Organization name:
Contact person:
Phone:
Email:
Award:
Example School
Jane Doe, Director of Sustainability and Food Services
801-123-4567 (work)
janedoe@genericschool.org
Innovate Path to Zero Award.
Example School generates approximately 14 tons of food waste per year. To mitigate some of that
waste stream our school implemented a composting program in December 20XX. Initially, our
compost scraps (consisting of vegetable and fruit scraps from our kitchen cafeterias and 1st – 5th grade
student lunches) were collected and picked up by Recycling Company X for processing. In August of
20XX we installed an Earth Tub, which allows us to do our own on-site composting.
The Earth Tub is a fully enclosed composting vessel featuring power mixing, compost aeration, and
bio-filtration of all process air. This self-contained unit is ideal for composting at schools and allows
us to process anywhere from 25 to 150 pounds per day of food scraps. With one of our cafeterias we
are diverting approximately 20 pounds of scraps per day on average from the landfill. This is
equivalent to 3,800 pounds of food annually. (We plan to incorporate our other cafeteria into our
composting program this year for an even greater diversion rate from the landfill.)
We mix the compost from our Earth Tub in our science garden, so our students observe first hand how
the scraps from their school lunches are processed in the Earth Tub and used again in our school
garden.
A composting program gives us an opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint by lessening the waste
we generate. It also has a cascade effect since being mindful of our food waste allows us to rethink our
food purchases, preparations and offerings. For our students, our composting program complements
current curriculum, for example, our science curriculum taught in the elementary school. Our first
graders study the process of decomposition through a number of different science units, as do our
fourth graders. This program also raises awareness of the consequences of food waste and helps teach
our students to make wise decisions regarding portion sizes.
We’ve also just implemented a process with our new food service provider, Company X, so that any
leftover food that can’t be composted, and would otherwise be thrown out, can be donated to local
shelters and non-profit organizations. This process is in its infancy so it’s too early to calculate the
volume of these food donations and how much we’ll be diverting from the landfill.
Overall recycling and landfill statistics:
We have a 6 cubic yard recycling bin at both campuses (12 cubic yards total) that are emptied once a
week – diverting approximately 624 cubic yards of recyclable material annually.
Additionally, we have a 6 cubic yard recycling bin emptied weekly by Green Fiber – diverting a
further 312 cubic yards of paper material from the landfill.
We have a 6 cubic yard trash bin at both campuses (12 cubic yards total) that are emptied weekly.
With our recycling program, more than half of the material that would otherwise go to the landfill is
being diverted.
Our composting program keeps approximately 20 pounds of scraps per day on average from the
landfill. This is equivalent to 3,800 pounds of food annually.