COMPOSTING EFFORTAT

LYLES-CROUCH TRADITIONAL ACADEMYAlexandria, VA

Introduction

Objectives of the composting initiative:

1. Reduce the amount of waste our school generates on a daily basis.

2. Engage our school community in an activity that delivers measurable and positive results for our environment.

3. Enable our children to make a tangible contribution toward a healthy environment.

4. Provide an educational opportunity for our children to learn about actions they can take to “Reduce, Recycle and Re-use.”

I – The Process: Discuss & Convince

Goal:Assess project acceptance and build strong support around the initiative

Convince and get the following stakeholders on board:

• Principal and PTA

• School Staff

• Custodians and Cafeteria Staff

• Community: parents (Mane), Alexandria solid waste, City officials

• ACPS

• Waste Hauler

• Head of food and Nutrition

I – The Process: Communicate, Communicate

Goal:Share information about the project to create buy-in and ownership

1. Students and teachers: Assemblies / Morning show

2. Custodians & cafeteria staff: meet with them early on and often to get them on board and to enable them to express their concerns. This is particularly important as they will be in the cafeteria with the students every day.

3. Parents: Newsletter (if there is one) / Website/Email

Use existing communication means

I – The Process: Measure though a Waste Audit

The Process:

• Two days of waste audit, breakfast and lunch

• Two stations with 4 trash cans (milk cartons + food waste, trays, water bottles and regular trash)

• Two adults per station to guide the children in their sorting.

• Weighing (lb) and measuring (gallons) the content of the trash cans

Goal:Assess the viability of composting milk cartons and food waste in the cafeteria

in action at Lyles-Crouch

I – The Process: Main Findings and Conclusions

Compostables: Milk Cartons + Food

Waste79%

Regular Trash15%

Trays6%

Waste BreakdownWeight (lb)

Regular Trash16%

Compostables: Milk Cartons + Food Waste

18% Trays66%

Waste BreakdownVolume (gallons)

Conclusion

LCTA generates enough organic + milk carton waste to start composting

100

19 8

13035

31

I – The Process: on a Daily Basis

How does it work?

1- Sort First:

Sort your meal trash beforeyou take it to the trash & compost cans

2- Sort Correctly:

Only food, paper, and milkcartons go into the compost can

Everything else goes into theregular trash can!Remember to remove your

straw from the milk carton!

1- Sort First:

Sort your meal trash beforeyou take it to the trash & compost cans

1- Sort First:

Sort your meal trash beforeyou take it to the trash & compost cans

1- Sort First:

Sort your meal trash beforeyou take it to the trash & compost cans

2- Sort Correctly:

Only food, paper, and milkcartons go into the compost can

2- Sort Correctly:

Only food, paper, and milkcartons go into the compost can

Everything else goes into theregular trash can!Everything else goes into theregular trash can!Remember to remove your

straw from the milk carton!

Remember to remove yourstraw from the milk carton!

Because we realized that 100 lbs (80%) of the waste we generated daily in the cafeteria was actually compostable, we decided to sort our garbage in two different cans.

II – What has been achieved?

Two schools, two different approaches:

Lyles-Crouch

• Elementary School: 300 students, (K-5) a perfect age group

• A system based on parental involvement

• No inside champion

• 3.5 tons in 4 months

Francis C. Hammond

• Middle School: 1 200 students, (6-8) a more challenging audience

• A system based on a green team of students

• Inside champion

• 4 tons in 2 months

III – Lessons Learned

Key factors of success:

• An internal champion is essential for program sustainability

• An internal (or, consistent external) point/s-of-contact for waste hauler is a necessity

III – Lessons Learned

Need for a fully integrated approach, based on all stakeholders:

School• Students• PTA• Principal &

staff• Custodians &

cafeteria staff

AlexandriaSolid Waste Dept

ACPSFood & Nutrition Dept.

ACPS Staff &

School Board

Waste HaulerEnvirelation

Conclusion

What are our next steps?

• 6 more schools starting a composting program after Spring break

• Ongoing research to find an alternative to the styrofoam tray

THANK YOU