University of Missouri-Kansas City Organic Composting Program

Type: Program

Status: Launched on 10/27/08

Source File: http://www.umkc.edu/foodservice/sustainability.html

Description:

On October 27, 2008 the University Center began a partnership with Missouri Organics and Sodexo in an organic composting program. It is our intent that the reduced tonnage in food waste will allow for a cost savings over the life of the program. This program can not only be beneficial to the current University Center operation, but also a foundational cornerstone to the sustainable focus in operating the new Student Union.

Here are some basic mechanisms of how the program will work:

• Missouri Organics has supplied 4 96-gallon containers for the program
• The containers are lined with compostable bags
• Sodexo will purchase 5-gallon buckets that will be filled with preparation waste and post-consumer waste and then transported to the 96-gallon containers. The 5-gallon bucks will encourage individual responsibility for the program and reduce the cost of additional bags.
• All food waste materials, plus card board, wax paper, and food cartons are compostable. The only items that will fall outside of this process will be plastics, i.e. straws/creamer contains/etc. Our intent is to provide a separate tub by the dish line to encourage our students and guests to join us in the process by separating their plastic items much as they currently do their silverware. We hope you join us in this new endeavor.