Composting leaders recognized at USCC's COMPOST2019

Composting facilities in Texas and Tennessee, a non-profit program in San Diego, California, and an energetic organics program in Minneapolis, were among those who were honoured by their peers by the US Composting Council at a January ceremony. Awardees are nominated and honoured each year at the US Composting Council's (USCC) Annual Conference and Tradeshow. This year's program was held at the Renaissance Hotel, Glendale, Arizona, from January 28-31.

Composter of the Year - Large Scale was awarded to Texas Pure Products, a facility established in 1992 by the City of Plano in partnership with four-member cities: Plano, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson and North Texas Municipal Water District. The compost they produce is STA certified compost and OMRI listed, made from feedstock collected from groceries, markets and "back of house" preparation of food and yard trimmings.
 
The H. Clark Gregory Award, which recognizes grassroots education and awareness of composting, was presented to Dianne Hazard of the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation in San Diego, CA. In 1983, Solana Center pioneered the first comprehensive curbside recycling program in 
Southern California and is one of the first community-based recycling programs in the U.S.
 
The City of Minneapolis, Minnesota received the Organics Diversion Program of the Year Award for the education and outreach that has led to 49,350 households (46%) signing up and participating in the city's two-year-old citywide organics recycling program - and with a very low contamination rate (less than 1% in residential curbside organics). 
 
Composter of the Year-Small Scale award went to The Compost Company, a 5,000 ton per year facility in Nashville, TN. The company provides both manufacturing and collection from locations such as Music City Center, Nashville's LEED Gold convention center, as well as The Country Music Hall of Fame which houses three restaurants and caters around 550 events annually, as well as numerous locations around the city through a contract with Metropolitan Nashville.