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Composting Handbook, Table of Contents






App. A Characteristics of Raw Materials

Table A.1






  

    
    
    % N 
    C:N ratio 
    Moisture 
    Bulk density 
     
  

  

    
    Type of 
    (dry 
    (weight 
    content % 
    (pounds per 
     
  

  

    Material 
    value 
    weight) 
    to weight) 
    (wet weight) 
    cubic yard) 
     
  

  

    Crop residues and fruit/vegetable-processing
      wastes
     
     
  

  

    Apple filter cake 
    Typical 
    1.2 
    13 
    60 
    1,197 
    
  

  

    Apple pomace 
    Typical 
    1.1 
    48 
    88 
    1,559 
    
  

  

    Apple-processing sludge 
    Typical 
    2.8 
    7 
    59 
    1,411 
    
  

  

    Cocoa shells 
    Typical 
    2.3 
    22 
    8 
    798 
    
  

  

    Coffee grounds 
    Typical 
    - 
    20 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Corn cobs 
    Range 
    0.4-0.8 
    56-123 
    9-18 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.6 
    98 
    15 
    557 
    
  

  

    Corn stalks 
    Typical 
    0.6-0.8 
    60-73 a 
    12 
    32 
    
  

  

    Cottonseed meal 
    Typical 
    7.7 
    7 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Cranberry filter cake 
    Typical 
    2.8 
    31 
    50 
    1,021 
    
  

  

    (with rice hulls) 
    Typical 
    1.2 
    42 
    71 
    1,298 
    
  

  

    Cranberry plant (stems, leaves) 
    Typical 
    0.9 
    61 
    61 
    - 
    
  

  

    Cull potatoes 
    Typical 
    - 
    18 
    78 
    1,540 
    
  

  

    Fruit wastes 
    Range 
    0.9-2.6 
    20-49 
    62-88 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    1.4 
    40 
    80 
    - 
    
  

  

    Olive husks 
    Typical 
    1.2-1.5 
    30-35 
    8-10 
    - 
    
  

  

    Potato-processing sludge 
    Typical 
    - 
    28 
    75 
    1,570 
    
  

  

    Potato tops 
    Typical 
    1.5 
    25 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Rice hulls 
    Range 
    0-0.4 
    113-1120 
    7-12 
    185-219 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.3 
    121 
    14 
    202 
    
  

  

    Soybean meal 
    Typical 
    7.2-7.6 
    4-6 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Tomato-processing waste 
    Typical 
    4.5 
    11 a 
    62 
    - 
    
  

  

    Vegetable produce 
    Typical 
    2.7 
    19 
    87 
    1,585 
    
  

  

    Vegetable wastes 
    Typical 
    2.5-4 
    11-13 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Fish and meat processing
     
  

  

    Blood wastes (slaughterhouse waste and dried blood) 
    Typical 
    13-14 
    3-3.5 
    10-78 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Crab and lobster wastes 
    Range 
    4.6-8.2 
    4.0-5.4 
    35-61 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    6.1 
    4.9 
    47 
    240 
    
  

  

    Fish-breading crumbs 
    Typical 
    2.0 
    28 
    10 
    - 
    
  

  

    Fish-processing sludge 
    Typical 
    6.8 
    5.2 
    94 
    - 
    
  

  

    Fish wastes (gurry, racks, and so on) 
    Range 
    6.5-14.2 
    2.6-5.0 
    50-81 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    10.6 
    3.6 
    76 
    - 
    
  

  

    Mixed slaughterhouse waste 
    Typical 
    7-10 
    2-4 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Mussel wastes 
    Typical 
    3.6 
    2.2 
    63 
    - 
    
  

  

    Poultry carcasses 
    Typical 
    2.4 b 
    5 
    65 
    - 
    
  

  

    Paunch manure 
    Typical 
    1.8 
    20-30 
    80-85 
    1,460 
    
  

  

    Shrimp wastes 
    Typical 
    9.5 
    3.4 
    78 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Manures
     
  

  

    Broiler litter 
    Range 
    1.6-3.9 
    12-15 a 
    22-46 
    756-1,026 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    2.7 
    14 a 
    37 
    864 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Cattle 
    Range 
    1.5-4.2 
    11-30 
    67-87 
    1,323-1,674 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    2.4 
    19 
    81 
    1,458 
    
  

  

    Dairy tie stall 
    Typical 
    2.7 
    18 
    79 
    - 
    
  

  

    Dairy free stall 
    Typical 
    3.7 
    13 
    83 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Horse-general 
    Range 
    1.4-2.3 
    22-50 
    59-79 
    1,215-1,620 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    1.6 
    30 
    72 
    1,379 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Horse-race track 
    Range 
    0.8-1.7 
    29-56 
    52-67 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    1.2 
    41 
    63 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Laying hens 
    Range 
    4-10 
    3-10 
    62-75 
    1,377-1,620 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    8.0 
    6 
    69 
    1,479 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Sheep 
    Range 
    1.3-3.9 
    13-20 
    60-75 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    2.7 
    16 
    69 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Swine 
    Range 
    1.9-4.3 
    9-19 
    65-91 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    3.1 
    14 
    80 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Turkey litter 
    Average 
    2.6 
    16 a 
    26 
    783 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Municipal wastes
     
