(Click on the image for Arelis Hernández's Washington Post report)
- The pile of fruit and vegetable scraps bakes for weeks under a breathable cover, eventually reaching temperatures above 160 degrees. Broken down by microbes and carefully monitored by employees of the governments of Maryland and Prince George’s County, the waste transforms into a fine brown dirt that can be sold in bulk as garden compost for $12.50 per cubic yard.
- The nutrient-rich mixture is a valuable commodity for Prince George’s, which is hoping eventually to make a profit selling the mixture to urban farms, home gardeners and larger clients (current customers include the White House, the University of Maryland and Denison Landscaping).