Composting at Whately Elementary School

Bill Obear, Bear Path FarmPresentation by: Ms. Amy Donovan, Program Director

What is Compost?

• In nature, soil organisms called decomposers eat plants, leaves, and dead animals.

• The end result is soil, or compost.• That compost then nurtures new plants

to grow.

What is Compost?

Composting uses that natural cycle to dispose of food waste, making soil in the process.

Compost is good for plants: • adds nutrients to soil• reduces need to water• replaces chemical fertilizers• used on farms for growing vegetables• in home gardens for growing flowers, vegetables• in landscaping

Farmland

Finished compost

Composting keeps food out of landfills (dumps).

• Composting saves space in landfills.• Our local landfills are almost full!• Where will be put our trash in the future?

Composting helps slow Climate Change

Climate Change (or Global Warming) is caused by greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gases:Carbon Dioxide MethaneNitrous Oxide

The Climate Change Connection

When food waste (and paper) decay in a landfill, methane is released.

Methane is a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

Over 20 years, methane from a landfill can be 72 times more potent than carbon dioxide!!

Methane pipe at a landfill

Why doesn’t composting release methane? Because oxygen is part of the composting process. There is no oxygen in a landfill.

Compost bins made from reused pallets

3 “sizes” of composting:

• Small: An indoor worm bin uses red wiggler worms to eat food waste (vermicomposting)

• Veggies, fruits only

• Medium: Backyard composting

• Veggies, fruit, bread• No meat, dairy, oils• 5th grade class has

this type of bin.

Large: Commercial Composting at Bear Path Farm in Whately. Accepts all food: meat, cheese, oils…Paper: napkins, straw wrappers…

Windrows at Bear Path Farm

Bill Obear stands by his equipment at Bear Path Farm. www.bearpathfarm.com

Whately transfer station:

FREE compost programAt Whately transfer station:Just like what we do at school!

“Large sized composting”Whately Elementary Cafeteria Composts ALL food & paper!

…because it goes to Bear Path Farm!

DO compost in the cafeteria:

All food:• ALL table scraps/leftovers• Meat, chicken, fish, cheese, eggs, eggshells• Fruit & vegetable peels• Bread, rice, pasta, cookies

DO compost in the cafeteria:

Paper from the cafeteria:• Napkins• Paper towels• Straw wrappers • Paper plates: Chinet• Paper cups: Dixie• Egg cartons

DO NOT compost in the cafeteria: :

• Liquid• Plastic utensils• Straws• Tissues • Plastic bags and wrappers (sandwich bags, Saran/plastic wrap,

candy wrappers)

• Butter packets, cracker packets

• Large amounts of bones• Paper towels with chemicals on them

 

What can and can’t be composted in the cafeteria from these trays?

“Medium sized composting”Composting at home or in the 5th

grade’s garden compost bin.

This compost system is different than what we do in the cafeteria:

No meat, bones, dairy!(animal products)

Avoid large amounts of paper.

What can be composted at home or in the 5th grade bin?

YES; Green/Nitrogen-rich:• Veggies, fruit, & peels• Bread, rice, pasta, grains• Coffee grounds, paper coffee

filters, tea bags• Eggshells• Grass clippings, yard waste

NO; will smell and attract animals:

• Meat, fish, bones• Cheese, dairy• Fat, grease, oils,

peanut butter• Cooked foods with lots

of sauces/ butter• Diseased or insect-

ridden plants• Weeds which spread

by roots and runners• Weeds with seeds

YES; Brown/Carbon-rich:• Fall leaves• Straw, hay• Shredded newspaper or paper• Chinet paper plates (rip up)• Egg cartons (rip up)• Wood chips• Old potting soil

How does it work?A compost bin needs:

• Water: material in bin should be as damp as a wrung out sponge. Add water if not, and when building pile. Add sparingly in winter.

• Air/ Oxygen: mix/stir occasionally

• “Green” materials: (nitrogen) food waste

• “Brown” materials: (carbon) leaves, hay, shredded and soaked newspaper, egg cartons

• Microorganisms: eat material and heat it up

Food WebOf the Compost Pile

Keep it cookin’

• Each time you add food waste, bury in center and cover with leaves/ brown materials

• Add leaves or brown materials regularly• Add water regularly• Stir entire pile every 6 weeks or so.• Once you have a bin full of materials (in 6-

12 months), stop adding materials and stir more frequently.

• When the compost is finished, use on gardens and when planting new plants

Questions? Need more info?

Bill Obear, Bear Path Farmwww.bearpath farm.combearpath@comcast.net

Amy Donovan, Franklin County Solid Waste Districtwww.franklincountywastedistrict.org(413) 772-2438 amy@franklincountywastedistrict.org