Composting at school
Composting at school is a great idea, with all manner of educational as well as environmental benefits. You could use a basic home composting system, build you own, or try composting with worms. There are many different systems available. If your school is benefiting from the free fruit scheme, why not take the next step and provide yourselves with free compost?
Before you design your composting system and start collecting the staff room tea bags, here are some questions you need to answer and facts you must take into consideration:
- How much waste fruit will you collect? What other materials do you have that are suitable for composting? Paper towels, coffee grounds, and tea-bags are all good compost forming materials. A week long survey measuring amounts in litres and kg is a simple but useful exercise.
- Who will look after your composting system, and your worms if that’s the system you decide to use? Fruit monitors could collect at break and lunchtime but who will add the paper towels and materials from the staff room? If you have worms, who will feed them over the summer holidays?
- Remember your composting system could go wrong quite easily, flies may be a problem, the material may become sludge like (not enough carbon – needs more paper towels). Your system may not have a large enough capacity for all the biodegradable material you collect.
- Is vandalism a problem for the school? How would you protect your composting system?
- Where will you install your system? It will need to be away from buildings, windows and play areas. Do you have a grass area for it to stand on?
- What will you do with your finished compost?
If you are still interested then register now to access contact details and information about local organisations who can help you set up a suitable composting system for your school and get the most out composting.
Thanks to The Wastewise Project for advice on composting for schools as well as 'Build your own Composting Bin' and 'Information about composting with worms' leaflet downloads.
