Materials and Methods

In order to calculate the total weight of the compostable material located in the McKinley's dumpster it was necessary to weigh all the bags of compostable material located inside it. This task was done every night at 10:00 p.m. for seven straight days starting on February 19th, 2001, and ending February 25th, 2001. This required the cooperation of 5 - 6 persons per night, a bathroom scale, rubber gloves, dust masks, and rubber boots. All participating members were required to wear rubber gloves and dust masks. The weigh-in process began by designating people specific tasks, these included: a person to get in the dumpster to hand out the trash, a person on top of the dumpster to carry the trash to a person on the loading dock, this person handed the trash to a person standing on the standard dial bathroom scale, then the trash was passed to another person who would pile the trash aside, a recorder was also needed to write down all the information. Initially, the person standing on the scale was weighed to obtain the tare weight for each reading. When the person on the scale was handed a bag he would call out the combined weight to the recorder who logged all this information. Judgement of what was to be weighed was made by observing the contents through the clear bags. If the contents consisted of mainly McKinley's serveware then it was included in the survey. All other bags were set aside. Upon emptying the dumpster all the trash was then tossed back into the dumpster and the area was hosed down for sanitary purposes. The total weight was then calculated by summing all the combined weights and subtracting off the total tare weight. This process was repeated for an entire week to determine and compare the amount of waste produced each day (mainly weekday vs. weekend). Volume was calculated by multiplying the total volume of each bag (52 gallons) times the average percentage of waste per bag (40%) times the number of bags or [52 x .40 x # of bags = volume in gallons]. The average volume per bag was estimated from visual observation. We later took the volume in gallons and divided that by 202 which is the number of gallons in a cubic yard in order to calculate cubic yards of waste [volumes in gallons/202 = cubic yards]. To estimate the total amount of waste per year the number of cubic yards was multiplied by 30 which is the number of weeks in a school year.

The following week (February 26th through March 4th) the food waste from the Schultz and Brooks dining halls was measured. The amount of waste was based solely on weight and did not account for volume. However the waste was contained in 50-gallon garbage cans with 3 cans located in Schultz and 2 cans placed in Brooks. Measurements for Schultz were only taken once per day, Monday through Thursday, at 7:30 p.m. because they only serve lunch and dinner these four days. The waste was also measured Friday at 1:30 because Schultz only serves one meal this day. Collection for Brooks took place after lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday, at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. respectively. Sunday the waste was measured only once at 7:30 p.m. because only two meals (brunch and dinner) were served this day. To actually calculate the weight we used the bathroom scale that was mentioned previously and a platform constructed from two 2x4's and an 18" square sheet of plywood. The platform was placed on the scale then the garbage cans were loaded individually onto the platform. This allowed us to attain an accurate reading of the scale for each can. Each weight was recorded on a chart to keep track of all the numbers. Then the weights were added together to calculate the total weight of waste per dining hall. From the weight we needed to calculate the number of cubic yards. To do this we weighed three full 44-gallon garbage cans, then calculated the weight per gallon by dividing the can weight by 44 [lbs./44 gal. = lbs./gallon]. These numbers were then averaged to determine the average weight per gallon at 6.7 pounds. The combined weight from all three dining halls was divided by 6.7 to determine total gallons, then that number was divided by 202 to determine cubic yards [total lbs./6.7/202 = cubic yards]. There were no special dining events during our observation period. To estimate the total amount of waste per year the number of cubic yards was multiplied by 30 which is the number of weeks in a school year.

McKinley's: 499-1747 gallons/day; 2.5 – 8.7 cu. yds./day

Results

Results from the waste audit at McKinley's, with bags at 40% full

Day	Weight (lbs.)	# of bags (52 gallons)	Volume (gallons)	Volume (cu. yds.)
Monday	677	60	1248.0	6.18
Tuesday	430.5	41	852.8	4.22
Wednesday*	1057	84	1747.2	8.65
Thursday	725	53	1102.5	5.46
Friday	668	52	1081.6	5.35
Saturday	401	33	686.4	3.40
Sunday	380	24	499.2	2.47
TOTALS	4,339	399	7,218.1	36.13

*Wednesdays are stir-fry days, especially heavy waste days at McKinley’s.

