Abstract: A system and method for treating solid waste includes a trommel screen and a composting unit. The trommel screen includes an inlet hopper and a rotating screening drum, which can be equipped with internal channeling members and bag rippers with blades. A composting and/or dewatering apparatus has a vessel portion, a cover portion and an internal auger. The apparatus includes a plurality of openings along its vessel portion to permit a volume of liquid from within the composting apparatus to be eliminated. The composting/dewatering unit can also include a sleeve member along the outside of the vessel portion. In one embodiment, waste items passing through the screening drum of the trommel screen are conveyed into the composting unit. In another embodiment, the discharged liquid is collected in one or more liquid collection structures and is conveyed to a clarifier tank.

Abstract: A mulching apparatus is described for converting green waste, including tree branches, small limbs, leaves, and grass clippings into a pulverized mulch. The apparatus comprises a green waste agitator hopper in the shape of an inverted, truncated cone, the hopper having a plurality of first blades fixed to an inner wall and projecting toward a vertical axis of the hopper. A waste agitator arm is rotatably mounted in the hopper through a bottom of the hopper for rotational movement about the vertical axis. The waste agitator arm has a plurality of second blades fixed thereto so as to intermesh with the hopper blades when the arm is rotated. A conduit is connected to a side region of the hopper to enable feeding waste material from the hopper to a fan mulching pulverizer disc rotatably installed in the conduit. The fan mulching pulverizer disc reduces the hopper waste material to a pulverized mulch and then blows the pulverized mulch out of the apparatus through a discharge duct.