Composting in Higher Education in Iowa

As an early adopter of composting in the Midwest, we've had the pleasure of working with many higher education institutions. We think that this work provides many opportunities for both the schools and the students who experience the composting process. Here are the lessons we love about composting in Higher Education

Composting is Easy
It's a common misconception that composting is hard, that it's time consuming, that it won't work because of these reasons. One thing we love about implementing our program is that students and dining management learn just how easy composting can be. It's simply adding another bin to the mix, and many colleges find that most of their waste can go in the compost bin, especially in cafeterias.

Composting Makes a Difference
Before implementing a composting process, it's often hard to visualize just how much waste shouldn't be going to a landfill. Often times there are students working in these dining halls who see, next to management, just how much of an impact composting can have on the waste stream. Seeing the pure volume of the organic waste will open their eyes to the benefits of composting, especially if they know the consequences of landfilling organics.

Everyone Should Be Doing It
Higher Education is one segment that is the most excited about not only pre-consumer waste, but also post-consumer. They bring it to the students as a learning experience and it will change how the students handle their waste, whether they realize it or not.

Do you want composting in your campus dining hall? Contacting your Dining Services Director and encourage them to contact us, we'd be happy to help!

School Districts Going Green With GreenRU & Chamness Technology

We're working to help some area schools to compost this semester, and we'd really love for all of you to know about it! Read about it here.

This semester is starting off a little more green for two Iowa school districts. Ottumwa Community Schools and Pella Community Schools have begun the semester by implementing GreenRU composting into their food services.

Both schools started the program at a couple of schools in the district. They are planning to expand so all schools in the district will be diverting their organics from the landfill.

“We’re getting used to it, it isn’t too hard,” said Cheryl Ferguson of Pella High School, as she sliced a pineapple and threw the stock and skin into a orange composting bucket at her feet.

Danny Renfrew, Director of Operations at Ottumwa Community Schools, has wanted to start a program like this for a while, so he is happy to finally have a company who can work with them.

“The kids who we’re doing this for, they’re the ones who inherit this planet.” said Renfrew.  He continued that he did not want to leave this planet a mess for the children at the school to clean up when they are adults.

Bob Brisendine, Head Custodian at Douma Elementary School in Ottumwa, has been teaching the children there to separate the waste themselves. The Douma cafeteria now has two big containers marked “Food Waste”. Brisendine is impressed with how quickly the children are picking up food recycling. That day’s waste had only one piece that did not belong in the food waste, which he separated before moving the food waste into the orange organics bin that now sits behind the school.

“It’s a little extra work, but it’s worth it,” Brisendine said.

Both school districts are excited to expand the program to all of their schools. GreenRU and Chamness Technology, Inc. are teaming up to provide this service free of charge to the schools this year.

Already both schools are seeing the huge impact it could have on their waste.  In the first couple weeks Pella Schools that started the program have diverted 180 pounds of organics from the landfill. Ottumwa Schools are still in their first week, but have already noticed the drastic difference.  

Our Work With Education

We're happy to work with people from all sectors, but recently we got a chance to visit a couple of schools who are currently working to implement GreenRU in their school Cafeterias. Today we just wanted to share with you this snapshot we got of one of the workers at Pella Community School District.