Schultz and Brooks: 8.2 - 75 gallons/day; .04 - .32 cu. yds./day

Food scrap and food prep. audit

Day	Location	Weight (lbs.)	Volume (gallons)	Volume (cu. yds)
Monday	Schultz	317	55.16	0.27
	Brooks 1:30 – 2:00 PM	245	42.63	0.21
	Brooks 7:15 – 7:30 PM	331	57.6	0.29
	McKinley's 3:00 - 3:30 PM	121	21.1	0.10
	McKinley's 9:00 - 9:30 PM	83	14.4	0.07
Tuesday	Schultz	265	46.11	0.23
	Brooks 1:30 – 2:00 PM	192	33.42	0.17
	Brooks 7:15 – 7:30 PM	321	55.85	0.28
	McKinley's 3:00 - 3:30 PM	132	23	0.11
	McKinley's 9:00 - 9:30 PM	163	28.4	0.14
Wednesday	Schultz	227	39.5	0.20
	Brooks 1:30 – 2:00 PM	177	30.8	0.15
	Brooks 7:15 – 7:30 PM	305	53.1	0.26
	McKinley's 3:00 - 3:30 PM	148	25.75	0.13
	McKinley's 9:00 - 9:30 PM	91	15.83	0.08
Thursday	Schultz	242	42	0.21
	Brooks 1:30 – 2:00 PM	215	37.4	0.19
	Brooks 7:15 – 7:30 PM	335	58.3	0.29
	McKinley's 3:00 - 3:30 PM	98	17	0.08
	McKinley's 9:00 - 9:30 PM	125	21.75	0.11
Friday	Schultz	368	64	0.32
	Brooks 1:30 - 2:00 PM	205	35.67	0.18
	Brooks 7:15 - 7:30 PM	198	34.45	0.17
	McKinley's 3:00 - 3:30 PM	155	27	0.13
	McKinley's 9:00 - 9:30 PM	70	12.18	0.06
Saturday	Brooks 1:30 - 2:00 PM	162	28.2	0.14
	Brooks 7:15 - 7:30 PM	235	40.9	0.20
	McKinley's	76	13.22	0.07
	McKinley's 9:00 - 9:30 PM	56	9.74	0.05
Sunday	Brooks 7:15 - 7:30 PM	431	75	0.37
	McKinley's 3:00 - 3:30 PM	64	11.1	0.05
	McKinley's 9:00 - 9:30 PM	47	8.2	0.04
TOTALS		6,200	1,078.76	5.35

Carnegie and Steffee buildings: approx. .59 – 1.8 cu. yds./week*

*Note: this is per week, not per day

Compostable Waste Found in Rat Facilities of Carnegie and Steffee

· Material used for bedding in rat cages is rough cut sawdust.

· Carnegie has far more rats than Steffee.

· There is an extremely high variability in the amount of bedding and waste that these facilities go through due to the fact that rats are killed off at different times of the year depending on classes.

· Rat population in Carnegie can vary as much as from 125 rats to 800 rats.

· During low population levels (estimated: 42 weeks) weekly sawdust and rat waste for both buildings will be between 260 and 390 pounds (.59 - .89 cu. yds./week).

· During high population levels (10 weeks) the average weekly weight of both buildings rat waste is 585 to 780 pounds (1.34 - 1.78. cu. yds./week).

The calculations and estimations in this section were determined figuring that of the 30 weeks that school is in session, 10 of those weeks have high populations of rats and the other 20 weeks have low populations. We also assume that there is a low population during the remaining 22 weeks of the year. The rat population of Carnegie can vary from as low as 125 rats to as high as 800 rats. At peak rat population which occurs roughly during the middle part of the semesters, the Carnegie building uses between 7-9 cans of sawdust per week (cans are 30 gallons and hold 65 lbs). During this period the weight could be roughly between 455 and 585 pounds.

