Our Mission

Why should you compost?

Seems like a simple enough question, but a generation ago it likely never even crossed the mind of the average person.

As our society moves towards a more eco-friendly state of mind, it almost seems like a no brainer. Along with recycling, composting can play a large part in diverting a majority of the waste we produce every day.

Did you know that 95 per cent of all waste can be diverted from landfills just by recycling and composting alone?

Western University has a population of approximately 30,000 students, not including staff members.  In one year alone, Western on-campus residences produce over 200 tons of waste.  This number only accounts for 4,000 students, which is 13 per cent of the student population.

So this means that, on average, one student produces approximately 5 tons of waste a year.   Multiply that by every student at Western and you get roughly 150,000 tons of waste from students per year.  With proper composting and recycling, 142,500 tons of this could be diverted from landfills.

At first glance, it seems like an easy concept to get behind.  Simply sort your waste into the right receptacle and then someone will take care of the rest.

Well, in all seriousness, it is that simple.  But then this begs the question: what are we doing wrong?

As journalism students we decided to take a closer look. What we found is that, while finding someone who is against composting is not an easy feat, the number of people in the student community actually composting on campus is staggeringly low.

With our research we’re also going to address basic facts about composting that many students may not know.  How easy is it to compost, what are the benefits of composting and what options are out there that the average student can take advantage of?

With our work we aim to not only shine a light on how composting is currently being tackled on campus, but also to inform the student community about how they can get on board with Western campus and their plans for the future.

We hope this site helps to inform not only Western students, but also the city of London, on how composting works and the benefits everyone can achieve in doing so.

How to compost at Western

The Many Feces of Composting

Composting on Campus

When it comes to composting on campus a number of programs are in place, according to the Sustainability Western department.

 1. Small-Scale Composting

This is an indoor composting system; office departments on campus take part in small scale self-service garden composting. These departments are responsible for regularly emptying the organic contents themselves into small outdoor composters outside the buildings. The composing process done in these containers is less complex, and without the aid of machinery. Although this is a good, simple way to save energy, materials that are harder to break down or food that may attract animals is not done through this process.

2. Large-Scale Composting

A second system is the composting program done in certain kitchen and residences on campus, as well as two composting containers in the UCC and one in the Support Services building. These are collected in containers and shipped out to Orgaworld, a composting facility located in the south end of London. This is a more complex process using machinery and therefore, more organic material can be diverted from landfills using this process. This is where the more hard to break down food materials go like meat and bones and dry paper products.

For outdoor waste from grounds keeping and landscaping on campus, materials like grass clippings and tree branches are also diverted from landfills, according to Jim Galbraith, Western Grounds and Recycling Supervisor. These materials are shipped to Try North London where they are then turned into landscape mulch or soil compost.

Composting for Students at Home

Vermicomposting is one way to compost indoors without the smell. This form of composting is perfect for students who live in apartments or condos. The word ‘vermi’ means that it uses various worms—red wigglers, white worms or other earthworms—to break down organic waste such as vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast.

property of Scavengebliss

Vermicast is another word for worm poop, which is the end product of the breakdown of organic material. The best part about worm poop is that it’s been shown to reduce the levels of contaminants in the compost, which creates a higher saturation of nutrients than other forms of composting do.

The end result is more nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. If the student was ever so inclined they could then use their compost as a soil conditioner to plant their own vegetables right at home.

Win, win!

Composting in the City of London

When it comes to composting in London, Western campus does seem to be ahead of the curve. The City of London currently does not have a composting program for residents, although they do promote back yard composting similar to Western’s office program.

Orgaworld, located in the south of London, currently receives organic waste for mechanical composting collected from not only Western campus, but also from green bin programs in Toronto, Vaughan and St. Thomas.

But perhaps someday London could be added to that list as the city explores it’s options for future waste diversion programs, said Jamie Skimming, part of the City of London’s environmental programs department.

Options for waste diversion in London are being explored, and the public is invited to lend their voice to the Community Energy Action Plan, that looks to reduce London’s environmental impact.

