A pioneering partnership between Great Parks of Hamilton County and Cincinnati Parks in the United States has reached a significant construction milestone with the development of a coordinated biochar and composting system. Supported by a $400,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and additional funding from a local park levy, the initiative seeks to establish Cincinnati as one of the few cities globally to operate a commercial-scale municipal biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More market. By integrating decentralized waste management with advanced pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More technology, the project aims to sequester hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide annually while producing a high-value soil amendmentA soil amendment is any material added to the soil to enhance its physical or chemical properties, improving its suitability for plant growth. Biochar is considered a soil amendment as it can improve soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability, and microbial activity.   More for regional conservation efforts.

The primary challenge addressed by this partnership is the inefficient and costly disposal of organic waste generated within the municipal park systems. Traditionally, Great Parks has incurred significant expenses to haul and dispose of tons of manure from the Winton Woods Farm & Equestrian Center, while Cincinnati Parks manages an abundance of wood debris from routine tree maintenance. These organic materials often decompose in landfills or on-site, releasing methane and stored carbon back into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the city faces environmental pressures such as the urban heat island effect and the need for more resilient tree canopies, which require superior soil conditions that standard fertilizers often fail to provide.

To resolve these logistical and environmental issues, the organizations are implementing a circular economy model. Great Parks has begun construction on a dedicated composting facility at Winton Woods, designed to process equine manure into nutrient-rich compost. Simultaneously, Cincinnati Parks, in collaboration with the consultant Carbon Harvest, is developing a pyrolysis facility at the Sinton East Operation Center. This facility will convert the city’s wood waste into biochar, which will then be transported to the Winton Woods site to be “charged” and blended with the manure. This integration accelerates the composting process, mitigates odors, and creates a “supercharged” soil additive that enhances nutrient retention and water filtration.

The outcomes of this project are expected to be both environmentally and financially transformative for the region. Once operational, the facility will provide a self-sustaining revenue stream through the sale of carbon credits and the commercial marketing of biochar to private landscapers and farmers. The “charged” biochar will be utilized in local tree-planting initiatives to increase survivability and root strength, directly combatting climate-related stressors. By repurposing thousands of tons of waste into stable carbon, the City of Cincinnati and Great Parks are demonstrating a scalable model for municipal climate resiliency that aligns industrial-scale carbon removal with local ecological restoration.