Beginning around the time comps are due, rats are usually killed off at high rates. This lowest population is during the summer at which time only 2-3 cans are required per week. During this time period the Carnegie colony uses approximately 130 to 195 pounds of sawdust. During August the populations are brought back up and peak population is reached around the beginning of September.

In Steffee where fewer rats are held, we were informed that between 2 or 3 cans per week are used to cover its rat population, making the weekly average roughly between 130 and 195 pounds (.30 to .45 cu. yds./week). The total average weekly weight of sawdust during peak times (10 weeks) for both buildings is approximately between roughly 676 and 897 pounds. At low population levels (42 weeks) such as during the summer, weekly sawdust weight for both buildings will be between 260 and 390 pounds (.49 to .89 cu. yds./week). The average weekly weight of both buildings throughout the year is 281.7 pounds.

The Pick-up Plan

Location	Time of pick-up	Number of totes	Time required	Pick-up days
McKinley's	7:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.	15-24	3¾ hours	Monday - Saturday
Brooks	7:00 a.m.	5-8	hour-and-a-half	Monday - Saturday
Schultz	7:00 a.m.	5-8	combined with Brooks	Monday - Saturday
Carnegie	7:00 a.m.	4-6	45 minutes	Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Steffee	7:00 a.m.	2-3	45 minutes	Monday, Wednesday and Friday
			overall time requirement = 5 - 8 hours

Numbers of totes:

We believe that no more than fifty totes will be required, contrary to some of the comments made by spectators during the presentation. Fifty totes will allow for many extras to be floating around campus. Although the totes can only be filled 1/2 - 2/3 full our data gathered substantiates the fact that no more totes will be needed. Not filling the totes completely is only an issue with very wet, liquid tainted substances (like chili, gravy and sauces). In our data collection there was very little disposal of large quantities of liquid substances. A great deal of the compostable materials, mainly at McKinley's, is nothing but cups, napkins, and plates; items that can easily be used to fill a tote up to the brim without worrying about spillage or buckling.

There should also be an excess of four totes readily available for overflow if necessary (i.e., banquets and other special events). These extra totes will be kept at the physical plant and will be available upon request. We also recommend that there be six empty totes readily available to replace the full totes at McKinley's and Brooks during morning pick-ups (four in McKinley's and two in Brooks). There will also be nine totes at the composter used for adding wood chips into the compost mix.

Location of totes:

· McKinley's food court (four in the kitchen/prep. area and eleven to be used in the food court area)

· Schultz dining hall (three in the washroom area and two in the prep./kitchen area)

· Brooks dining hall (three in the washroom and two in the prep./kitchen area)

· Carnegie rat facilities (four at any available space near the rat facilities)

· Steffee Hall rat facilities (two at any available space near the rat facilities)

Pickup frequency and time requirement:*

· McKinley's: twice a day (Monday through Saturday), once in the morning at 7:00 and once in the afternoon around 1:30 p.m. (biodegradable utensils should also be taken at this time). This process should take no longer than an hour-and-a-half to two hours. This may take longer on certain days where the compost waste is heavier and requires more totes.

· Brooks and Schultz: once a day, everyday at around 7:00 a.m. (Monday through Saturday). Since this requires workers to pick up at both locations, this process should take approximately an hour-and-a-half to two hours.

· Carnegie and Steffee rat facilities: once a day, three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) at 7:00 a.m. This should take approximately forty-five minutes at each location.

· Duties at Composter: The aforementioned time requirements include the following duties: picking up the totes, emptying the totes into the composter, adding wood chips in the appropriate proportion, rinsing out the totes and returning the totes to their designated locations.

* The amount of time required may vary, requiring either more or less time at each location depending on how smoothly the cycle runs, fluctuations in campus population and the amount of compostable material produced. One person can accomplish these tasks in approximately four to five hours although the implementation of more workers would greatly reduce these time requirements.

Receptacles in McKinley's for biodegradable utensils:

· There will be small plastic containers placed aside every trash disposal station in McKinley's (a total of four will be needed) to accept all the biodegradable utensils used in the food court, one beside each trash can/tote. The utensils are not supposed to run through the composter.

