Diverting waste from landfills has never been easier. Thanks to the Food and Farm composting program in the Idaho Commons food court, students can be an integral part of the University of Idaho’s steps toward a more sustainable future.
Sorting waste is important for countless reasons. First of all, diverting compostable material (food scraps, paper products and cutlery made from corn starch) creates room in landfills for other waste that cannot biodegrade (biodegradable means it will break down naturally through biological processes). The university has also created a closed-loop system on campus, which is pretty neat.
The compost collected in the Commons is transported to the composting facility behind WinCo where it decomposes, becomes nutritious and is fed to UI dairy cows. These are the same cows that provide campus dining with milk and meat, which will then be thrown into the composting bins and taken to the facility where the whole process starts again.
Some of the compost is also used on the Soil Stewards farm, which grows produce that is later sold to Sodexo and used in the food we eat on campus. This food waste also goes in the bins, the bins go to the farm and the food grown on the farm comes back to us. A sustainable, closed-loop system is being created right before our eyes.
Recyclable materials, such as PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastics and aluminum cans are also sorted, collected and transported to the Moscow Recycling facility. Just like compost, materials we recycle create more space in already crowded landfills for waste that cannot be placed elsewhere. Of course, the best option is to avoid purchasing items that will end up in the landfill in the first place.
So, to cover some of the basics: Many students have seen the posters above the recycling bins in the Commons, and probably wondered what they’re for. They’re used for sorting materials into the appropriate place so we can divert certain kinds of waste from entering the waste stream. Look at the trash you have in your hand, look at the poster in front of you and see where they match up. If you can’t tell what goes where, here are a few helpful guidelines.
When in doubt, throw it out. Anything that looks like paper or feels like paper probably is paper and can be composted. If there’s a lid on it throw it away, unless you have a Starbucks coffee cup in hand. Throw those cups and other generic ones like Einstein’s in the landfill. Otherwise they can contaminate the compost and make the cows sick. And yes, it seems crazy but those sushi trays and lids are indeed compostable because they’re made from corn starch — not plastic.
If you have a question about where to recycle your trash, just ask a Sustainability Center volunteer, located at each bin station. They’ll be more than happy to show you how to sort everything and answer any questions you may have.
This year alone more than 75 percent of the waste in the Commons has been diverted from landfills, and more than 50 students have participated in the Food and Farm program this semester. Students who want to be involved in sustainability at UI receive a free meal for volunteering one hour of their time, and I don’t know many college students who would pass up an opportunity for free food.
Good luck with finals, happy sorting and help feed the cows.