Imagine a future in which all waste products can be reused in some way. This technology will go far beyond recycling a Pepsi can. A half-eaten sloppy joe, the plate it came on, greasy used napkins, and even utensils could wind up in another product instead of going into the landfill. This technology might be taught to people of all ages, so even a two-year-old would know to put her waste into a compost bin instead of a garbage can.

Penn State's composting program allows trash and food scracps from the dining halls and events to be reused in campus landscaping instead of being sent to a landfill.

The future is here.

Composting—using microorganisms to break down wastes—is a hot concept. It also is becoming an integral part of the Penn State scenery. Since the University’s composting program began in 1997, wastes from multiple sources on the University Park campus have been diverted from landfills and used on campus landscaping. About five tons of food wastes from the seven dining commons, The Nittany Lion Inn, The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, and Penn State’s Cedar Child Care Center are collected each week. At a nearby composting site, the wastes are combined with manure from dairy research herds and leaves from campus. The wastes are then thoroughly mixed to incorporate oxygen into the piles. Within a few months, the wastes are broken down into compost.

During the 1998–99 academic year, 1,164 tons of waste were collected, generating 740 tons of finished compost, which was applied to campus landscaping and flower beds. The benefits extend beyond aesthetics. “A great feature of this project is its relation to the University’s teaching, research, and extension mission,” says agricultural engineer Bob Graves. “Not only are we diverting wastes from the landfill and reusing them, we are teaching composting techniques to others.”

Glen Cauffman, head of farm operations, served as a mentor for the Governor’s School for the Agricultural Sciences, where students got hands-on experience with composting technologies. “The students worked on composting research projects and developed methods of monitoring processes,” he says. “One student used electronic monitoring methods and another conducted a chemical analysis of the ingredients. Through these experiments, students were able to learn about the science and benefits of composting.”

Even at a young age, children can learn to conserve and reuse resources. Younger children at the Cedar Child Care Center are taught to separate their food scraps from their plasticware. Jillian Stevenson, head of the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society, has a young child who attends the center. She believes children who are exposed to composting at a young age will grow up to be more environmentally conscious. “I’m really glad children are getting into this composting program,” she says. “In the future we will be appalled at the thought of throwing away a plastic spoon. I think it will become second nature to reuse our resources.”

The project creates educational opportunities for adults, too. Waste from tailgates and luncheons sponsored by the college’s alumni society also end up at the compost site instead of a landfill. Penn State’s catering service has worked to create a fully compostable meal for such occasions. Last year’s two “zero-waste” tailgates tried to use only compostable items,
including plates and utensils. With the help of Biocorp, an international company that sells biodegradable and compostable products, all the waste went into one bin and was taken to the compost site. No separation was required, which made it even easier to participate. The college’s graduation luncheon also features a compostable meal. “The alumni society has received postive responses regarding the composting efforts, and the parents and students really like the idea of composting the wastes,” Stevenson notes.

Positive feedback has generated talk of increasing the waste collection. However, the current composting site, located on a tree-enclosed meadow behind campus, is too small to allow expansion, Graves says. This has kept the project operating on a pilot scale.

A site west of The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel is being considered for a new composting site. The new site would allow education and science to converge with the addition of a facilities building. The composting will take place behind the building, where a huge wall of windows will allow educators to describe the process as the audience watches.

“Professors can bring their students out to the new building site to learn how we handle the waste,” says Al Matyasovsky, head of recycling at the Office of Physical Plant. “Governor’s School students, educators from Shaver’s Creek Environmental Education Center, and other interested community members can come to learn about composting and cutting-edge technologies for waste utilization. We intend to have lecturers speak to groups in the building. Overall, it will be a dynamic education and research center for the community and the state.”

—Rebecca Zeiber