Cambridge Elementary School is setting themselves apart within the Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District. Principal Mary Anderson is completely supportive of this quest and has been known to encourage students to put all napkins, paper bags, paper plates and food scraps into the compost can - not the garbage can.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Challenge Facts, “in 2010, just under 35 million tons of food waste was generated. Of that, almost 34 million tons (97%) was thrown away into landfills or incinerators. When excess food, leftover food, and food scraps are disposed of in a landfill, they decompose and become a significant source of methane — an extremely potent greenhouse gas…Excess food, leftovers and scraps that are not fit for consumption and donation can be used to feed the soil by recycling (composting)…”

Cambridge Elementary School (CES) began composting with the entire population of 372 students this past fall. They piloted the program with the fifth and six graders late last spring, worked out some kinks and started the 2011-2012 school year off with a second garbage can for food scraps at the tray scraping station. Sixth grade teacher, Mary Fiedler was instrumental in implementing this program at CES.  Ms. Fiedler has worked at the school for close to 20 years and attempted an unsuccessful on-site composting program years ago. Thankfully she was able to put that first experience behind her in order to bring about a successful second attempt. Fiedler was encouraged after speaking with an employee of Smuggler’s Notch Resort who informed her that they compost with Sanctuary Farms in Morrisville. Since CES is smaller than the resort and is right along the route to Smugg’s Mary saw an opportunity to have composting work at CES.

After obtaining approval of both Principal Anderson and Al Young, Director of Maintenance at CES Fiedler placed a call to Sanctuary Farms and a relationship was established. Sanctuary Farms provides 55 gallon drums with sealed lids, picks up the food scraps once a week and leaves clean 55 gallon drums for the next week’s collection.

Prior to coming to CES, Young worked at a different school that composted on-site. He found himself being solely responsible for pile maintenance which created a very negative experience for him. He has found the current program at CES to be very successful. Young estimates that the students discard approximately 300 pounds of food per week; this includes four lunch periods a day and the daily Fresh Fruit and Veggie snack for all 19 classrooms, and kitchen scraps generated in food preparations. The cost of composting for a school of this size could be close to $1000 a year. Thanks to Young’s negotiating skills he has been able to reduce that cost to an estimated $300 - $400 for this year.

The Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District (LRSWMD) has donated compost collectors for each classroom at Cambridge Elementary School in support of their efforts towards waste diversion. Composting food scraps has resulted in a reduction in the pounds of waste that Casella hauls away each week. Since CES is not producing as much trash in a week Young was able to work with Casella to reduce their hauling fee. He also worked directly with Sanctuary Farms to find a price that complimented his budget. CES pays Sanctuary Farms per 55 gallon container for pick up but Young stated that “the convenience of having someone come get it and take it away is worth it.” He could not think of a single challenge with the current composting program now that it has become the “normal” way to clear a tray after lunch. For information about how LRSWMD can assist you with waste minimization strategies at your school, business or residence visit us at www.lrswmd.org or call 802.888.7317. Click here to read the article in the News&Citizen online.