  

  

    Garbage (food waste) 
    Typical 
    1.9-2.9 
    14-16 
    69 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Night soil 
    Typical 
    5.5-6.5 
    6-10 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Paper from domestic refuse 
    Typical 
    0.2-0.25 
    127-178 
    18-20 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Pharmaceutical wastes 
    Typical 
    2.6 
    19 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Refuse (mixed food, paper, 
    Typical 
    0.6-1.3 
    34-80 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    and so on) 
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Sewage sludge 
    Range 
    2-6.9 
    5-16 
    72-84 
    1,075-1,750 
    
  

  

    Activated sludge 
    Typical 
    5.6 
    6 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Digested sludge 
    Typical 
    1.9 
    16 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Straw, hay, silage
     
  

  

    Corn silage 
    Typical 
    1.2-1.4 
    38-43 a 
    65-68 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Hay-general 
    Range 
    0.7-3.6 
    15-32 
    8-10 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    2.10 
    - 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Hay-legume 
    Range 
    1.8-3.6 
    15-19 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    2.5 
    16 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Hay-non-legume 
    Range 
    0.7-2.5 
    - 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    1.3 
    32 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Straw-general 
    Range 
    0.3-1.1 
    48-150 
    4-27 
    58-378 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.7 
    80 
    12 
    227 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Straw-oat 
    Range 
    0.6-1.1 
    48-98 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.9 
    60 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Straw-wheat 
    Range 
    0.3-0.5 
    100-150 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.4 
    127 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Wood and paper
     
  

  

    Bark-hardwoods 
    Range 
    0.10-0.41 
    116-436 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.241 
    223 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Bark-softwoods 
    Range 
    0.04-0.39 
    131-1,285 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.14 
    496 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Corrugated cardboard 
    Typical 
    0.10 
    563 
    8 
    259 
    
  

  

    Lumbermill waste 
    Typical 
    0.13 
    170 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    Newsprint 
    Typical 
    0.06-0.14 
    398-852 
    3-8 
    195-242 
    
  

  

    Paper fiber sludge 
    Typical 
    - 
    250 
    66 
    1140 
    
  

  

    Paper mill sludge 
    Typical 
    0.56 
    54 
    81 
    - 
    
  

  

    Paper pulp 
    Typical 
    0.59 
    90 
    82 
    1403 
    
  

  

    Sawdust 
    Range 
    0.06-0.8 
    200-750 
    19-65 
    350-450 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.24 
    442 
    39 
    410 
    
  

  

    Telephone books 
    Typical 
    0.7 
    772 
    6 
    250 
    
  

  

    Wood chips 
    Typical 
    - 
    - 
    - 
    445-620 
    
  

  

    Wood-hardwoods 
    Range 
    0.06-0.11 
    451-819 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    (chips, shavings, and so on) 
    Average 
    0.09 
    560 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Wood-softwoods 
    Range 
    0.04-0.23 
    212-1,313 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    (chips, shavings, and so on) 
    Average 
    0.09 
    641 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    
     
     
     
     
     
  

  

    Yard wastes and other vegetation
     
  

  

    Grass clippings 
    Range 
    2.0-6.0 
    9-25 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    3.4 
    17 
    82 
    - 
    
  

  

    Loose 
    Typical 
    - 
    - 
    - 
    300-400 
    
  

  

    Compacted 
    Typical 
    - 
    - 
    - 
    500-800 
    
  

  

    Leaves 
    Range 
    0.5-1.3 
    40-80 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    0.9 
    54 
    38 
    - 
    
  

  

    Loose and dry 
    Typical 
    - 
    - 
    - 
    100-300 
    
  

  

    Compacted and moist 
    Typical 
    - 
    - 
    - 
    400-500 
    
  

  

    Seaweed 
    Range 
    1.2-3.0 
    5-27 
    - 
    - 
    
  

  

    
    Average 
    1.9 
    17 
    53 
    - 
    
  

  

    Shrub trimmings 
    Typical 
    1.0 
    53 
    15 
    429 
    
  

  

    Tree trimmings 
    Typical 
    3.1 
    16 
    70 
    1,296 
    
  

  

    Water hyacinth-fresh 
    Typical 
    - 
    20-30 
    93 
    405 
    
  


Note: Data was compiled from many references listed in
the suggested readings section of this handbook (pages 179-180).
Where several values are available, the range and average of the
values found in the literature are listed. These should not be
considered as the true ranges or averages, just representative
values.



a Estimated from ash or volatile solids data.

b Mostly organic nitrogen.



 On-Farm Composting Handbook, Table of Contents





  
 
    
    
    
    
  

  
 
     
      

        

          Cornell

          Composting
        

    		
     
      

        

          Science &

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          Composting

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          Resources
        

    		
  





Reprinted with permission from On-Farm Composting Handbook (NRAES-54). 
©1992 by NRAES (Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service). 
All rights reserved. For more information, please contact NRAES 
at (607)255-7654, or nraes@cornell.edu.

For specific comments related to this page, please contact the Cornell 
  Waste Management Institute (format and style), or Tom 
  Richard (technical content).





This page was created on January 26, 1996

  This page was last updated on March 2005