From Design to Implementation Blair Shoniker, MA, MCIP, RPP Alice Varkey, P.Eng.

Zero Waste in Schools

Overview

Background

Diversion Infrastructure

Case Studies

Policies, Education, and Barriers

Financial Considerations

1

2

3

4

5

Summary 6

Questions & Answers 7

Options for Handling Waste

Was

te

Disposal at Landfill

Recycling

Source Separated Organics Processing

Composting

Anaerobic Digestion (AD)

Energy from Waste

Waste

Some key numbers to set the Stage

2012 waste disposal in the US*

– 22 million tons metals; 34% recovered

– 69 million tons paper; 65% recovered

– 36 million tons food waste; 5% recovered

*USEPA (2012)

– “If 50% of the food waste generated each year in the U.S. was

anaerobically digested, enough electricity would be generated

to power over 2.5 million homes for a year.” (EPA)

Some key numbers to set the Stage

– “Approximately 1.32 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted

annually, equivalent to one-third of food produced for human

consumption” (FAO, 2011)

Recycling in Florida

http://www.epa.gov/solidwaste/nonhaz/municipal/hierarchy.htm

Florida DEP’s 75% Recycling Goal

– In 2008, Florida established a new statewide

recycling goal of 75% to be achieved by the

year 2020

– Targets municipal solid waste including

wastes from residential, commercial, and

institutional sectors

– Statewide recycling rate currently 49%

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, “and Recover”

Recycling in Florida Schools

Florida DEP:

If Florida K-12 schools achieved a

recycling rate of 75%, approximately 6%

of Florida’s statewide goal could be

achieved.

75% Recycling Goal Report

Florida Department of Environmental

Protection

January 4, 2010

Recycling in Florida Schools

How can schools achieve 75% Recycling

Goal?

– Up-front planning

• Designing recycling and diversion infrastructure into a new

school

– Retrofitting existing schools

– Implementation of policies and strategies

– Focus on diversion of organics (based on current recycling

practices at schools)

Estimate of Organic Waste Florida

Each Student

0.5 lbs. waste / school day

Organic fraction:

32%

Each School

1,000 students

School Days/ Year

200

32,000 lbs.

organic waste per year per school

Source: 75% Recycling Goal Report, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, January 4, 2010

Why Divert Organics?

– Reduction in landfill gas – methane, greenhouse

gas (GHG)

– Increases the capacity/life of existing landfills

– Converting organics to compost – waste as a

resource, useable product, organic matter back

to soil

• Creating compost reduces reliance on petroleum-based

fertilizers

Why Divert Organics/Compost at Schools?

Innovative and Sustainable Thinkers –

Benefits/ Objectives of Diverting Organics/

Composting

– Educate; include composting and sustainability as

a component in school curriculum

– Align with existing student-led Zero Waste

initiatives

– Practice resource conservation and recovery

– Generate a useful and beneficial product for the

school

– Realise savings: collection/disposal costs and

compost costs

What Factors should be Considered?

– “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”

• Volume of waste generated

• Type of waste generated

• Location of site

• Size of site

• Costs

– Methods of Collecting Material within School

– Methods of Composting

• On-site composting

– Vermicomposting

– In-vessel composting

• Commercial composting

• Combination of above

– Access for Collection Vehicles

– Storage Area for Collected material

Incorporating Diversion Infrastructure into your Blueprints – Collection

Collection within the Building

– WSG Tri-sorter

• Utilized in a number of Multi-

Residential, Commercial and

Institutional buildings

• One chute with 3 end points to

separate Waste, Recyclables

and Organics

• Has been implemented as a

retrofit in older buildings

• Makes for a centralized location

for organics and recycling

collection (cafeteria and levels

above)

(http://www.wastesolutions.ca)

Incorporating Diversion Infrastructure into your Blueprints – Collection

Collection within the Building

– Durabac Organic Waste

Container

• Utilized in a variety of

Commercial and Institutional

buildings

• Designed for lateral and/or rear

feeding chutes

• Easily implemented as a retrofit,

as long as space is available

(http://www.durabac.ca)

Incorporating Diversion Infrastructure into your Blueprints – Access and Storage

– Provide adequate space for

storage of material and bins as

well as collection vehicles to

access waste containers.