Recommendations

Waste Hauling Contracts

Currently Allegheny has a contract with Tri County Waste Disposal, which is based on a flat fee rather than a fee based on per ton or per cubic yard. For our waste removal we currently pay $3,940.36 per month, which covers collection, hauling, and disposal costs (Hanna personal communication). With this contract we pay the same rate disregarding both the amount of trash that is generated, as well as the time when school is not in session. This equates to a cost of $49,28.32 per year for waste hauling.

When we begin composting we will be reducing the amount of trash that we need to landfill by 1,113.5 cubic yards (65 tons) per school year (the 30 weeks that school is in session). In order to reap some of the economic benefits of composting, we need to alter our waste-hauling contract so it reflects our efforts in composting. The following are recommendations of alternate waste-hauling contracts that Allegheny could implement.

· We could contract with a company that will charge us on a per ton or per yard basis. With this type of contract we would have an economic incentive to divert our waste through recycling and composting, and reduce our waste from the source. Through our composting efforts alone we will be diverting 1,113.5 cubic yards (65 tons) of waste per school year. According to our last waste-hauling invoice, (assuming that all of the dumpster, carts, and bags were full at the time of pick up) we are currently generating 4,579.20 cubic yards of waste during the 30 weeks that school is in session. If we compost 1,113.5 cubic yards, this will be 27% of the total volume of waste generated per school year (according to my prior estimate). If we adopt a per cubic yard rate that charged us $2.40 per cubic yard, Allegheny would save $2,672.35/year by composting. These methods of waste-hauling would also prevent the school from paying a flat fee for waste hauling for the 22 weeks that school is not in session when the volume and weight of trash substantially decreases.

· We could reduce the frequency of the pulls of the dumpsters. Since all of the organic waste will be composted, the dumpsters will not smell or attract varmints so they will not have to be pulled as frequently. Instead of being pulled 6 times a week, they could be pulled less frequently.

· We could buy a compactor and have the waste hauled to it using the same vehicle that we will be using to haul the totes with compostable material in them. Having the waste be compacted, it will not need to be hauled to the landfill as frequently (maybe 2 times a month). Conrad Sobczak has compactors at his Plastek facilities in Erie that are set to automatically fax the waste-hauler when they are 90% full. Through using this compactor, he has improved the efficiency of his waste hauling from 45% to 95%. He has found the savings in reducing the number of times the truck comes by 50%. (Conrad is an environmental coordinator for 8 manufacturing plants that produce consumer products such as the plastic holder for deodorant. His phone number is 814-878-5508.)

· Allegheny should consider purchasing a garbage truck. Owning a garbage truck would allow us to empty dumpsters on a need-be basis, rather than on a schedule. It would also prevent us from paying a waste-hauling contract in the months that school is not in session. By cutting out the middleman, the waste-hauler, the school could save a great deal of money. We could pay an employee much less than a waste-hauler to operate the truck and pull the dumpsters.

Contracts of Other Colleges and Universities

We have been in contact with 10 colleges or universities that have alternative waste-hauling contracts. All of these schools have either a strong recycling or composting plan, or both.

· Williams College: They pay $72 per ton to landfill garbage (that includes both collection and tipping fee at the landfill). The weight of each load of trash taken from the campus is based on averages compiled some 15 to 20 years ago, rather than being the actual weight. (It may be more beneficial if they took the actual weight of the garbage.) This program has allowed the college to avoid the cost for tonnage it has diverted through their composting program. (Enrollment: 2,108)

· Skidmore College: They own their own rubbish truck, allowing them to reduce their costs in numerous ways. They also compact their waste, which enables them to have larger weights per load. They are also able to reduce both the hauling frequency and the cost by owning this truck. The head of physical plant recommends purchasing a compactor. This would compact the waste that is not being composted, therefore would decrease the frequency of trash pick-up. (Enrollment: 2,573)

