By

Alex Hyde,   Mcphee Elementary School

Play:

Food: Waste Less and Enjoy — It's Good for All of Us!

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods, Physical Activity Participation,  Teamwork

Starting in August of 2017, our school now composts its food. Without the compost program, organic waste from our school would be sent to the landfill. This can be bad for the environment. Instead of sending this organic food to the landfill, it is turned into a valuable product for our community. Items that are composted include: All L food scraps: fruits, vegetables, bread, dairy, meat, bones. Paper products: Straw wrappers, bowls, napkins, cups, plates. Other compostable materials: Milk cartons, plant-based bowls and dishes Since our school has started composting, we have eliminated about fifty percent of our waste that used to go to the landfill.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

All students grade K-5 compost. It takes multiple adults and all the students to be able to achieve this goal every day.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

When we first started to compost, students did not have a clear understanding of what materials they could recycle, and which ones were to be thrown away. It took several days and extended lunch times in order for everyone to be successful.