Composting Cafeteria

Start a campaign to raise money for a composter in your school cafeteria. Then create a local distribution channel for all of the nutrient rich compost.

Every school cafeteria creates a significant amount of food waste. And it's relatively easy to divert the organic materials (think: sandwich crusts, orange peels) to separate bins where they can be used for composting, which is a process that converts organic materials into nutrient-rich fertilizer. Even better, there are machines that can be used in your school kitchen to speed up the composting process so the food waste is converted to compost within 24 hours.

How do I get started?

• Do some research on the availability and price of such machines, and then plot out how the process will work in your school

• Identify possible partners in your community, like local garden centers, clubs or the sanitation department

• Create special bins for food waste, and then host a fundraiser for the purchase of the machine

• Identify sources for the compost

• To bring the issue full circle, you can even sell bags of the fully constituted compost, either to community members or to garden centers or farms in your area in order to raise money for other environmental causes or to support a different charity altogether

• Download our PDF for more help with the planning process

How long will this take? You’ll need lots of supporters, and there are various steps, so this project will likely take 25-30 hours.

How do I expand this narrative arc? Create a large-scale food waste composting program in your community.

HOT TIP: This is an incredible opportunity for a teen interested in science and sustainability. It has the potential to have a huge impact, and also to put you into contact with lots of adults who can support and or attest to the impressiveness of your effort.