Feedstock acceptance protocol

 We use a comprehensive Feedstock Acceptance Protocol designed to ensure that the materials we take in are beneficial to our final product quality and not harmful either to the environment or to our workers’ health.  

The Blue Hen Organics composting facility operates under a DNREC permit that requires regulatory pre-approval or permit modification for each new waste stream accepted for processing.  The company’s internal pre-acceptance protocols have been approved by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources for pre-acceptance evaluation. 

The following steps make up the feedstock acceptance protocol:

1. Analytical Review

In order to insure all finished composts meet or exceed Blue Hen Organics product quality requirements, no feedstock is accepted by Blue Hen Organics that cannot meet the acceptable standards for toxicity, including metals.  

Blue Hen Organics will arrange for the waste generator to provide laboratory analyses of the feedstocks for the parameters included in the attached Feedstock Analytical Review form.  In addition to issues related to quality of finished compost products, laboratory tests may also provide data related to toxins, corrosivity, nutrient content, calcium carbonate equivalency, percent solids, and other factors that influence recipe development and compost manufacturing.  Blue Hen Organics will also independently test, at an approved laboratory, feedstock material for data such as total nitrogen, total carbon, moisture content, soluble salts, and metal content.  If all laboratory tests are satisfactory and the new feedstock is accepted; a copy of all test results will be filed at the facility and provided to DNREC if a compost permit modification is needed.   

2. Compost Recipe Review

Blue Hen Organics will complete a Compost Recipe analysis of the proposed feedstock in accordance with our compost recipe model computer program to determine that the proposed feedstock will not compromise either mixture C:N ratios nor mixture moisture contents.  The new feedstock will be added to current feedstocks in a ratio that will maintain optimal compost recipe parameters.

3. Pilot Scale Evaluation 

For a new type of feedstock material, a pilot scale evaluation may be warranted, as determined by Blue Hen Organics.  Once analytical standards have been verified, an appropriate quantity of the proposed feedstock would be obtained from the generator composted to: 

• Verify the wastes’ handling characteristics;
• Verify the feedstock is suitable for aerobic composting;  
• Develop a feedstock profile to be used in processing the waste stream; and,
• Test any special amendments, bulking agents, handling, or processing systems that may be required to successfully process the feedstock.
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All pilot-scale evaluations shall be conducted by Royal Oak Farm.  Pilot test results will be made available only to the source generator and to Virginia DEQ (if needed for a permit modification).

4. Generator File Review and Meeting

Once analytical compliance has been verified and pilot scale studies successfully completed, representatives of Blue Hen Organics will also ask for a meeting at the generator’s location so as to verify waste handling, loading and transport conditions and to establish a face-to-face working relationship with key personnel of the generator.  This will help ensure a good relationship for conducting business.

Blue Hen Organics offers Delaware businesses, industries and municipalities a safe, reliable, reputable way of recycling clean, biodegradable, non-toxic, non-hazardous wastes.