Worms Solve Problems at North Carolina
Correctional Facility
Information provide by:
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
Rhonda Sherman
Extension Solid Waste Specialist
Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department
Box 7625, Raleigh, NC
27695-7625
Phone: (919) 515-6770
Fax: (919) 515-6772
E-mail: Rhonda_Sherman@ncsu.edu
No. 1 - est. 04/97During its first three months of operation, Brown Creek Correctional Institution's (BCCI), innovative waste reduction program reduced its garbage disposal by 47 percent. This medium-security facility with an inmate population of 852 is located on 100 acres in Polkton, North Carolina.
Before beginning it's program in October 1997, BCCI's garbage was picked up twice a week. Now trash is collected only twice a month, saving the prison $1000 in monthly disposal costs. From October 29, 1997 through January 31, 1998, BCCI recycled 29 tons of materials (40 percent of the waste generated), including high and low grade office paper, old corrugated cardboard, aluminum and steel cans, glass, PETE and HDPE plastics, and plastic six-pack rings. The $2,008.17 that BCCI received for its recyclables during that three-month period has nearly recovered its $2,700 investment in a baler. A little more than 42 tons of garbage was removed from the facility during those three months, as compared to 78.5 tons of garbage disposed of during that same time frame the year before.
How did BCCI achieve such a significant waste reduction in such a short period of time? It all started with "the guy at the top"--Rick Jackson, the prison's superintendent. Rick said that the State of North Carolina encourages state departments to recycle, however, little guidance is provided on how to implement waste reduction programs. Already a recycling and composting enthusiast at home, Rick did some reading and brainstorming and figured out how to set up a variety of waste reduction programs at the prison, including source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and vermicomposting. He set a goal of reducing the prison's waste by 60 percent, and was pleasantly surprised to come so close to the goal in only three months.
Some of the source reduction and reuse measures implemented at the prison include the following:
- Switched from half-pint milk cartons to a bladder/dispenser system
- Switched from buying processed eggs in cartons to using real eggs and composting the shells
- Switched from purchasing cleaning detergents in 5-gallon containers to 55-gallon drums, which are then reused on prison farms
- Changed from paper hand towels to electric hand dryers
- Eliminated take-out polystyrene trays
At Holiday (Christmas) time, the prison's superintendent is allowed to spend $2.00 per inmate on gifts, so Mr. Jackson chose to buy each inmate a big insulated coffee cup. When prisoners go to the canteen and order a drink, they are expected to bring their own cup (polystyrene cups are available upon request).
Rick established a unique recycling strategy that maximizes BCCI's availability of cheap labor. All of the garbage is hand-sorted by prisoners before it leaves the premises. Food is separated at the dining hall and canteen for composting and vermicomposting, and dry materials are sorted for recycling. The dry sorting takes place outside under an awning, where recyclables are placed in plastic bags and later baled. Steel and aluminum cans are flattened by a huge crusher crafted by Prison Enterprises. An unexpected benefit of hand-sorting garbage is that in December 1997 alone, $10,000 worth of clothing was recovered (some prisoners have a penchant for throwing away perfectly good clothing), laundered, and redistributed.
Food and confidential paper is either composted or vermicomposted on-site. Prisoners constructed a three-compartment composting bin from wood and wire measuring 4 feet by 12 feet by 5 feet high, and a smaller single-compartment wire and concrete bin. In addition to food and paper, BCCI composts dryer lint and hair from their barber shop. A total of 32,9333 pounds of organic materials were composted October through January.
About 774 pounds of food scraps were vermicomposted at two locations in the correctional facility during the three-month period. One worm bin, measuring 20 feet by 20 feet, is located outside near the composting bins. Built of salvaged steel I-beams, the worm bin is divided into three sections by recovered concrete blocks. Currently, vermicomposting takes place within this container in two 8 foot by 5 foot beds, plus a 4 foot by 5 foot bed.
In addition, three vermicomposting bins are located inside a greenhouse used for a therapeutic planting program for chronically-mentally ill inmates. A wooden worm bin measuring 2 feet by 4 feet was built by inmates, and a wooden shipping case was divided into 2 foot by 2 foot sections. When the worm castings are ready to be harvested, they will be mixed with soil by the inmates to grow vegetables and flowers.