Cultivating Sustainability: A Proposal to Reduce Campus Food Waste Through Composing
Presenter(s)
Evelyn R. Ankrum, Early-Year Research Presenter
Abstract
Promoting sustainable practices within academic institutions such as Winona State University is crucial in addressing the environmental crisis and fostering a culture of sustainable living. Chartwells, the dining service at Winona State University, produces about 400 lbs of food waste weekly that goes to landfills; this justifies our need for a large-scale industrial composting system. Composting offers waste reduction, soil enrichment, and carbon sequestration benefits. Winona State University currently has a small-scale industrial composter called Earth Cube in the SEED garden on campus. This project measures the composting process in the Earth Cube by assessing soil nutrient levels and temperature change. We use this data to predict the efficiency and impact of the larger-scale composter that we are proposing. In addition, our project outlines a comprehensive plan for Chartwells to divert all dining hall food waste into a new composting system to reduce food waste from campus and increase Winona’s dedication to sustainable living. We make recommendations on location, design, budget, and feasibility in the proposed plan based on the following resources: (1) professional support from Green Mountain Technologies, (2) other established campus composting systems, and (3) the local situation on campus. This project aims to help create a campus that produces less food waste; by embracing composting, our institution will reduce its ecological footprint and inspire a further transition towards sustainability objectives.
College
College of Science & Engineering
Department
Geoscience
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Pingping Zhang
Location
Ballroom - Kryzsko Commons
Start Date
4-18-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-18-2024 10:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session - Early-Year RCA
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1a=9am-10am
Poster Number
7
Cultivating Sustainability: A Proposal to Reduce Campus Food Waste Through Composing
Ballroom - Kryzsko Commons
Promoting sustainable practices within academic institutions such as Winona State University is crucial in addressing the environmental crisis and fostering a culture of sustainable living. Chartwells, the dining service at Winona State University, produces about 400 lbs of food waste weekly that goes to landfills; this justifies our need for a large-scale industrial composting system. Composting offers waste reduction, soil enrichment, and carbon sequestration benefits. Winona State University currently has a small-scale industrial composter called Earth Cube in the SEED garden on campus. This project measures the composting process in the Earth Cube by assessing soil nutrient levels and temperature change. We use this data to predict the efficiency and impact of the larger-scale composter that we are proposing. In addition, our project outlines a comprehensive plan for Chartwells to divert all dining hall food waste into a new composting system to reduce food waste from campus and increase Winona’s dedication to sustainable living. We make recommendations on location, design, budget, and feasibility in the proposed plan based on the following resources: (1) professional support from Green Mountain Technologies, (2) other established campus composting systems, and (3) the local situation on campus. This project aims to help create a campus that produces less food waste; by embracing composting, our institution will reduce its ecological footprint and inspire a further transition towards sustainability objectives.
