Ithaca, NY | jb29@cornell.edu

Jean has worked at the Cornell Waste Management Institute in solid waste education for over 30 years  Reducing, repurposing, recycling and composting solid and organic residuals to mine and redirect resources from our waste stream is a systematic way to manage our waste stream.

She works on composting feedstock from food to manure to animal carcasses. Currently her time includes work on food scrap, manure and carcass & butcher waste composting education and research. Characterizing waste streams is important to be able to separate and determine value-added purposes for different residuals. Compost quality and consistency in the market place is also a high priority, as well as encouraging use to build healthy soils and redistribute nutrients.

Previous experience includes working with different agencies including US Forest and National Park Service, US EPA, NYS DEC and the landscape and greenhouse industry.

Session Code: 5A

Track: Operations

Session Name: Circular Economy

Session Time: Thursday, Feb 8, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Presentation Title: Compost feedstock in the Circular Economy-Cotton, Food Scrap, Animal mortality

Presentation Description: Achieving circularity in the organic feedstock economy is the goal reducing what is diverted from the landfill to digesters and compost facility. Our landfills throughout the world are quickly filling to capacity and anything that is organic or recyclable needs to be diverted. Composting these materials and then incorporating them into the soils where we continue to grow food and feed, fiber and livestock is extremely important to our soil. Along with reducing our global warming trends. Deadstock is generally rejected from landfills, clothing is trashed in the fast fashion world and food scrap is a resource that needs to help grow more healthy food, feed and fiber.