Sample Topic Prospectus I
Introduce the Issue
The issue I am interested in is reducing the tremendous amount of refuse that is currently burned
or added to landfills via county trash collection for residents of Montgomery County, MD. Of all
waste materials, food scraps have the lowest national recovery rate (Municipal Solid Waste
Generation), and I would like to increase the recovery of food waste materials.
Establish the Problem
During 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 31.79 million tons of food
waste were generated across the United States, and only 2.5% of this waste was “recovered,”
meaning it was either recycled or composted. Food scraps, however, make up almost 13% of our
national waste. Yard trimmings, on the other hand, which make up only a slightly higher percentage
of our national waste, have a 64.7% recovery rate. Clearly, the recovery programs for food scraps
are not very robust nationally (Municipal Solid Waste Generation). Though there are no statistics
specifically for Montgomery County, over 55% of the county's 1.1 million tons of waste in 2009
could not be recovered (Material Flow Diagram). Though lower than the national average of 60%, it
could be lowered to as little as 42% by eliminating food waste, given the EPA's estimates of refuse
sources.
Interested Parties
Environmentalists and environmental organizations such as the EPA, because it pertains to
improving the environment.
Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services, as they would be implementing a change. It
would interest their public relations department, as well as their recycling department.
Residents of Montgomery County, because they would be the ones implementing the changes, and
also the ones interested in the size of local landfills.
Sample Topic Prospectus I
Trash collection workers, as they would be interested in having to collect less trash.
Worm growers, as well as those companies that make vermicomposting supplies, as they would
have increased business from the county.
Gardening shops, as they would be interested in programs to use and/or sell the large amount of
compost generated by local citizens.
Possible Solutions
Montgomery County, MD generated over 1.1 million tons of waste overall in 2009. It is estimated
that under 6% was recovered via backyard composting and grasscycling – about the same amount
as the county yard refuse pickup processed (Material Flow Diagram). The county provides
homeowners with free outdoor compost bins and instruction so that they can compost their yard
debris, such as grass clippings and leaves (“Composting”). The statistics show that homeowners are
actively using these services to reduce their waste. Although subsidizing homeowners who wish to
compost their lawn trimmings has had an effect on our waste recovery, there are many problems
using the same hot composting system with food scraps (Grover). The ratio of nutrients needs to be
correct, and the pile must be turned often, both of which are intimidating to inexperienced
homeowners. Since many residents already have experience with composting, the county could also
provide resources for homeowners to compost food scraps using composting with worms, which is
an easier way of recovering food waste. This is easy enough for any homeowner to do.
Another option would be for the government or a private company to implement a largescale vermicomposting facility for residents. This facility would need to be able to collect the waste
from consumers, but would have financial incentive in selling the end product. Facilities like these
exist in states such as California, Rhode Island, Washington, and Oregon. Composting has been used
on a large-scale by the Seattle Kingdome Stadium in Washington to reduce food waste (Sherman).
Sample Topic Prospectus I
Potential Sources
The United States Composting Council (USCC) is “a national, non-profit trade and professional
organization promoting the recycling of organic materials through composting” and would be very
interested in the promotion of composting. The Sierra Club is a grassroots environmental
organization that has as one of its goals a “zero waste” initiative to phase out landfills, and
composting fits in nicely to their agenda.
The Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, a refereed journal published eight times a
year by Routledge, an academic publisher, covers “environmental policy and legislation,” which
may include my topic. The Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, another refereed journal
published quarterly by Routledge, covers “analyses of environmental governance,” which may
include my topic.
Jay G. Sakai, the director of the Maryland Department of the Environment Waste Management
Administration, and Diana Rivera, the vermicomposting contact within the California
Environmental Protection Agency, an agency which has extensive resources about waste reduction
and composting with worms, would both be good potential interviewees.
Qualifications
I am qualified to be offering this proposal because I have personal and professional experience in
vermicomposting. I interned at an organic farm in Massachusetts during Summer 2009 and learned
various methods of waste reduction, as well as different methods of composting on both a small and
large scale. When I returned, I continued to explore residential composting options and have
experienced problems and found solutions implementing them.
Sample Topic Prospectus I
Works Cited (MLA Format)
“Composting.” Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services. n.d. Web. 3 Feb 2010.
Grover, Sami. “How to Make Hot Compost.” PlanetGreen. Discovery Network, 3 Sep. 2009. Web. 3
Feb. 2010.
“Journal of Environmental Planning and Management.” Taylor & Francis Group. 2010. Web. 19 Feb
2010.
“Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning.” Taylor & Francis Group. 2010. Web. 19 Feb 2010.
Material Flow Diagram: Fiscal Year 2009. Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services. 17
Feb 2010. Web. 19 Feb 2010.
Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for
2008. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2008. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.
Sherman, Rhonda. “Water Quality and Waste Management.” North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Service. 1996. Web. 19 Feb 2010.
United States Composting Council. 2010. Web: <http://www.compostingcouncil.org/>. 19 Feb
2010.
“Zero Waste.” Sierra Club. 2008. Web: <http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/zerowaste/>. 19
Feb 2010.