UW-Eau Claire Compost Problems

Angela Knauf, Brandon Hoege, Brianna Truitt, Ella Koch, and Olivia Edwards

Faculty Mentors: Evan Perrault and Scott Clark

Who we are

• We are a group of students and faculty that have been studying sustainability on our campus for the last year

• We have been delving into students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding sustainability and the Student Office of Sustainability

• This semester we focused on composting and the effectiveness of our composting efforts

Roadmap

• What are the correct conditions for compost?– Industrial/commercial composting vs. home compost

• What did the bins in Davies say was compostable?– What does that “stuff” look like at our compost

facility at the landfill after four years?• Recommendations for making waste in Davies

“greener” and more sustainability-minded

Composting

• A way to turn organic materials into nutrient-rich soil product– Need compost pile to reach temperatures of

130-145 degrees for a few weeks• Industrial/Commercial Composting

– Is what the majority of UW-Eau Claire compostable products say they need

Commercial/Industrial Composting• At industrial/commercial composting facilities

they process waste delivered to them, and sort materials – compostable vs. not– The compostable materials are then shredded– They get pumped into plastic tubes – aerated by

PVC pipes• Can take about 4-6 months to get usable “soil”

What does our landfill do?• Takes what you provide from the “compost”

bins, and simply dumps it all into piles• No sorting – no shredding – no plastic tubes

with aeration• This is called “Windrow composting” – rows of

composting material turned by an aerator

Proper sorting is clearly an issue

We can fix sorting through more effective communication…

• Last semester surveyed 779 students–Scale of 1-7 (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

•Students’ attitude toward sustainable behaviors = 6.67•82.5% indicated that they have probably thrown something in the wrong bin in Davies•It’s the products that students are told to place in the compost bin that really aren’t “compostable” that is a main concern

Davies Compost Bin

?

What’s missing?

?

After Four Years Sitting in the Compost Pile

Plastic-lookingitems are not

breaking down

Where does this “stuff” go?

• It will ultimately wind up in the landfill– This is not the “sustainability” we’re sure you

envisioned for your products

• What’s the problem?– The “bio-plastic” cups need an industrially

compostable facility• That is NOT what Eau Claire’s facility is

– No shredding – and no controlled aeration– Compost manager says paper products break down okay

Biggest problem is utensils

• After four years – most of the stuff could be washed off and still used

What does the UW-Eau Claire supplier say about the utensils?

• Remember – compost piles need heat of ≈140° F– These utensils

can withstand 200° F – they will never break down

Other “plastics” - straws

Other “plastics” – donut hole containers

Where we think the problem is…• Confusion – and it’s quite simple to see

– Incorrect signage– Biodegradable vs. Compostable

• UW-Eau Claire dining website:

Compostable

• In order to be labeled “compostable” an item:– Must achieve 90% disintegration in 90 days– Must demonstrate a 60% conversion to CO2 within 180

days– Must leave no toxicity in soil

• Clearly after 4 years – much of the “plastic-looking” material is not composting

• So are they biodegradable or compostable?

Compostable vs. Biodegradable

• Everything compostable is biodegradable, butnot everything Biodegradable is Compostable

• For something to be biodegradable it simply needs to be able to breakdown over time– That could take a month or 100,000 years

• Any product, after a certain amount of time, will ultimately biodegrade – it is a very misleading term

– “Greenwashing”

So…

• Many of those utensils / straws / containers, while not compostable, may be labeled as biodegradable– When mixed with truly compostable materials, it

can contaminate the piles, not allowing the mixture to reach optimal temperatures, and the pile is ruined

– This is what is happening here in Eau Claire

Key Recommendations• Get rid of all “fake” plastics

– They do not break down – and are causing more harm than good

• They ultimately end up in the landfill and contaminate good compost

• Replace plastics with all cardboard/paper products– e.g., use paper cups for everything

• Products you want in plastic, make sure it can be “RECYCLED” here in Eau Claire – and re-label single stream bins accordingly

Utensil Solutions - Wooden Utensils

Utensil Solutions – Back to Basics• Go back to metal utensils that are washed

– This is the greenest – most earth friendly option

• 2014 MN case study found• Over three years the 2 public middle schools

saved $23,000 using reusable metal utensils instead of constantly purchasing disposable utensils

Utensil Solutions – Back to Metal• What about washing?

– You already do this sustainably.– From your website…

– Simply have an additional bin near the waste receptacles for patrons to place their metal utensils

– For people who want disposable – give them the option – but make sure it’s recyclable – or charge a nominal fee – much like Aldi charges for bags

More food waste wanted

• Compost manager says best material you can provide is food waste– Best compost comes from green/leafy food products– These have the most nitrogen that makes the best soil

• Also more nitrogen-rich waste will lead to better composting– Not enough nitrogen – and too much carbon, leads to

slower decomposition• Microbes need nitrogen for cell growth – not enough and

they stop decomposing material – even die

Concluding Thoughts● Why is UW-Eau Claire being recognized as a green

campus?

● If we want our school to live up to this title, then it’s our responsibility to take the necessary actions to make it green.