All Tahoma schools recycling food waste

All schools in the Tahoma School District are now recycling food scraps on campus, sending the majority of their lunchroom waste to be recycled into compost instead of to the landfill.

Tahoma Middle School, the last school to launch the program, started in October 2011.  Each school worked to create a program that works for itsr student body, faculty and staff and specifically the custodial staff.  At Tahoma High School, which launched its program earlier this year, much of the education around organics recycling was student directed, including a video that was created by the Green Team to educate the rest of the student body.

Despite the district’s efforts and the efforts of residents in the Pacific Northwest, most food scraps still wind up in a landfill.  Food scraps decomposing in a landfill transform into methane gas, more damaging to the environment than CO2.

“Environmental sustainability is an increasing part of our students’ curriculum and their lives,” said Kevin Patterson, public information officer for the Tahoma School District. “They need very little convincing to make better use of our resources.  In fact, they embrace it and take it into our community.”

The food scraps are collected by Cedar Grove Composting, a Maple Valley-based company which is part of a family-owned enterprise with more than 400 employees.  The company employs 51 people at its Maple Valley site.  Cedar Grove Composting is one of the largest dedicated yard and food composting facilities in the United States and the company makes frequent contributions of compost to schools in the Tahoma District and the entire Puget Sound region.

“For parents and children in our district, recycling food scraps at school is really a no brainer,” says Stacie Loftus, Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) chair for recycling and organics at Rock Creek Elementary School.  “Most of us are already doing it at home and understand the benefits of bringing that nutrient rich compost back into our gardens.”

Bob Moselle, of Cedar Grove Composting, said the amount of waste that the Tahoma School district is diverting from the landfill per year is approximately 134 tons.  That figure does not include Tahoma Middle School as they just started the program.

Cathy Haws, third grade teacher and Green Team coordinator at Glacier Park Elementary School, says that the school’s recycling efforts really pay off.  “Organics recycling is just one aspect of our recycling program at the school.  We also recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum, ink cartridges and drink containers,” Haws said.  In addition to reducing the cost of the school’s garbage disposal fees, the Green Team receives $1,200 per year from TerraCycle for its drink pouch recycling program.

According to Haws, an essential element of a successful school recycling program is administration and custodial support.  “At Glacier Park, our Principal Mr. Chris Thomas has made recycling and conservation a priority in staff meetings.  He encourages student involvement in our school Green Team, an environmental action group, and includes a recycling tip to our weekly announcements,” said Haws. 

She indicates that Glacier Park’s success was possible because the custodial staff, under the direction of Connie Jo Erickson, has embraced recycling and conservation.  “Connie Jo leads by example.  Recognized by King County with two awards for her recycling and sustainability efforts, she is an excellent mentor to the staff and students,” said Haws.  In the lunchroom, Erickson empowers students by allowing them to assist in the composting and recycling efforts.  “Erickson is always willing to empower students and allow them to feel the gratification that comes from service and making a contribution to our school community.”

Haws has used much of the money earned by the Green Team’s recycling efforts to fund the school’s garden on campus which features 14 vegetable beds and where the Green Team and Gardening Club students maintain the grounds alongside with their teachers.  All food grown in the garden is donated to the Maple Valley Food Bank.
At Tahoma Middle School, the new composting program will benefit another new feature at the school; a rain garden that filters rooftop runoff.
“With the recent completion of our new rain garden, we now have a firsthand example of how the food scraps from our cafeteria can be used in making compost for the rain garden in our courtyard,” said Paul Gardner, assistant principal.

The Tahoma School District is the second school in the Puget Sound region to have each of its schools’ participation in organics recycling.  The Mukilteo School District was first.