Spotlight on Campus Composting and Recycling

Recycling and composting programs have long been major topics in the world of higher education. In the last decade, even more of an emphasis has been placed upon them, as schools try to find new ways to promote sustainability on campus. Sara Koziatek of St. Louis Composting/Total Organics Recycling has worked to promote recycling in the St. Louis, MO, metro area for over five years and has watched colleges and universities work to make their recycling and composting programs more efficient.

Sara spoke recently with College Planning & Management about the benefits of recycling on campus, how to get students involved, and other topics.

Q. What are some recycling/composting innovations that are being introduced on modern college campuses?

A. Not necessarily an innovation, but what is becoming increasingly common is that campuses across the country are switching their service ware to certified compostable. These certifications include CMA, ASTM, and BPI*. With these certifications, it is easier for students and faculty to sort and decrease the potential for contamination to the composter.

  • *The Composting Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) certifies compostable feedstock and other products. More information is available at https://compostmanufacturingalliance.com.
  • The ASTM Composting Certification covers compostable plastic and plastic-based products. More information is available at www.astm.org/Standards/D6400.htm.
  • The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) Certification helps to outline which food materials are naturally biodegradable. More information can be found at https://bpiworld.org.

Q. What are some challenges that are unique to colleges and universities when it comes to recycling and composting?

A. One of the main challenges that colleges and universities face is their ever-changing student body. Whereas you can train an office building and their turnover is minimal, universities get thousands of fresh faces every fall to educate and train on proper recycling and composting techniques.

Q. Are there any specific benefits campuses can enjoy when it comes to expanding their recycling and composting programs?

A. An advantage is that colleges and universities typically have extra land where they can compost or recycle on their campus. Schools are able to create their own composting and recycling operations to decrease their waste and educate their students on how they can also team up with a commercial composter to help properly dispose of those unwanted organics. Expanding their programs, if done properly and effectively, can decrease their trash costs as well.

Q. Is composting on a campus realistic? What are some considerations that should be taken when setting up a recycling or composting program?

A. Absolutely! The biggest consideration should be: “What will be actually going into the compost bin?” What type of material is the cafeteria currently serving food on? Any type of disposable service ware should be certified compostable to aid students and faculty in sorting, and having this type of service ware also helps lower the potential for contamination.

Featured

  • EPA to Provide $26M in Grants to Protect School, Child Care Drinking Water

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that it will award $26 million in grant funding to test and fix lead-contaminated water at U.S. schools and childcare centers, according to local news.

  • California Boarding School Opens New Inquiry Collaborative Facility

    Cate School, a boarding school in Carpinteria, Calif., for students grades 9–12, recently announced that it has finished renovating a historic dining hall into a new academic hub, according to a news release. The school partnered with Blackbird Architects and Tangram Interiors on the two-story, 16,000-square-foot Inquiry Collaborative.

  • Key Considerations for Office-to-Higher-Education Facility Conversions

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, office-to-alternative-use conversions have become a recurring subject of urban development discourse. Office utilization rates across major U.S. cities remain below 50%, with vacancy rates exceeding 27% in San Francisco and 16% in New York. Higher education facilities present programmatic and spatial use cases that align readily with the typical characteristics of commercial office buildings.

  • ClassVR headsets

    Avantis Education Revamps Hardware for ClassVR Solution

    Avantis Education recently announced the launch of two new headsets for its flagship educational VR/AR solution, ClassVR. According to a news release, the Xcelerate and Xplorer headsets expand the company’s offerings into higher education while continuing to meet the evolving needs of K–12 users.

Digital Edition