New personal compost system makes cutting waste easy

Luther College Sustainability implemented a new personal composting program at the beginning of November to encourage students and faculty to compost in their dorms and offices. 

“We were trying to come up with a way that students and faculty could still compost, but make it easier and more personal,” program founder Calla Olson (‘14) said. 

The new composting program is based out of the Union and is easy to join.  Students and faculty who wish to participate can pick up a composting container from Marty’s, which includes an airtight lid, to take back to their dorm or office. 

“If people are not sure what can be composted, there is a comprehensive list of what constitutes organic scraps on the Luther Sustainability website,” Energy and Waste Steward Eric Holthaus said. 

Once the containers are filled with organic scraps, participants dump their compost and the used container itself into two clearly marked bins by the loading dock on the north side of the union.  Clean containers can be picked up again in Marty’s.

“The nice thing about this system is that it is really clean.  Students don’t need to worry about dealing with any of the mess,” Olson said. “They simply dump the organic scraps then dump the dirty container.”

The personal composting program is part of the overall goal to reduce the amount of waste that Luther is putting into the landfills.

“On a random day Luther Sustainability went through the Brandt Hall garbage bins and found that only 50% of what was being thrown away was actually trash while 14% was compostable, organic material.” Holthaus said.  “It’s bad to have compost in a landfill because it turns into methane gas.”

The personal composting program part of a push to expand composting to the dorms. 

“For instance, we know that many students like to cook in the dorms and we wanted to reach out to them to provide an opportunity to compost,” Olson said.

So far 15 people have signed up. 

“I think it’s a cool thing because it allows students to take ownership of their own waste and gives them an opportunity to practice sustainability themselves,” Student Recycling Coordinator Jimmy Marty (‘12) said.

To better promote the personal composting program, sustainability representatives in Brandt, Olson and Ylvisaker Halls are conducting weekly surveys and answering sustainability related questions. 

“Next semester these reps will move out of [first-year] dorms to all dorms on campus,” Holthaus said.

While Olson, Holthaus and Sustainability Coordinator Dan Bellrichard spearheaded the program, many other people contributed to the program. 

Head Chef Jason Skarin donated empty yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream containers to the program and Dining Services Retail Operations Manager Diane Narum maintains the supply of containers in Marty’s.

The personal composting program is being added to complement the already existing but underutilized vermicomposting, or worm, system. 

“In past years we had vermicomposting set up in all the dorms, but the problem with that system is that it’s a lot more work to take care of and students were less apt to use it,” Olson said. “A lot of students weren’t even aware that there was vermicomposting, nor were they willing carry a banana peel from
seventh floor Miller to the ground floor to compost it.”

Vermicomposting requires much more careful management than the new personal composting system. 

“Having vermicomposting in public areas is difficult because you need to make sure it doesn’t get too wet or too dry, plus the worms can’t be exposed to too much citrus,” Holthaus said. “So, when you have the public putting things in the vermicomposting bin it’s difficult to maintain.” 

Luther still offers vermicomposting, but only where individuals are committed to the program.

Unlike the vermicomposting system that can emit a fetid odor, the personal composting program is odorless. 

“I have a container in my room and if you keep the lid on it does not smell,” Olson said.

Luther Sustainability expects the personal composting program to be much more widespread and readily used than the vermicomposting system.