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Washington College's composting program is contingent upon student participation. To ensure proper participation and to educate the campus community about composting in general, signs and fliers have been posted throughout the Dining Hall.

Since the program began earlier this fall, students have redirected their food scraps away from the trash and into the compost bin stationed opposite the tray collection unit each morning. Currently the composting bin, which has been stenciled with "No Meats or Dairy," is only available to the students in the morning for breakfast post meal scraps, but there are intentions for it to grow and become available at all meals.

The composting program would not be possible without the cooperation of the Dining Hall staff like Associate Production Supervisor Otis Monroe (pictured on left), Interim Director of Dining Services Joe Lill, and Salad Assistant Cheryl Brooks. They, along with other kitchen staff, attempt to compost as much pre-meal consumer scraps as possible, with particular attention paid to salad bar scraps.

At the end of every work day the bins are collected and transported to the composting site located at Buildings and Grounds.

The site—constructed by Buildings and Grounds out of wooden pallets otherwise deemed trash—and the compost pile itself are maintained by Groundskeeper Bob Begley and Sustainability Intern Mike Hardesty '05.

Temperature indicates the particular stage of the compost. With the proper mixture of carbon to nitrogen, proper air flow and moisture, a compost pile can reach its stable nutrient-rich end product in less than three months. At this point the compost pile has reached thermophilic temperatures of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, where it will stay for some weeks until it begins to cool and reach the final product which will be applied back to campus as a soil amendment. Temperature is recorded daily before the addition of new composted material.

Before food scraps can be added to the compost pile they have to be chopped into smaller pieces, making them more available for microbial digestion. The smaller the food scraps, the faster they will be composted. In this case the food scraps are chopped using a shovel.

The scraps are then evenly applied to the compost pile. This is done by using a pitchfork to spread some composting material over the pallets so that the food scraps are mixed in properly. Leaves and straw are added to ensure a correct carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and to help aerate the pile.

With the help of students and members of the Student Environmental Alliance the composting material is "turned" and mixed with the newly incorporated food scraps. The steam is this picture demonstrates that proper temperatures are being achieved. By turning the compost pile everyday, aerobic conditions are maintained as fresh air prevents anaerobic conditions from forming, which can cause the compost pile to smell, as well as increase the time needed for the final compost product to be created.

Mike Hardesty '05 has created the position of Sustainability Intern and was a key player in getting the composting program started. He completed his senior thesis on compost as a bioremediation technology and is an invaluable resource in sharing his insights with students, faculty, and staff.

The composting program is anticipated to grow into a dynamic project with many contributors and applications that involve the entire campus community.