Eighty-five years ago, Milwaukee began turning its wastewater biosolids into a lawn and garden fertilizer, call Milorganite (for MILwaukee ORGANic NITrogen), the first such pelletized fertilizer in the United States. Sales of Milorganite have now topped 9 billion pounds, according to a press release.
Milorganite's history began with Milwaukee's efforts to clean up its rivers and Lake Michigan. Instead of landfilling its biosolids as most communities did back in 1926, engineers at what is now the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District figured out how to dewater, dry and pelletize the material. The product is sold widely as a fertilizer for parks, golf
