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THE COOL school composting program.

Presented By: Marty Pickering (president) DinPak LLC. THE COOL school composting program. (630)863-7884 phone (630)863-7890 fax www.dinpak.com. WHERE DO I START?. Understand what your trying to accomplish. with the composting program. Recycling vs. Composting.

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THE COOL school composting program.

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  1. Presented By: Marty Pickering (president) DinPak LLC THE COOL school composting program. (630)863-7884 phone (630)863-7890 fax www.dinpak.com

  2. WHERE DO I START? • Understand what your trying to accomplish. with the composting program. • Recycling vs. Composting. • How much will it cost? • How to get started? • Making the composting program work. • Resources.

  3. Understand what you’re trying to accomplish. • Is the program going to help the school save money (or) will it cost more? • Is the program being used as a learning tool for both students and faculty? • Is the program designed to create environmental awareness in the community? • Are you incorporating the composting program to an existing recycling program?

  4. Recycling vs. Composting • Recycling:Recycling is essentially taking an item and reusing it or offering it to another person who will then reuse part (or) all of it in the manufacturing process of something else. Examples of this type of recycling are Aluminum Cans, Old Tires, Old Car Batteries, Paper Products etc. • Composting: According to the EPA website “Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants. Mature compost is a stable material with a content called humus that is dark brown or black and has a soil-like, earthy smell. It is created by: combining organic wastes (e.g., yard trimmings, food wastes, manures) in proper ratios into piles, rows, or vessels; adding bulking agents (e.g., wood chips) as necessary to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials; and allowing the finished material to fully stabilize and mature through a curing process.”

  5. HOW MUCH WILL COMPOSTING COST? • Initial cost for starting a composting program can be largely offset by the savings associated with a successful composting program. • Examples of these savings include: • Reduced garbage bills (reduced volume = reduced cost). • Offers a valuable fertilizer alternative for use throughout the school grounds. • Increased learning opportunities for students. • Allows the school to become a community leader for environmental awareness and action. • Initial costs associated with a school composting program are compostable bags, composting bins etc., during the initial setup. However if the compost collection duties are added to the list of current custodial activities it’s an easy transition. • Check to see if your city or local waste management company provides collection containers for free or at discounted rates.

  6. HOW TO GET STARTED • First you’ll need to find out if there are any other schools in your area that have a composting program. • Schedule a time to meet with key individuals responsible for creating the program (or) someone with a working knowledge of the program when it was started. • Discuss how they initially got the program going and how they incorporated staff and students into the composting program. • Discuss what they do with the food waste collected (cafeteria, kitchen, teachers lounge etc.). • Discuss what some of the biggest challenges were when they started the program and see what solutions they implemented to overcome the challenges.

  7. MAKING THE PROGRAM WORK • Get support from key leaders (principle, school board, etc.) • Be an advocate of the program. When starting the program it will need a leader (take charge). Create a committee to help guide the program and reduce the workload of any single individual. • Discuss the program with key people and discuss/answer any concerns they might have. By answering these questions people will buy into the program and help it become successful. • Setup the primary infrastructure for the program. Locate where the collection containers will be, ensure they are well marked and ensure you identify what types of scraps can be collected (a picture is worth a Thousand words). • Ensure the people responsible for collection are aware of the responsibility. Don’t allow the compostable food scraps to find their way back into the normal trash collection process.

  8. Resources • Green Schools Initiative: Great resource for schools interested in “Going Green” gogreeninitiative.org and www.greenschools.net • California EEI has free instructional materials for different age groups www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Education/Curriculum/ • The EPA has an extensive library of publications and various educational activities based on the Three R’s (Recycling, Reducing, Reusing) and general environmental awareness. www.epa.gov/wastes/inforesources/pubs/index.htm • DINPAK LLC offers a large selection of BioBag America’s products used by several school locations throughout the U.S. for their composting programs. Visit www.dinpak.com or call (630) 863-7884

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