cannot build a resistance to the product as the acetic acid strips the leaves of their waxy coating preventing the collection of moisture and light.

This Pharm Solutions product is labeled for use as a horticultural vinegar for non-agricultural uses at the following types of sites. Recommended for the control of herbaceous broadleaf and grassy weeds and unwanted grasses around: buildings, storage areas, fence rows and driveways, landscaped areas, private association ornamental gardens, golf courses, school play fields, municipal, state, and federal parks, as well as recreation areas, non-cropland driveways, patios, sidewalks and bike/hike trails, kennels, dog runs, and other animal enclosures.

Weed Pharm is available at Whole Foods, Smith and Hawken, Fred Meyer, and independent lawn and garden centers across the U.S., as well as on the Pharm Solutions Web site. Bulk quantities—55 gallon drums, 275 gallon totes, and truckload quantities—are also available by contacting the company.

While the world is currently in a sports oriented mindset, it would be remiss to overlook results from one exciting non-Olympic event—the International Tree Climbing Championship—that took place earlier this month. Contestants from all over the world participated in a competition that started as idea back in 1975 (and was dubbed the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Tree Trimmer’s Jamboree).

STIHL Spokesman Mark Chisholm Takes 3rd Place at the International Tree Climbing Championship

Representing Team USA, expert arborist Mark Chisholm of New Jersey (pictured above), the two-time world champion, took his 15th top-five finish. He placed third overall.

One part acrobat, one part expert rope climber, one part tree physiologist, and several parts competitor and thrill seeker, Chisholm works as a professional arborist with his family owned Aspen Tree Expert Company in New Jersey. A STIHL spokesman since 2001, Chisholm travels the world conducting safety and education training on behalf of STIHL among numerous professional groups, most recently in Italy at the annual European Congress of Arboriculture. STIHL manufactures chain saws, which Chisholm uses professionally and personally.

In a field of 37 competitors, which included this year’s champion, Bernd Strasser, Chisholm finished the preliminary competition in overall first place and took the following finishes in advance of the Master’s Challenge: 

• Belayed Speed Climb – Chisholm took 2nd place with a time of 48.87 seconds in this event that tests the contestant’s ability to climb up a predetermined route from the ground to about 60 feet up a tree with a belayed climbing system attached for safety.

• Aerial Rescue – Chisholm finished in 2nd place with a score of 44 points in this timed event that tests the contestant’s ability to climb to and safely lower a 120-pound dummy representing a climber who is unable to descend without assistance.

• Work Climb – Chisholm took 3rd place with a time of 84.015 seconds in the work climb, which tests the contestant’s ability to move about the tree using a tree-climbing rope and saddle to several work stations, where they are given in-tree tasks to complete.

He held his secured footlock world record of 13.8 seconds. 

Chisholm has placed among the top 10 at the ISA’s International Tree Climbing Championship for the past 17 years. He recently won his 16th straight title at the New Jersey Arborist’s Chapter of the ISA’s Tree Climbing Competition – which qualified him for this year’s international competition.

“This competition is always very tough, and I’m proud to be working among the best in the industry here,” said Chisholm. “An event like this does so much to raise awareness for the importance of caring for trees – one of our most important renewable resources.”