Currently, 70% of London curbside collected garbage could be diverted from landfills, with 45% being compostable material, and in condominiums and apartment buildings the percentage of compostable material is 35%.

Skimming explained that the city would look at public input and financial considerations to help determine what recommendations for waste diversion will later go forward to city council to review.

“It is one of those things where you ask what is the best value for those organic materials,” said Skimming. “So as we look to increase our diversion rates further, we will ask if we should do composting or do something else with those organics.”

Enviro Clean-Up Day

On April 1st EnviroWestern hosted their second annual Campus Clean-Up Day.  It’s a student initiative asking students and staff to pick up garbage laying around campus throughout the morning.  The participates were given one black garbage bag for waste and one clear garbage bag for recycling.  Compostable waste was put into the garbage bags because of the nature of the waste–no one wants to pick up decomposing materials. . .understandably!

Total participants for the day: approx. 150

Weight of garbage picked up: 217 pounds (this includes compost)

Weight of recycling picked up: 177

Afterward the recycling was sorted by the Sustainability Manager on campus and the team of EnviroWestern students.

EnviroWestern pep-talk

Stephanie De Adder: Sustainability’s Manager at Western

First gathering of the day at 10:30

Students participating

Students participating

Student participant

A fraction of what was collected that day

The participates get a free BBQ lunch after they wash their hands.

On a regular day, however, recycling on Western is sent to the sorting building where it is processed and then sent to BMI-Recyclers who are contracted with the campus.

If Western were to achieve a zero waste status on campus, a similar processing facility would have to be implemented.

Recycle streams: paper, cardboard, bottles and cans

One of these are filled a day during the year. In the summer it is about 1-2 a week.

E-waste

E-waste

Hospitality Services Sustainability Action Plan

As of last year, 50 per cent of Western’s waste is diverted from the landfill. It is the university’s goal to increase the diversion to 90 per cent by 2022.

This is how.

In the past two years, Western University initiated a Sustainability Action Plan called the President’s Advisory Committee on Environment and Sustainability (PACES).

It is an assessment of the university’s current sustainability initiative with Hospitality Services as well as a projection to what is possible for improvements in the future.  Currently, PACES is projecting a five-year plan.

We will be touching upon their three ‘Priority Projects’ that pertain to waste diversion and the implementation of composting systems campus-wide.

As quoted from Western’s Action Plan:

1. Sustainability is a major student learning initiative within Western’s residences and in first year activities

Priority Project: Identify action plan for integration of sustainability in residence programs.

2. A campus-wide effort to achieve zero waste status is initiated

Priority Project: Create a strategy to achieve zero waste status for Western

Initiate conversation with franchises on campus to reduce waste and promote and incent re-useable, compostable to-go containers.

3. Access to healthy, local, organic and fair trade food with vegan and vegetarian options are widely available throughout campus

Priority Project: Develop target for desired levels of healthy, local, organic, fair trade, vegetarian and vegan food options on campus.

Click the link below to read Western’s Hospitality Services Revised 2012 Action Plan:

Revised 2012 Action Plan

Achieving Zero Waste Status

What is zero waste status?

Anne Zok is the Nutrition’s Manager of Hospitality Services on campus and has a hand in Western’s Action Plan.

We spoke to Anne about composting in residences and how campus can achieve zero waste status.  She also talked about Hospitality Services’ biggest hurdle in achieving zero waste and why students need to get more involved and more aware.

Container Exchange Program

Western’s found a new way to cut down on the amount of paper waste produced in residences.

The Exchange Container pilot project was initiated last year in all residences on campus to encourage students to reuse, rather than dispose of, to-go containers.

Anne Zok from Hospitality Services spoke about the details of the project and how successful it’s been.

 

Student apathy toward composting

Anne Zok Talks Tim’s

Tim Horton’s cups makes up 15 per cent of the total waste produced on campus.

We asked Anne Zok from Hospitality Services about what franchises are doing on campus to help them reach their sustainability goal.

Residence Dining

This infograph depicts an audit of the food offered in campus residences.

What food is organic and what is bought locally and how much food is compostable.