· Towson University: They have a multi-year contract based on a per-tonnage basis. They pay $49.50 per ton, and a $75 hauling charge. In their waste-hauling contract, the University sets the schedule of when they want the waste hauler to come. They can adjust it at any time at their discretion. This allows them to reduce the frequency of pickups at certain times of the year when the tonnage of garbage is down. Their small containers that are 2 cubic yards are picked up twice a day, six times a week. For these containers they do not pay per ton, instead they pay $18 per trip. The school saves money by reducing the frequency of pickups in the summer. Towson University also has a 20 cubic yard compactor. (Enrollment: 15,923)

· Youngstown State University: This university is charged by the frequency of pulls on the bins, and the volume of each bin. They hope to drive down costs by reducing the frequency of pulls and increasing the amount of waste diverted for recycling. (Enrollment: 12,324)

· Dartmouth College: They own their own equipment: dumpsters, open top roll off boxes, and compactors. When schools just lease the equipment, it is more difficult to switch waste-haulers because the new vendor would have to replace all of the equipment. When the equipment is owned, the contract is only for the hauling of materials and the landfill costs without the added price of leasing the equipment. Dartmouth allowed vendors to bid for a price for their containers that were scheduled for pick- up and those that were on-call for pick up. Having vessels that are on-call avoids frequent pick-ups that are not needed and expensive. (Enrollment: 5,258)

· Connecticut College: They are charged per ton for “regular,” municipal waste. There is no tipping fee or per-load fee. They also own their own garbage truck, allowing them to weigh their trash themselves. Owning a truck allows them to attend to the waste when it need be (for example in the summer, they do not have to do anything). They decided to buy a truck due to the fluctuation of the price for per ton hauling (being as high as $97 and as low as $57/per ton), and because of the fluctuation in the tonnage of garbage the school produced. (Enrollment: 1,800)

· Saint Lawrence University: They pay for trash removal by the ton. (Enrollment: 1,937)

· Keene State College: They pay a rate of $107 per ton. (Enrollment: 4,354)

· Bates College: They have their trash hauled on a per ton basis. They haul their waste to the landfill themselves. They do not own dumpsters. (Enrollment: 1,713)

· University of Massachusetts at Amherst: They have their own crew to haul their waste; they do not contract it out. Their office of waste management collects trash, compostables, and recyclables with university owned trucks and with university staff. The trash is disposed at the local landfill at a rate of $75 per ton. (Enrollment: 24,545)

Changes for Marriott

Recommendations

· Change plastic and paper products in dining halls to biodegradable serveware.

· Change from throwaway take-out containers to the reusable ones similar to those used at the University of Philadelphia. The average cost is $5/student.

· Replace the foil-covered sandwich wraps used at the Gator Grill with plain paper, kraft paper or wax paper wraps, so that they may go into our machine.

· Provide a separate trash container for the biodegradable serveware so that it can compost in a pile by itself.

· Stop using plastic wrap to cover sandwiches that are taken home.

· Hold an educational session during RA training to inform RA’s on the new composter, so that they may help new students adjust to the system.

"Grab and Go"

Steve Thomas, Director of Dining Services at Philadelphia University, located in Philadelphia, PA, was of help. At Philadelphia University they have a program called the "Grab and Go" program. This program was instituted about four years ago, and was designed to cut wastes and cost in the dining halls on campus. The idea is this: students purchase a plastic, reusable container with lid, and a reusable hot/cold cup, and use these to take food out of the dining halls instead of eating in the halls. These containers replaced the throwaway plastic containers currently used here on Allegheny's campus. The total cost of the containers is five dollars per student and can have the school's name printed on them. By changing over to reusable containers we will reduce waste, and paper product consumption; this in turn will lessen the work that Physical Plant will have to do in order to haul the waste to our compost machine, as well as the amount they will have to haul there.

Instituting the program had few problems. Containers were reliably cleaned by students prior to reuse. To achieve this the school educated both the residence hall staff and the dining hall staff on the containers, their use, and the overall purpose. Then as the freshman classes were accepted, they were sent in their acceptance package news of the "Grab and Go" program as well as the option to purchase the containers. By doing this before the start of school, students with concerns could call and have any information they needed provided. To use the containers students simply tell the cashier they wish to carry‑out and their card is swiped, just as is done now at Allegheny. Mr. Thomas has offered to speak with Jeff Lee as well as anyone else at Allegheny who has questions regarding this program.