– Front-end loaders are typical for

collection vehicles and larger

bins

– Keep it simple and convenient

– Adapt to their environment

• Make it easier for food service

employees by adapting to the

way they are currently working

• Create a strategy with the staff,

not for them.

Small-Scale on-site Solutions

– May use similar internal collection

methods/ infrastructure described,

but organic material would be stored

and “processed” on-site.

– Benefits are:

• Closed-loop school from an organics

perspective

• Can create education programs/

course units for all grades around

recycling, life cycle processes

• Creates a product (compost) that

could be utilized within school

gardens or elsewhere within the

community

(http://www.awakeningseedschool.org)

Smaller, Local Solutions – Vermicomposting

Technology

Just worms! (Red Wrigglers are best) & Bin

Limited food sources can be processed

Requires smaller footprint than others

Red Wrigglers can eat about half their own

body weight in food per day.

http://www.vermicompost.net

http://robyntheblogedition.blogspot.ca/

Smaller, Local Solutions – In-Vessel

Technology

Earth Tub

Includes biofilter for odor

Can recycle leachate (process water) back in

to compost

Compost between 40 lbs and 500 lbs per day

Minimal space requirements

http://www.compostingtechnology.com

Smaller, Local Solutions – In-Vessel

Technology

Big Hanna

Can compost all food wastes (meat, dairy, etc)

Requires bigger footprint than others

Scalable – can compost between 160-220 lbs

or larger units can process more than 5,000

lbs per week

http://www.bighanna.com

On-Site Composting University of Florida, Florida

Description

Partnership: Student-run cooperative organized by the

BioEnergy and Sustainable Technology (BEST) Laboratory

Installation of ComposTumbler, Earth Machine and Soilsaver

Classic Composter

• Easy manual mixing

• 2 separate chambers, phased composting

• Simple, doesn’t require power

• Vents at the top and bottom to allow air flow through the compost

Operations

• Feestock: food waste from dorms, campus events (no meats/oils)

• Mixing

• Finished compost

• Vermicomposting available

Education

Completed audits for schools in Florida

Allows for diversion of waste from landfill and case studies Source: University of Florida , Biogas, BioEnergy and Sustainable

Technology, 2014

On-Site Composting City of Eugene Schools, Oregon

Description

Partnership: City of Eugene, EPA, and schools (Elementary,

Middle, and High Schools)

Installation of Earth Tub (In-vessel composting) in six schools

in 2002

• Air flow

• Leachate

• Siting, Plumbing, Electrical

• Biofilter

Operations

• Feestock: meat products, paper napkins, fruits, vegetables, etc…

• Sorting

• Finished compost

Education

Schools diverted a total of 11 tons of putrescible waste per year

Sustainable Disposal at Eugene Schools Best Practices Manual

Source: Sustainable Disposal at Eugene Schools Best Practices

Manual, City of Eugene Solid Waste and Recycling Program, Nov

2002

On-Site Composting King County Schools, Washington

Description Partnership: King County Solid Waste Division, Schools, and Businesses

Pilot program of several small scale systems since 2003

Installation of three different systems in nine schools

• Earth Tub

• BioStack

• Worm Wigwams

King County Solid Waste Division recommends:

• Schools of all sizes consider on-site in-vessel composting systems

• Early planning is key

Program Promotion, Training and Education

Average food scraps diverted in each school with Earth Tub system: 45 to 203 lbs/ month

Source: http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/garbage-

recycling/onsite.asp

On-Site Composting McGill University

Description

Mission: Implementing a campus-wide composting

infrastructure for every McGill buidling and residence

McGill University – Big Hanna industrial composter

McGill Gorilla Composting

Operations

• Feestock: cafeteria food waste including meat, fish,

and dairy products

• Finished compost

Looking to start a pilot project for collection of coffee

cups and soup bowls

Already processed more than 15 tons of food waste

(up to 440 lbs/ day); installed in 2010

Source: http://www.gorilla.mcgill.ca

On-Site Composting University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Description

Mission: To advance sustainability on campus and beyond.

