Top image: Existing and planned organics recycling infrastructure in Hamilton County. Source: Organics Processing Feasibility Study

Hamilton County, Ohio officials are moving forward with plans to expand food scrap composting capacity in southwest Ohio with the release of a Request for Interest (RFI) that seeks potential sites and experienced operators for new facilities.

Issued by Hamilton County ReSource, the county’s solid waste management authority, the RFI is intended to identify partners that can help develop additional organics processing capacity as regional diversion efforts grow. The request invites participation from landowners with suitable sites as well as compost operators interested in managing a facility.

The RFI follows the completion of the county’s Organics Processing Feasibility Study, which evaluated how Hamilton County could develop the infrastructure needed to handle increasing volumes of food scraps and other organic materials. The study concluded that new composting capacity will be necessary in order to manage the material generated across the county while minimizing transport distances and operational costs.

Rather than pursuing a single centralized facility, the study recommended a decentralized network of composting operations located throughout the region. The feasibility study notes that three medium scale composting facilities could meet projected demand if each processed roughly 18,000 tons of organic material annually, including approximately 5,000 tons of food scraps.

A distributed model offers several advantages. Smaller facilities can often be sited more easily, reduce hauling distances, and create redundancy within the regional system. For local governments and private operators alike, decentralized infrastructure can also provide flexibility as organics diversion programs expand over time.

The newly released RFI represents the county’s first step toward turning that decentralized strategy into actual projects.

Request for Interest Details 

The Request for Interest notes that Hamilton County seeks two primary types of partners. The first are organizations that control land suitable for composting operations. Potential sites must include at least six acres, with approximately four acres dedicated to composting activities and the remaining acreage reserved for vegetative buffering and operational space. Sites may include existing yard trimmings composting operations, mulching facilities, or undeveloped parcels that could host a new composting facility.

Facilities already managing yard trimmings may be particularly well positioned to participate if they have the capacity and interest to add food scrap processing to their operations. Respondents are asked to provide details about site ownership, zoning, infrastructure needs, and anticipated investment requirements for adding food scraps.

The second category of partners includes compost operators who may not control land but have the technical experience and interest to operate a facility. These operators are asked to describe their composting experience, preferred processing technologies, and proposed revenue models such as tipping fees, compost sales, or other service agreements.

According to the RFI, Hamilton County may provide financial support for project development depending on the structure of the partnership. The information gathered through the RFI will help determine whether sufficient interest exists to move forward with a public-private partnership and what level of county investment may be required.

Technology selection will also be an important consideration. Based on findings from the feasibility study, the county is encouraging proposals that incorporate aerated static pile (ASP) composting systems. Consultants found that ASP systems can provide relatively fast processing of food scraps while minimizing odors and maintaining a relatively small processing footprint. These characteristics make the approach attractive for more densely populated areas where available land may be limited.

The RFI does allow respondents to propose alternative technologies, but the county indicates that systems capable of managing odors and operating efficiently within constrained footprints will likely be most competitive.

Any sites proposed through the RFI must also meet a range of regulatory siting requirements under Ohio rules governing composting facilities. These include setback distances from occupied homes, surface waters, floodplains, and protected natural areas, as well as a requirement that sites be located within approximately 50 miles of the center of Hamilton County.

Hamilton County ReSource has scheduled a virtual information session for April 1 to review the RFI and answer questions from interested parties. Written questions must be submitted by April 9, with responses issued the following week. Expressions of interest are due April 30.

Read the Request for Interest. 

Read the Feasibility Study.