Other changes: Debbie Patton from Marriott told us that in the Fall of 2001 the condiments in the Campus Center will be changed to pumps, thus eliminating the issue of little packages entering the compost machine.

Utensils and Serveware

On March 28th I spoke with Ed Boyd, our representative for the compost machine. Mr. Boyd said the biodegradable bags we are interested in could not go through the machine, as they would block moving parts up within ten minutes. The recommendation from Mr. Boyd was to simply use the sixty-four gallon Shafer carts and use those without a bag. Cleanup, he said, could be accomplished with a hose.

We also recommend purchasing Biocorp biodegradable products such as plastic utensils, soup and salad containers, cups, straws, lids and plates. Another service offered by Biocorp is education and outreach. All products are manufactured from agriculturally based polymers, patented from annually renewable corn and starch as well as other natural items along with heat, pressure and water. Biocorp may be reached at 1-888-206-5658, or by e‑mail at www.BiocorpUSA.com.

Marriott Training

· Workers will not have any additional work for the composter, just that the flow of waste will be redirected.

· In all dining halls, the food waste will no longer go down the garbage disposals or into garbage cans, but into the special bins placed at strategic areas in all dining halls.

· Easily visible signs will be placed on the bins to remind the workers what types of things should be placed into the composting bins.

· A training manual will outline the simple procedure that the workers will have to follow.

· Robin Boldosser ('02) will aid in the training of the Marriott employees.

Recommendations

Staff: Overall, the changes that must be made by the Marriott staff to comply with the campus-wide compost plan are minimal but crucial to ensure a smooth composting operation. The only real changes that must be made will require those workers at Brooks and Schultz in the dish-room to throw any leftover food products from students’ trays into the designated compost tote instead of in the garbage disposal. Those working in the kitchen must also be sure to throw any preparatory waste or leftover foodstuffs into those totes designated for compostable materials. No materials should be discarded via the garbage disposal; the composter is a more environmentally sound mode of waste management. The garbage disposal uses large quantities of water and requires a great deal of chemicals to treat once it reaches the wastewater treatment plant. The only items that can successfully be composted are food scraps and napkins. Other items, like utensils, plastics, wax paper, aluminum foil and tin cans cannot be placed into the composter because they will not biodegrade and may actually harm the composter and its contents. The current methods of waste disposal at McKinley’s food court will also have to change to aid the composting program on campus. Larger, aesthetically pleasing, tote housing will have to be constructed so that the 64 gallon totes can be placed directly in them. This way all waste in the food court can be directly placed into the totes without the hassle of worrying about bags. These totes, when full, can then be directly taken up to the composter.

· Signs will be placed on the compost receptacles in the different dining halls to explain what can be put into the composter and what cannot (see Figures 1 and 2).

· Table tents will be placed on tables in all dining halls (see Figure 3) explaining that Allegheny has a compost machine, what the compost machine does and some of the benefits of the composter.

Tour Guide Training

A small paragraph of information about the composter could be submitted into the packet of information that tour guides are required to memorize. The information would tell that we a compost, what it does, and what some of the benefits of the composter are to the college and students.

Sample paragraph:

Allegheny now has a compost machine that is able to compost all food wastes. It is also able to compost the plates, napkins, cups and plasticware from McKinley's. The students, when finished, throw their serveware into separate bins to compost them. The serveware is now all biodegradable, so the plates, cups, and napkins are thrown into the compost machine while the plasticware is put into a separate pile to compost naturally over time. It is a very simple process. Plates, cups and napkins go into this compost receptacle (point to appropriate bin) and plasticware goes into this compost receptacle (point to appropriate bin). The compost machine is helping to reduce the college's waste hauling cost and it also contributes less waste to the landfill. It is also helping the college to portray a more environmentally friendly image.

