Food Waste Compost Program

History

n March 1997, University of Michigan Waste Management Services and the City of Ann Arbor Solid Waste Department together received a $19,000 grant from the Washtenaw County Department of Public Works through the "Green Backs for Green Acts" grant program. This funding was used to implement a pilot food waste collection and composting program for the University of Michigan. The pilot program was to test the technical and economic feasibility of adding prep-food waste from Dining Services kitchens to the City's composting site by targeting 3 of the 10 residence hall kitchens on campus. The 3 pilot kitchens, East Quadrangle, Markley Hall, and South Quadrangle, prepared on average 5,000 meals each day. During the 8-month pilot program over 30 tons of food waste was collected. The success of this pilot program created the current food waste composting program.

What we collect and where

The food waste that is collected as part of U of M's food waste compost program is "prep-waste." (Adobe pdf file 116k) Prep-waste is vegetative, pre-consumer food waste generated during meal preparation. No plate waste is collected in the program because of the composting method used. Currently, 5 residence halls participate in the food waste program; Betsey Barbour, East Quadrangle, Markley Hall, South Quadrangle and West Quadrangle. The Hill Dining Center, Pierpont Commons cafeteria, the University Catering Services, located in Pierpont Commons, and Palmer Commons also participate.

Where the food waste goes

The waste collected by the Waste Management Services staff is transported to the City of Ann Arbor's compost site. The food waste is mixed with a bulking agent (normally wood chips) and is formed into long piles or "windrows" where air can circulate and aid in the decomposition process. After the food waste has decomposed, the finished compost is tested to assess its potential as fertilizer or soil amendment. If you are interested in purchasing compost from the City of Ann Arbor, please call 971-8600 for more information.

Vermicomposting

On October 4, 2001 UM Waste Management Services became the temporary home to over 50,000 red worms. Housed in a 6-foot by 8-foot unit equipped with an automatic heating and cooling system designed to maintain 65 degrees Fahrenheit the red worms feast on 50 pounds of food waste three days a week. This vermicomposting was piloted to determine its potential as an alternative method for handling food waste currently collected on campus.

The increasing volumes of food waste collected created an interest in alternative methods for collecting and handling these organics including vermicomposting systems. During winter term 2001, as part of the course work for "Sustainability and the Campus", a group of students with the support of UM Waste Management Services staff, researched vermicomposting options and drafted a paper describing the potential for using this method on campus. An agreement to pilot the Vermiscience unit was made and vermicompost was harvested in the spring of 2002. The program was discontinued in 2003 due to mechanical difficulties with the vermicomposting unit.

In the Fall of 2004 Waste Management Services began working with a group called cUltivating coMmunity comprised of faculty, students, staff, and community members interested in reviving a vermicomposting program for food waste from campus dining halls, initiating a student garden on the Ann Arbor campus, and producing food in the garden for campus dining halls. Collaboration between this group and projects from two University courses resulted in the creation of a garden at the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens. In the spring of 2005 Waste Management Services moved the vermicomposting unit out to the Gardens and delivered a portion of the food waste we collected to feed to the worms. The harvested worm castings were used to fertilize cUltivating coMmunity’s garden plots. The fresh produce grown in these plots was then taken to the University Club and incorporated into their dishes. Cultivating Community has since revised its mission to focus less on large-scale food production and vermicomposting for the University and more on educating UM students about organic gardening and community food systems.

Since the inception of the food waste composting program in August 1997 through June 2006 almost 396 tons of food waste has been composted.