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So You Want to Build a Composting Program?

May 28, 2014

A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School

Introduction to BIDMC Overview of BIDMC and its sustainability

program Identify who is in the room An overview of our composting program Q&A

Agenda

A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School1

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Harvard teaching hospital 621 beds 190 research labs Level 1 Trauma Center

BIDMC’s Green History Began holding an annual sustainability fair 16 years ago

Healthy Work/Healthy Home Created a sustainability strategic plan and committee in

2008 Created a full-time sustainability position in 2009

IntroductionsOur Hospital

A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School3

BIDMC’S Sustainability Program

A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School2

• Goal 1: Waste Management Reduce, Reuse and Recycle more of our waste

• Goal 2:  Conserve Natural Resources Energy and water conservation Fuel reduction Meat consumption reduction

• Goal 3:  Improve measurement and reduction of Environmental Hazards Eliminating hospital products made with hazardous chemicals Finding less toxic substitutes for current toxic chemicals Minimizing the impact of drugs and drug waste

• Goal 4:  Promote Environmental Awareness & Action

• Goal 5:  Sustain our Gains

Who are the Participants?Who is in the room:

Who has already started composting?

As you think about starting, what are you most worried about?Logistics?Staff buy-in?Cost?Time commitment/resources to get it rolled out?Fear of change, in general?Employee/student buy-in?Pests and smells?Anything else?

Who has been wanting to compost for awhile and finds the ban helpful for pushing the issue in their institution?

Who has never given composting a second thought and is now worried about the ban?

Schools? Biotech? Other?Hospitals?

Locations Estimated Annual Tonnage

Program? Issues

Cafeteria Customers 18-20 Capturing 6-9 tons per year.

Contamination. Not enough disposable compostable items available to enable a single dump into the compost bucket.

Patient Trays/Kitchen Production (including catering)

140 Capturing about 65-75 tons per year.

• Contamination- Detail orientation wasn’t a job requirement for most kitchen staff.

• Workload- Separating compostable items adds an additional step while stripping trays or cleaning.

Catered events TBD Not Yet Logistics and workload

Employees where they work/eat

TBD Not Yet Logistics and workload• Would need over 150 small collection sites picked

up daily.

Yard Waste 5-10 Capturing about 5 tons per year.

Securing the dumpster to ensure it isn’t used by the neighbors for trash.

Animal Bedding At least 25 Not yet Safety of material, Rodent-safe collection options

At an academic medical center, organic materials have at least 6 distinct points of generation. They vary in size and ease of collection.

Overview

Q: What compost-generating areas of your institution are you hoping to focus on initially?

Overcoming Obstacles

How will the waste be collected?

How is waste stored for pickup?

Is hospital food waste safe to compost?

How do you train your staff?

How do you train your community?

Logistics

Quality Control/Training

Safety

Compostable bags

Dedicated barrels

Refrigerated storage unit with dock accessibility

Compost is heated high enough to kill patient diseases

The same way you train them to do anything new:

Let them design the system

Set goals and monitor data

Cost

Does it cost more to compost?

Vendor rates are a little less than the trash disposal.

Minimum weight requirements could increase price

The bags are more expensive

Compostable disposables are more expensive. Cost was passed on to the customer

Clear signage at the barrels and the tables

Barrel-side training

Goal: a single dump into the compost bin as possible

Q: This is how we solved some of these problems. What are some other ways you are hoping to solve these problems?

The kitchen is the easiest place to start, particularly if the employees understand the change is required by law. It also has the largest impact. The system runs better if employees design it themselves Compost training needs to be included when new staff arrive Numbers should be continually monitored to ensure program stays effective.

Yard waste is easy. In urban areas, the impact is small.

Front of the house requires both clear signage and constant in-person education. People understand recycling. Composting confuses them Don’t start until you have all your compostable products stocked. Then

minimize product changes. People who really want to compost tend to err on the side of contaminating

the bins. Every new employee is a potentially confused composter. New employees

arrive weekly Corn based plastics look the same PET. The program is too complicated for simple signage. The motivated will read a

clear sign.

Lessons Learned

Q: Employee training can be time and labor intensive. Who, in your institution, are you hoping will do this work?

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East Campus Cafeteria Composting

Added West Campus Cafeteria Composting

Added East Campus Tray Composting

Added West Campus Tray Composting

East Campus Freezer Repair

Ongoing programs still require careful ongoing monitoring and troubleshooting

Lessons Learned

Q: What are some strategies you are hoping to use to ensure sustained participation?