NOVELTY - Sludge biodrying (M1) involves providing a non-cellulosic first material; providing a compostable sludge; forming a mixed sludge containing the first material and the compostable sludge; introducing the mixed sludge into a composting bay; aerating the mixed sludge in the composting bay; mechanically agitating the mixed sludge in the composting bay; providing conditions to facilitate a heating of the mixed sludge within the composting bay for a period of time sufficient to form a compost; and removing the compost from the composting bay.    USE - For sludge biodrying (claimed) and also applicable to large scale treatment of industrial and municipal wastes e.g. organic wastes, including municipal sewage sludge and solid waste, yard wastes, shredded paper and magazines, and a number of commercial and agricultural wastes.    ADVANTAGE - The methods investigate mechanically enhanced biodrying of dewatered undigested primary and waste activated sludge, and to explore the potential to use heat dried sludge pellets as amendment.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) a composting facility comprising a composting bay configured to receive organic waste material and to hold the material while it composts, where the composting bay includes a frame defining an interior of the composting bay; a mixed sludge retained within the interior of the composting bay and having an average carbon to nitrogen ratio of less than 15:1; a compost handling machine adapted to move along the frame and to extend into the interior of the composting bay to agitate the mixed sludge in it; a ventilation system in communication with the interior of the composting bay configured to selectively conduct air into the mixed sludge to ventilate the mixed sludge and to facilitate control of the temperature of it; a transport system adapted to transport compost from a discharge area of the composting bay to a mixing area; and a mixing mechanism configured to mix a portion of compost transported from the discharge area of the composting bay with the organic waste material to form the mixed sludge; and    (2) facilitating (M2) a reduction in the consumption of a cellulosic amendment material in a composting operation involving providing instructions for forming a mixed sludge consisting essentially of a carbon containing first material and a nitrogen containing compostable sludge and having a C:N ratio of less than 15:1; and providing apparatus configured to maintain an average C:N ratio of at least 8:1 for the mixed sludge once introduced into a composting bay and to maintain the mixed sludge under conditions to facilitate the formation of compost.