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PA EPA JOINS PROCTOR AND GAMBLE IN STUDY OF COMPOSTING PROC.

Release Date: 5/3/96
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PA EPA JOINS PROCTOR AND GAMBLE IN STUDY OF COMPOSTING PROC.

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1996

EPA JOINS PROCTER AND GAMBLE IN STUDY OF COMPOSTING PROCESS

EPA's Office of Research and Development and the Procter and Gamble Co. (P&G) have signed a cooperative research and development agreement to study the large scale process for converting municipal solid waste into compost. The research will look at how different processing conditions affect the biology and chemistry of solid waste. P&G will compost simulated waste in various conditions, varying the temperatures and amounts of air and chemical properties of the waste. The compost will be analyzed over time with a focus on the microbiology of composting, the effects of different conditions and the quality of the end product. About two-thirds of all municipal solid waste collected is put into community landfills nationwide. A large part of that waste is organic matter -- paper, yard and household waste -- that could be diverted from the landfill and composted into a soil enhancer if an economical process for large scale composting were more available. The results of this joint study can be used to optimize the composting process and will be useful to designers and operators of municipal compost facilities. For technical information, call EPA's Larry Fradkin at 513-569-7960 or Scott Stewart at Procter and Gamble at 513-945-8022.

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