My wish is that students will gain the knowledge of the merits of composting food leftovers from the school cafeteria. They will learn that they will reduce the volume of trash going to our local landfill and learn about the use of nutrient-rich compost in our school pollinator garden. In order to complete this project, we need to purchase a large, heavy duty compost tumbling bin.
This project will be carried out by middle school students from the Kern River Environmental Magnet. One of these students will work in the adjoining elementary school cafeteria daily to assist students in identifying and collecting compostable lunch leftovers. This student will then move these materials to a compost bin, add carbon materials (leaf litter, etc.) to balance the nitrogen-rich food waste, and spin the compost. When the bin is full and it the materials have fully composted, the students will then unload the bin and move the material to a holding area. The composted materials will then be used in our pollinator garden and flower beds. It is estimated that this project will keep approximately twenty pounds of solid waste daily from going to the local landfill.
