The Organic Stream Podcast is a talk show about organics recycling and soil management featuring experts and key figures in the environmental sphere. We focus on sharing their insights, experiences and best practices in collecting, composting and bio-dige
EPISODE SUMMARY In part two of our climate talks episode, we’re delving deeper into the main discussion points, the challenges, and the dangers we’re facing right now in making agriculture and soil a key player in climate change strategies. By the end, we should have a decent overview of the situation and will be all... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY In this two-part episode we discuss what role compost, soil, and agriculture played during the COP21 climate talks last year, and review what has been happening since, with COP22 just around the corner. We’ll also be sharing insights from the International Compost Roundtable – a side event that took place during COP21, with... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY While we will continue to make new episodes, there are times when we feel the urge to highlight a past episode – because the topic it covers becomes news and the show shares some great insights, or because it is content that our newer listeners might have missed out on. Since last year... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY While we will continue to make new episodes, there are times when we feel the urge to highlight a past episode – because the topic it covers becomes news and the show shares some great insights, or because it is content that our newer listeners might have missed out on. Since last year... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY While we will continue to make new episodes, there are times when we feel the urge to highlight a past episode – because the topic it covers becomes news and the show shares some great insights, or because it is content that our newer listeners might have missed out on. Since last year... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode, we bring you a detailed update on the current status and challenges facing the Anaerobic Digestion sector today. With industry experts Jing Liu and Mario Rosato, we discuss the need for a better understanding of the AD process to improve operational efficiency, policy changes that support renewable energy and environmental safety, and... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY In part one of our Best Practices episode, we took a look at strategies for building strong partnerships and for a successful roll-out. In this final episode, we're picking up where we left off. We explore San Francisco’s best practices in gaining trust with their outreach strategies; go in-depth with Seattle’s excellent education... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY On our journey through the planning stages of multi-residential organics programs, we've come across many challenges. But as more and more cities start tackling food waste in their apartment buildings, we're creating a whole library of experiences, best practices, and successful strategies to learn from. In Episode 3, we begin to take a... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY This week we’re in New South Wales, Australia, to learn about the Waste Less Recycle More initiative and the Organics Infrastructure Fund that will see 70 million AUD invested into organics management in the region. We speak with the Director of Waste and Resource Recovery at the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Steve Beaman,... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY Where people gather, there will be waste. An event the size of the Olympic Games generates about four-hundred kilograms of waste per minute – and half of that is organic. This week, we travel to Rio De Janeiro and speak with the Head of Cleaning and Waste at the 2016 Olympic Games about... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY Multistory buildings are often considered the final frontier of organics recycling – and it's easy to see why. Densely populated with little space, there are a number of challenges to tackle when setting up a program. In episode two, we pick off where we left off in episode one and continue to explore these... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY In urban areas all around the world, we are stretching towards the sky – to save space on the ground, and make room for our growing populations. In this Multistory Special, we explore the major challenges and factors we need to pay attention to when planning an organics program in a multistory residential building,... Read more »
Our editorial team is currently producing a 6-episode series of The Organic Stream talk show, dedicated to spreading strategic insights to influencing bodies and support drought relief efforts in California and other regions of the world facing a water crisis. Until today, the focus of the water crisis in California has been on conventional strategies... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY This week, we're exploring how data technologies are changing the recycling and waste management landscape. In a world where connectivity is fast-growing and technology is everywhere, ‘big data' is becoming a central element to advance outreach and education strategies and improve the performance of recycling schemes. We speak to Marco Mattiello of Italian... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 5 of our online course. EPISODE SUMMARY On today's episode, we're taking a look at the new compost label and quality assurance system designed by the French national network for the collection and recycling of biowaste, Compost Plus. We're joined by Thomas Colin of Compost Plus who gives us a detailed look... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode we explore the work involved in organising, planning and putting in place an organics diversion program for events with our guest, Leslie Lukacs. As founder and principal of L2 Environmental (California, USA), Leslie has spent many years organising zero waste policies at various types of events and venues. She tells... Read more »
