Kids for Compost!
where:
Bronxwho:
PS/MS 15 the Institute for Environmental Learningamount needed:
$337raised so far:
$337summary
Help us turn our school lunch waste into soil we can use! With compost bins and supplies, we will reduce our environmental impact and learn about science.
the problem
Schools use lots of stuff to make a great education happen. Unfortunately, this can mean that a lot of material is sent to a landfill. At our K-8 public school in the Bronx, paper was one of our major trash items. We successfully started a classroom recycling initiative to improve. Currently, food waste from the school cafeteria is another major component in our trashcans. We already compost a limited amount with our six worm bins, but there is more food than we can handle. Lots of rinds, peels, apple cores, and discarded vegetables are thus sent to landfills. Food waste makes up over 15% of the New York City waste stream. Another 5% of what is sent to landfills is yard waste, which is also generated on our school grounds. We are squandering the opportunity to make our waste into a resource; outdoor composting could change that. While the process of outdoor composting does not require a bin, any composting in our public area needs to be rodent-proof and thus concealed in a more expensive bin.
the solution
This project helps us reduce our environmental impacts and create a fun learning opportunity for students. These three bins will provide us with the capability to compost around 2000 pounds each school year. Food waste from our school can be used to create a healthy soil amendment for our school grounds instead of sending it to a landfill. While one benefit is turning waste into a resource, this project can also give students a hands-on learning experience. Students will collect data about the composting process (temperature, weights of inputs and outputs) and report this data to the school. Students will also study the compost bins as ecosystems, observing food webs, classifying organisms, and describing change.
the steps
We have already secured permission to compost on school grounds in a small courtyard and to use the finished product on school grounds. We will work with the custodial staff to collect yard waste and with the lunch staff to collect food waste. Each week, as composting spaces permits, the Go Green club will collect lunch waste, process it, and compost it. We already have the tubs for collecting and the scales for weighing. We expect to start with yard waste and some food composting this fall, but will compost the bulk from the cafeteria in spring 2010. After producing humus (6-12 week process), we will add it to the soil in existing plantings on school grounds.
Thats my sister in the
Thats my sister in the glasses!!!! And i was one of the begginers of this program
Good participation made.
There are lots of aspects that have effected the environment.This is a really cool and helpful step taken since every child should be aware of the waste produced by the foods. If they are taught now about the turn school waste in Composter than they will definitely have positive effect in their mind as grows older.I believe in practical education more than that of theory one's.
Great idea! Good luck!
Great idea! Good luck!
Kids for compost
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