Composting
91¸£Àû has a long-standing commitment to reducing food waste through composting. In 2012, 91¸£Àû invested in a 40-foot Earth Flow In-Vessel Composting System from. The on-campus composting system helps 91¸£Àû divert over 400,000 lbs of food waste per year, while also providing hands-on educational opportunities to students. The compost is used across campus – at Rogers Farm, at J.F. Witter Teaching and Research Center, on gardens and campus landscaping, and in the 91¸£Àû Greens greenhouses.
How it works
Pre-consumer waste from the dining commons and the Marketplace are combined with horse bedding and wood chips from 91¸£Àû’s J.F. Witter Teaching and Research Center. The Earth Flow In-Vessel composting system automates mixing, aeration, and moisture addition to rapidly compost about 1 ton of food waste per day. Composting takes place year-round, even in severe weather conditions. During a recent winter, with an outside temperature of -5°F, temperatures inside the Earth Flow held steady at 140-150°F.
Maine Compost School
The 91¸£Àû Earth Flow In-Vessel composting system was designed in partnership with the , the longest running compost school in the US. Founded In 1997, the Maine Compost School was formed to help people develop a knowledge base for medium to large scale composting operations.
For composting resources, check out