EPISODE SUMMARY We're kicking off the year with a focus on the use of compost in horticulture – how compost use affects soil composition and soil health, and the plants or crops grown in it. This week, we're talking to Graham Brookman of The Food Forest organic farm in Gawler, South Australia about how compost... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 4 of our online course. In this week’s episode, we explore the process of selecting waste collection vehicles and technologies for a city’s collection system – where narrow streets, traffic and noise are some of the key factors to influence the decision making process. Our guest this week is project... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 3 and Lesson 5 of our online course. This week we’re taking a trip down under, to highlight new and exciting recycling program created by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) of New South Wales, Australia. The program, called the Industrial Ecology Business Support Network, aims to facilitate and encourage the reuse of industrial... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 5 and Lesson 7 (coming soon) of our online course. This week we speak with Jo Zientek, Deputy Director of the Environmental Services Department at the City of San Jose, California, about their new high solids anaerobic digestion/composting and biogas facility. We take a retrospective look at the city’s achievement in order to learn... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 5 and Lesson 6 of our online course. In this episode we’re in Los Angeles talking to the project manager of the Inland Empire Regional Composting Authority Jeff Ziegenbein about how best to expand your composting facility without compromising quality or risking your business. We discuss with him the reasons why composters may need... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 5 and Lesson 6 of our online course. In this episode we navigate the complex and sometimes confusing world of compostable plastics, addressing the current issues and main questions on this topic. What is compostable as opposed to biodegradable, and why does it matter? What standards and testing protocols exist for compostable plastics... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 3 and Lesson 4 of our online course. We join Director of Recycling Bridget Anderson to discuss the DSNY’s extensive outreach and education strategy for their curbside organics collection pilot program in New York City. We explore how they dealt with the different demographics in the city, how they used online social media... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 4 and Lesson 5 of our online course. In this episode we take an in depth look into the expanding organics collection and composting program in New York City. We speak with Bridget Anderson, director of the Recycling Unit of the DSNY’s Bureau of Waste Prevention, in order to understand the unique situation that a... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 4 and Lesson 5 of our online course. In this episode, of our now bi-weekly podcast show, we focus on urban community composting in New York City and speak to long-time community composter David Buckel from Added Value Red Hook Community Farm in Brooklyn to learn more about the movement and to discuss the... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 1 and Lesson 5 of our online course. Episode twenty: part two of the two part special with zero waste pioneer and industrial economist Robin Murray, in which we talk about the importance of soil as a basis for human economy, and the great chasm between what science tells us about soil’s... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 5 of our online course. In episode three of the drought special, we're in Australia to learn about the role of the public sector in preparing a country for drought, and the policies, incentives and strategies that can be put in place to help prevent and protect against it. We... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 1 of our online course. Episode eighteen: in this part one of a two part special, we speak with zero waste pioneer and industrial economist Robin Murray about the importance of soil as a basis for human economy, and the great chasm between what science tells us about soil’s role and... Read more »
In this second part of the two-part special on vineyards, we speak with CEO and vineyard manager of Food and Beverages Australia Limited (FABAL), Ashley Keegan about the costs, risks and benefits of using composted green organic mulch on vineyards. We go into detail about sourcing a good quality product, cost-effective strategies for applying the... Read more »
