Composting

Andy Hardgrave, Kaelen Wallace, Jolene Bonner & Taylor Benavidez

Global

Composting plays a vital role in waste management by reducing organic waste in landfills, cutting methane emissions, and enriching soil. Globally, countries like Sweden and Germany have integrated composting into their waste management systems to promote sustainability and reduce environmental impact (EPA, 2020; Roth, 2018).

National

Composting is a key practice in waste management across the United States, helping reduce landfill waste, lower methane emissions, and improve soil health. Many states and cities have adopted composting programs to promote sustainability and reduce environmental impact (EPA, 2020).

Local

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) partners with the Kent County Composting Facility for its composting program. Organic waste from the campus, including food scraps from dining services, is sent to this facility where it is processed into compost. The compost is then used for various local agricultural and landscaping purposes, aligning with GVSU’s sustainability goals.

Background Information

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The university has made significant strides in reducing waste through recycling and waste diversion programs. However, there is still an opportunity to improve the campus's environmental impact by establishing a dedicated composting site for students and faculty to dispose of food waste. A composting site would not only further GVSU’s sustainability goals but also provide students, both on and off-campus, with a convenient place to drop off organic waste, which promotes eco-friendly practices and reduces landfill waste.

Composting is the process of breaking down organic materials, like food scraps and yard waste, into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to improve soil quality. This process reduces the amount of organic waste sent to landfills and also provides valuable material for landscaping, gardening, and agriculture. Many universities have implemented composting programs with success. For example, the University of California, Berkeley, has run a successful campus-wide composting program that processes over 3 million pounds of organic waste annually (UC Berkeley, 2022). Additionally, the University of Michigan has made significant strides by offering composting options to both students and staff, diverting over 4,000 tons of organic waste per year from local landfills (University of Michigan, 2021),

The composting site we're proposing would be accessible to students and faculty. We'd offer drop-off bins for organic waste. It could also support the growing interest in sustainable agriculture and provide hands-on learning experiences for students in related programs. It could also contribute to GVSU's sustainability initiatives by creating valuable compost for the greenhouses at the SAP, landscaping, or potentially local community partners. Implementing this project would be a step towards GVSU’s goal of achieving zero waste while offering a practical solution for managing organic waste on campus and in the surrounding community.

Implementation Plan

Timeline

Ultimate goal: By the new year, we will have an open, functional, and active composting system on campus operated by the SAP.

Steps:

Research phase: Audit composting bin locations on campus.

Now - Mid June Audit composting system at the SAP in relation to Engineering Project

Determine what would be of use for the SAP, campus, and community

Assumabley, not all of the mass material from campus. What about grass clippings, landscape/gardening waste, etc.? Are bag liners necessary?

Planning Phase: Create pick up plan with on-campus facilities

Mid June - Sep Create education plan including needed materials

Create advertising plan including needed materials

Create installation and management plan for the SAP

Ensure organic practices.

Action Phase: Purchase and place needed compost bins for campus

Mid Sep - Nov Purchase and place processing tools for campus and the SAP.

Begin advertising and education programming

Rewrite the contract with Republic Services to exclude compost collection.

Post Opening: Utilize compost at the SAP, offer compost for use by students.

Nov - 1/1/2026 Monitor amount of collected material and compost generated

Continually report efficacy of composting system to drive improvement.

Look at transportation efficiency by not bringing in or sending away compost

Track the student use of compost beyond the SAP on Campus

Communicate the use of compost beyond GVSU

Do professors, Allendalians, and local greenhouses get compost from the SAP? In what ways can the system be improved?

Budget

We can assume the budget is based on UVMs composting services that they provide, we would be partnering with Organicycle. Without a direct quote from Organicycle we can use rough estimates using their residential compost information. Their yearly 65-gallon cart costs $390.00, GVSU composted 1164.80 tons of materials in 2023 (AASHE, 2023). We can estimate the annual budget from Organicycle to be $4,142,173.09 annually. Now, this is a large number and doesn’t reflect the commercial aspect of the Organicycles pricing model.

At U-M, composting services are provided to over 100 buildings, with food waste collection priced at $12.50 per cart. While GVSU's specific needs may differ, this figure offers a reference point for potential costs. (https://ltp.umich.edu/waste-management/waste-management-services-and-rates/)

Triple Bottom Line Analysis

People

One possibility is offering students/faculty free composting information or a class on composting properly. We could offer these at student events or post them around campus. These free information sessions could boost composting around campus and reduce the current amount of waste going into GVSU dumpsters.

Planet

Under the assumption of partnerships with Organicylce and other companies, we intend to keep compost local and within Allendale, specifically the SAP. Our compost was going too far before, and keeping it close reduces transportation waste and costs.

Profit

We also considered partnering with local farmers to help reduce their fertilization costs, while reducing transportation costs by keeping the compost in Allendale’s relative area although expanding into Grand Rapids would be a worthwhile endeavor

References

AASHE. (2023, March 3). Grand Valley State University 2023 STARS report. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). https://reports.aashe.org/institutions/grand-valley-state-university-mi/report/2023-03-03/OP/waste/OP-18/

EPA. (2020). Food recovery hierarchy. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-hierarchy

Grand Valley State University. (n.d.). Sustainability at GVSU: Waste management. Grand Valley State University. https://www.gvsu.edu/sustainability/

Roth, D. (2018). Waste management and composting in Europe. Environmental Management Review, 22(4), 115-130.

University of California, Berkeley. (2022). Sustainability at UC Berkeley: Zero waste & composting. https://sustainability.berkeley.edu/zero-waste

University of Michigan. (2021). Sustainable campus: Waste reduction & recycling. https://sustainability.umich.edu

University of Michigan. (n.d.). Waste management services and rates. University of Michigan. https://ltp.umich.edu/waste-management/waste-management-services-and-rates/

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. (2020). Composting and sustainability initiatives. https://sustainability.unc.edu/composting

(W25) ENS 392-01 Composting (Responses)

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