With several elementary schools in Bozeman School District 7 (Montana) successfully composting for a few years, the district’s nutrition department teamed up with a local business to bring composting to all 12 of its cafeterias and central kitchen facility this year.
Since the start of this school year, more than 27,000 pounds of food scraps have been collected and diverted from the landfill. The nutrition department now uses biodegradable paper products that can also be composted.
“We approached the administration about expanding the composting program and they were very much supportive of the idea,” said Brittany Selvig, Director of Food Services for Bozeman School District 7.
At the end of lunch, students are asked to put their food scraps into special barrels located in the cafeteria. Members of the nutrition team also have a composting barrel in the district’s central kitchen so they can properly dispose of food scraps while preparing breakfast and lunch. Each day, the barrels are emptied and put into bear-proof containers outside of the school for the composting company to pick up once a week.
“We have student volunteers who help remind their classmates about what can be recycled and what goes in the trash. Also, the owner of the composting company has come in to speak to students about the Vermicomposting process,” said Kirsten Pfannmuller, Registered Dietitian with Bozeman School District 7.
Vermicomposting relies on earthworms and microorganisms to break down the food faster into usable soil. In addition to hearing about the composting process, some students have gone on field trips to the facility to see for themselves how it works.
With the climate in Bozeman, the school district does not have large outdoor gardens and is looking for more ways to use the soil composted from food scraps. They continue to take steps to be environmentally friendly and promote sustainable operations, including students in the process where possible.