Episode sixteen is part one of a two-part series on the use and benefits of sustainable agricultural practices in vineyards. In this episode, we're focusing on the use and benefits of cover crops for vineyards. With us to talk about this are agronomist and soil culture expert Bob Shaffer from Hawaii, and Bob Cannard of... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 3 and Lesson 4 of our online course. In this fifteenth episode, we speak to scientist Dr. Vara Vissa about her short trip to Benin, Africa, and the spontaneous grassroots organics recycling campaign she helped create with the help of local students and community leaders. Vara saw a wealth of opportunities for the... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 1 of our online course. In this fourteenth episode, we’re speaking to agronomist and soil culture expert Bob Shaffer, and soil scientist and professor at UC Berkeley, Stephen Andrews about drought-proofing your farm or garden using mulch. The experts discuss best practices for choosing and applying mulch for water retention, the... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 3 and Lesson 4 of our online course. Episode thirteen is part one of a three-part special on the drought currently experienced in California, and the value of compost for saving water. In this episode we're talking to Robert Reed on how cities can prepare for drought through awareness campaigns that... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 6 of our online course. In this twelfth episode, we speak with Organics Recovery Specialist Gerry Gillespie about the City to Soil organics collection program, and their unique composting process using minimal machinery or manpower; ideal for remote locations and small farms. Thank you to Polytex for making this episode... Read more »
In this eleventh episode, we speak with Director of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at Cal Poly University, Hunter Francis, and Adjunct Professor at University of Illinois Springfield, Wynne Coplea, about the state of organics recycling, composting, and anaerobic digestion education in North America, and about the advantages of introducing composting into... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 1 of our online course. In this tenth episode, Master Composter Peter Ash tells us how he helped transform a hospital dump in Kerala, India, from a toxic wasteland into a lush environment – with a dramatic drop in heavy metal quantities in the soil – by using recycling and vermicomposting techniques. Thank... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 3 of our online course. In this ninth episode, we examine a food recovery school program in Oakland, USA, with program director Kelly Ernstfriedman and an onsite composting program in Ioannina University, Greece, with Prof. Georgios Pilidis, in order to get a vision of how a 360 solution can work in schools and... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 4 of our online course. In this eighth episode, we talk to Malcolm Williams about his recent trip to Egypt to meet the Zabbaleen community, who are now recognised as the official waste collectors of Cairo. The Zabbaleen have been recycling for over sixty years, and Malcolm gives us an insight into... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 1 of our online course. In this seventh episode, we talk to Master Composter Peter Ash about how he successfully tackled deforestation and soil erosion in a small village in Madagascar, with hardly any funds or manpower. Peter demonstrates how understanding natural systems and using nature to our advantage can dramatically improve the health... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 6 of our online course. In this sixth episode, Head of Composting at Novozymes Frank Franciosi gives us an in-depth view of the operations at his compost production facility in North Carolina (USA). He shares with us his thoughts on marketing compost correctly and his strategies for setting up a successful... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 4 of our online course. The city of Milan is currently rolling out the largest collection program for organics on the planet. In this fifth episode, we’re talking to Enzo Favoino of Zero Waste Europe who brings us up to speed on what’s happening in Milan, and gives us all... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 3 of our course. In this fourth episode, Eleen Murphy focuses on the Middle East and interviews Daniel Mitroussidis from ITSA on managing organics in a business setting in this part of the world. Thank you ESCAB for making this episode possible. QuantorXL® Drum Composting is a turnkey system that achieves full hygienization. Manure, sludge... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 7 (coming soon) of our course. This third episode of The Organic Stream is dedicated to biogas generation in developing countries. Eleen Murphy interviews Winfried Rijssenbeek from FACT Foundation to discuss the setup of anaerobic digesters in these regions where biogas generation is more than a source of energy. Thank you to ESCAB for... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 3 and Lesson 6 (coming soon) of our course. In this second episode we stopped in London to talk to Clare Brass from FoodLoop and Rokiah Yaman from LEAP. Eleen Murphy asked them about their respective projects: A small-scale anaerobic digestion system and an organics recycling program for an inner-city housing estate!... Read more »
This episode corresponds to Lesson 3 of our course. In this first episode, we are talking to Robert Reed who represents Recology, a company specializing in resource recovery services in the San Francisco region. Interview by Eleen Murphy Thank you to BiobiN for making this episode possible. BiobiN® is a mobile, on-site organic/wet material management solution that starts the... Read more »