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Feasibility study for composting landscape waste
In order to start a successful composting program for ULV, we first need to know
how much food and landscaping waste is being produced on campus.
Research questions:
- How much, by volume, non-woody, compost-able landscape waste is produced
by landscape maintenance every week?
- What is done with this waste now? How much does it cost to empty the
green-waste bin?
- How much, by percent volume, is the compost-able material of all
landscape materials?
- How much can be saved by removing and composting this?
- What kind of methods would be appropriate to use to compost this waste?
Strategy:
- Talk to landscape maintenance personnel to determine when trimming, etc.
is done on campus.
- Work with landscape maintenance and operations personnel to determine
the best way to collect and weigh the landscape waste material.
- Pick a week when the team can collect the landscape waste
- Collect and weigh the material for one week. As of yet, we have no
composting program, so then dispose of landscape material in green-waste bin
(or as usual).
- Keep track of progress. Are any drawbacks or problems becoming apparent?
What improvements would you suggest for collection, weighing, etc.?
- Calculate: What is the total volume of compost-able landscape waste for
the week? (this helps to determine composting strategies, etc.)
- Research: What kind of composting methods are available? Which way would
be appropriate for this volume of landscape waste? What plans are already
underway at ULV? How can this coordinate with food-composting methods?
- Calculate, research: How much green waste goes into the dumpster
(volume)? How often does it need to be emptied? How much does each dumpster
load cost to empty?
- Calculate: What is the total percent by volume of compost-able material
for a typical week
- How much would ULV save by removing the compost-able from the dumpsters
(how many fewer times does it have to be unloaded)?
- Report: Summarize conclusions, articulate suggestions, etc.
- Report: Present to Sustainable Campus Task Force. Give a copy of written
results to dining services, and one to operations/maintenance department
with results and suggestions highlighted.
Additional:
Have you answered the research questions? What further questions arose from
this study? Suggest: Should additional studies be undertaken? If so, with the
same method, or with another method?
Be sure to detail your study methods so they can be replicated if necessary.
Research case studies: What other schools have undertaken such a study? What
were the results?
Keep bibliography and details of sources (make sure someone else can follow your
paper trail! What if someone wanted to contact another school such as the one
you found for the case study?)
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