Have you noticed students standing by the trash bins in the cafeteria collecting food scraps on Mondays and Tuesdays? Well, this new initiative promises to reduce the amount of food that is wasted at ASB by composting unwanted leftovers. But first, some background information.
In recent years, managing food waste has become a larger global priority as incinerators and landfills that deal with this type of trash generate a considerable amount of greenhouse gasses, like carbon dioxide and methane (Johnke). Composting is a common and less polluting method of dealing with this waste. This process is an environmentally-friendly alternative to simply throwing leftover food in the garbage (EPA).
Figure 1. Composting for Community Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance [See Bibliography] https://www.epa.gov/snep/composting-food-waste-keeping-good-thing-going
Composting is a simple process which can be carried out in a few easy steps. First, organic material such as leaves, grass trimmings, and certain food scraps are collected. These items are then left in a container to decompose over a period ranging from weeks to months, which will eventually produce fertile soil. This nutrient-rich earth can then be used in gardens and as soil around plants.
At ASB, student groups have been implementing measures to reduce the amount of food that is simply thrown in the trash. Carlos Han, an 11th grader, has been working with Mr. Iverson to collect leftovers from the cafeteria. They have created a two-phase plan, which is carried out on Mondays and Tuesdays, and have been recruiting students to support the effort. Every Monday, Carlos and his group of 6 students stand in the cafeteria and collect organic food waste from students that would otherwise throw these items in the trash. The organic food they collect consists of salad, fruits such as apples, pears and bananas, and any vegetables that do not contain oil.
The second stage of this plan happens on Tuesdays, where a smaller group stays after school and takes unwanted food directly from the kitchen to be composted. Carlos communicates with the kitchen staff, asking them to leave items for him on Tuesdays. You might be wondering what happens to these food scraps after they are taken from the school. They go to Asproseat, a facility near the school where there are containers to compost the waste. Once the leftovers are placed in the containers, they are covered with a layer of soil (rocks and grass). Then the container is closed to give microorganisms found in the food time to turn the waste into usable fertilizer (CSWD).
When asked why he wanted to start this composting initiative at ASB, Carlos responded that he initially wanted to follow the footsteps of former senior Pablo, and he was interested in doing more community service. During the process he “began to enjoy the experience and decided to dedicate [him]self to it.”
In the future, with further expansion of this composting program at ASB and potentially more days of the week being devoted to recycling food leftovers, Carlos and his group have the potential to raise awareness among the school’s community on how composting can serve as a larger solution to deal with food leftovers. If you feel inclined to help our school become more environmentally conscious, or even if you want some extra CAS hours, get in touch with Carlos to learn more about this promising initiative.
Composting can easily be implemented in your own life, so why not give it a try?
Bibliography:
- Johnke, Bernt. “Emissions from Waste Incineration.” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gp/bgp/5_3_Waste_Incineration.pdf. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024.
- “Composting Food Waste: Keeping a Good Thing Going.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, Oct. 2020, www.epa.gov/snep/composting-food-waste-keeping-good-thing-going. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
- “Worms Eat Garbage: Vermicomposting.” CSWD, Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD), cswd.net/composting/backyard-composting/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024.