UBC Vancouver (49,000 students) – large in-vessel composter

Operations

• Feestock: food waste, residual paper products, animal bedding,

wood, yard waste, and sawdust

• Collection of green bins (32 gallons each)

• Capital Cost $800K + $400K (land)

• Two full time + one part time employees

• Finished compost

Zero Waste Action Plan

UBC Vancouver diverts more than 4 tons per day of organic

waste per day; composting facility in operation since 2004

Sources: Implementing a Composting System at UBC Okanagan:

A Feasibility Study, Sarah Ehman, April 30, 2008 and

http://www.buildingoperations.ubc.ca/sustainability/composting/

On-Site Composting University of Ohio

Description Mission: To promote sustainability and energy

conservation efforts across its campuses; to become

carbon neutral by 2075

Ohio University – large in-vessel composting system

Operations

• Tunnel controls air flow, moisture, and temperature

• Feestock: food waste including meat and dairy,

biodegradable service-ware and landscape

waste • Capital Cost $356K + $400K (site modifications)

• Two full time + five part time employees

• Finished compost

Ohio University Sustainability Plan, 2011

Students encouraged to contact Office of

Sustainability with research requests as they relate to

the Compost Facility

Ohio University has largest in-vessel composting

system at any college or University in the US;

installed in 2009 and expanded in 2012

Source: http://www.ohio.edu/sustainability/programs/compost.cfm

Commercial Composting City of Guelph Facility

Description

Completed in 2012

33,000 tons source-separated

organics (SSO)/year processing

capacity

4 Phase 1 and 3 Phase 2 compost

tunnels

Maturation hall

Biofilter odor treatment & stack

Commercial Anaerobic Digestion City of Toronto Disco Road Facility

Description

82,000 tons/year SSO

150,000 tons/year generated by City

City-owned, privately operated

Constructed on a landfill

Barriers, Policies & Education

Barriers to Implementation

• The “Gross” factor

• Pests/flies

• Lack of space (particularly for established Institutional buildings)

• Time

Implementation in Isolation

• Cannot be implemented in isolation of other supporting policies

• Need educational/engagement aspect

• Find a “Champion” who will be the go to person.

• Everyone has to be on board

– Students

– Staff (including teachers, cafeteria and custodial)

– Administration

Financial Considerations

Capital Costs

– Low = Vermicomposting (Worms and Bin)

– Middle = Collection Infrastructure, processing off-site by Private

company

– High = Collection Infrastructure and In-Vessel system

• $300-$500k

Operating Costs

– Vermicomposting (1 staff member) is cheapest, low maintenance

– Collection Infrastructure and In-Vessel Systems will require periodic maintenance and more staff time to manage

Recovering Costs

– EPA Grants – under Sustainability or GHG banner

– Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP)

– Potential sale of compost material generated

Summary

– Diversion of organic material away from landfills reduces the

amount of GHG generated and converts organics into a

beneficial by-product

– Diverting/ Composting within the Florida School system will

contribute to the overall 75% state-wide recycling goal

– Implementation of Collection Infrastructure, adequate

access and storage are key design considerations

– Small-Scale In-Vessel composting technology is scalable

and can be tailored to fit the needs of your school

– Educating the next leaders of the country on the importance

of diverting waste from landfills can and should start within

our school system

Questions/Contacts

Blair Shoniker BShoniker@craworld.com

Phone: (905) 830-5656

www.craworld.com

Alice Varkey AVarkey@craworld.com

Phone: (813) 971-3882

Pensacola

Tampa Altamonte

Springs

West Palm

Beach

Fort Myers