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PLU tests new composting program
May 04, 2007
In an effort to decrease the amount of waste PLU sends to the landfill each day, Dining Services is participating in LeMay Enterprises’ pilot industrial composting program.
PLU is the first company to use the service, and the program officially began last Monday. The service will compost all the paper and food waste produced daily by Dining Services, said Wendy Robins, operations manager.
“The goal is to compost all the kitchen food waste,” she said. “Everything we can get our hands on – food waste from prep, food waste from the dish room.”
PLU already composts coffee grounds and yard waste clippings, but this is the first large scale-composting program that’s been implemented, she said.
The kitchen and dish room are now stocked with 95-gallon bins to store compostable materials. Those materials include food and paper waste, and the bins are picked up six days a week by LeMay. Over the past week, between seven and 10 totes have been filled each day.
The program was initiated when the plans for the remodel of the University Center were announced, Robins said. Moving the main dining hall to the Columbia Center required Dining Services to use paper plates and paper cups to meet health regulations, since the Columbia Center lacks an adequate dishwasher system.
Dining Services realized that using mass amounts of paper products would lead to an increase in the amount of trash produced by the university, which contradicts the university’s commitment to sustainability, Robins said. Paper products soiled by food can’t be recycled in paper recycling.
However, composting proved to be a perfect solution because the process can use both food waste and soiled paper products, such as napkins, pizza boxes and plates. PLU approached LeMay about providing the service as part of a pilot program, she said.
Currently, the kitchen and dish room staffs are sorting the waste generated at mealtimes into the appropriate bins. In addition to the new composting program, Dining Services is working to expand its recycling program by adding additional bins for cans, plastic bags and foil wrap.
“The main goal is to compost or recycle everything we use to lessen our trash that goes to a landfill site,” Robins said. “The goal is to keep this for life. For PLU to be sustainable, we need to move forward.”
During the program’s trial run, PLU and LeMay are working to determine the average amount of food waste the university goes through, and find out how the program affects the amount of trash produced. These numbers will be used to determine the cost to PLU to have the composting removed.
“If it does cost a little more, we have to think about what’s better for our earth,” Robins said.
Robins stressed LeMay’s composting program is currently only available on the industrial scale, and not available to individual households.
“The goal is to compost all the kitchen food waste,” she said. “Everything we can get our hands on – food waste from prep, food waste from the dish room.”
PLU already composts coffee grounds and yard waste clippings, but this is the first large scale-composting program that’s been implemented, she said.
The kitchen and dish room are now stocked with 95-gallon bins to store compostable materials. Those materials include food and paper waste, and the bins are picked up six days a week by LeMay. Over the past week, between seven and 10 totes have been filled each day.
The program was initiated when the plans for the remodel of the University Center were announced, Robins said. Moving the main dining hall to the Columbia Center required Dining Services to use paper plates and paper cups to meet health regulations, since the Columbia Center lacks an adequate dishwasher system.
Dining Services realized that using mass amounts of paper products would lead to an increase in the amount of trash produced by the university, which contradicts the university’s commitment to sustainability, Robins said. Paper products soiled by food can’t be recycled in paper recycling.
However, composting proved to be a perfect solution because the process can use both food waste and soiled paper products, such as napkins, pizza boxes and plates. PLU approached LeMay about providing the service as part of a pilot program, she said.
Currently, the kitchen and dish room staffs are sorting the waste generated at mealtimes into the appropriate bins. In addition to the new composting program, Dining Services is working to expand its recycling program by adding additional bins for cans, plastic bags and foil wrap.
“The main goal is to compost or recycle everything we use to lessen our trash that goes to a landfill site,” Robins said. “The goal is to keep this for life. For PLU to be sustainable, we need to move forward.”
During the program’s trial run, PLU and LeMay are working to determine the average amount of food waste the university goes through, and find out how the program affects the amount of trash produced. These numbers will be used to determine the cost to PLU to have the composting removed.
“If it does cost a little more, we have to think about what’s better for our earth,” Robins said.
Robins stressed LeMay’s composting program is currently only available on the industrial scale, and not available to individual households.