Economics

Economics of the Composter

Costs Incurred Through the Use of the Composter:

1. Operation of the composter (electricity) = $1,600

2. Switching to biodegradable serveware = $9,530

3. Labor = $10,660

4. Costs not estimated for this study: maintenance of trucks, Bobcat, chipper, and composter (only a one-year warranty), and water for cleaning the totes.

	Cu. yds./week	Cu. yds./30 weeks	Cost avoided cu. yds./30 weeks @ $2.40/cu.yd.
McKinley’s	35.13	1080.00	$2,592.00
Schultz and Brooks	5.35	160.50	385.00
Carnegie and Steffee	» 1.00	30.00	72.00
	40.48	1,270.50	$3,049.00

Cost Avoided:

1. Switching our waste hauling contract to a per/cubic yard basis = $3,049

2. Estimated reduction in top soil costs = $7,000

Total Yearly Costs $21,790

Total Yearly Savings 10,049

Net Cost Incurred Yearly $11,741 ($6.35 per student)

Figure 3

Benefits of Composting to Allegheny College and the Environment.

- Allegheny is one of the few colleges in the country to take initiative on the creation of a composting project, and one of even fewer to use a composter of this type.

- By composting the majority of our food waste, Allegheny will not produce as much waste as a college, which will create potential savings in our waste-hauling costs. Also, less of Allegheny's waste will go into a landfill, and less fossil fuels will be used to transport our waste to the landfill, both benefiting the environment.

- Because the composter will allow us to produce our own soil amendment, Allegheny will be able to save money on landscaping costs.

- The composter is being paid for in large part through a grant from the State of Pennsylvania, so the cost to Allegheny should pay for itself after only a few years of the saved costs that are anticipated with this machine.

Did you know that
Allegheny has a
machine that
makes food rot
quickly!?!

It's called an In-Vessel Composter, and it will allow us here at Allegheny College to transform the majority of our food waste into a composted soil amendment that can be used right here on campus.

Where do we as students come in?

At McKinley's, students make composting work.

All of the serving products at McKinley's (cups, plates, napkins, and utensils) are now compostable!

Here's what to do:

- All food waste, napkins, cups, and plates from McKinley's go into the specified composting bins.

- All utensils go into separate, specified bins: they must be com-posted separately.

- Any outside plastic, glass, alumi-num, should be placed in recycling bins. Also, any outside garbage you may bring into McKinley's should go into the garbage.

Thanks for your help! J


1. Number of totes per month

2. Number of lbs. of residual waste

3. Number of cubic yards of residual waste

4. Money saved from specific area
· Money saved from not having to haul yard brush
· Money saved in waste reduction off hauling bill
· Money saved on top soil

5. Costs incurred
· Salary for new physical plant employee
· Maintenance of the composter
· Maintenance of the equipment
· Switching over to biodegradable paper cups/plates

6. Cubic yards of compost generated

Table of Contents

What’s Happening?

Who Cares?

Materials and Methods

McKinley's: 499-1747 gallons/day; 2.5 – 8.7 cu. yds./day

Results

McKinley's: 499-1747 gallons/day; 2.5 – 8.7 cu. yds./day

Schultz and Brooks: 8.2 - 75 gallons/day; .04 - .32 cu. yds./day

Carnegie and Steffee buildings: approx. .59 – 1.8 cu. yds./week*

The Pick-up Plan

Pickup frequency and time requirement:*

Recommendations

Economics

Total Yearly Costs $21,790

Indicators

Appendix

Robin Boldosser boldosr

McKinley's: 499-1747 gallons/day; 2.5 – 8.7 cu. yds./day Results

McKinley's: 499-1747 gallons/day; 2.5 – 8.7 cu. yds./day

Schultz and Brooks: 8.2 - 75 gallons/day; .04 - .32 cu. yds./day

Carnegie and Steffee buildings: approx. .59 – 1.8 cu. yds./week*

Pickup frequency and time requirement:*

Total Yearly Costs $21,790

Robin Boldosser boldosr

McKinley's: 499-1747 gallons/day; 2.5 – 8.7 cu. yds./day

Results