The CMU Sustainability Council launched a composting program at the Western Colorado Community College campus. The council collaborated with the Rodeo Club, Sodexo, the Culinary Department and the Agriculture Department to assemble five thermocomposting and four vermicomposting bins. The entire system is expected to be up and running by September.
In hopes to raise the environmental fund at CMU, Sustainability Council President Ryan McConnell needed to find an idea that would produce a beneficial product. CMU already has a strong recyclying program, which prompted McConnell to think, “What’s the next easiest thing?”
Composting was the obvious choice because CMU sends roughly about 14,000 pounds of food to the landfill every week. Now, a purpose has been found for at least some of this waste.
With a $20,000 budget from ASG, the idea for vermicomposting was put into action. To run smoothly, a board of directors will administer the project with four student jobs, a director and three interns. Audrey Carlson, Treasurer of the Sustainability Council, has been hired as Director of the composting project. She and other student volunteers have been working hard at building bins and greenhouse-like shelters. Composting is not unfamiliar to Carlson. Over the last summer, she interned at Soil Stewardship, a commercial vermicomposting company in Fort Collins, where she learned all the particulars of composting.
Vermicomposting is a two-step process. First, the thermocompost, or hot compost, starts by the use of post consumer waste and other organic products. Hot compost needs to be kept in a specific humid environment to raise aerobic bacteria and fungi. These aerobic microorganisms require oxygen for their life processes, so the bins must be aerated. Once these microorganisms mature enough, they are moved to vermicomposting bins. Embedded in alternating layers of leaves and manure, the insides of these bins are literally crawling with worms. That’s right, eisinia fetida, commonly known as red wigglers, feed on these microorganisms. The worms leave behind complex nutrients that are about 10 times more rich than hot compost. Once collected, the compost will be made into an aqueous foliar extract, which is just science jargon for compost tea. Compost tea is unique because it is a natural pesticide that contains plant growth hormones.
Plants are not the only beneficiaries from compost tea. CMU spends $5,000 on compost annually.
“It would take four years, and the program would pay for itself,” McConnell explained.
Proposed in their implementation plans, several potential customers are highlighted, including School District 51, nurseries, vineyards and many more.
In the future, both McConnell and Carlson would like to see all of the post consumer waste be used in the composting. Right now, the program plans on receiving 200 pounds per week from Sodexo. However, that contribution is only a small percentage of what is wasted.
Composting will help educate on waste and work toward fulfilling the paradigm shift into sustainability.
If you would like to find out more, a ground-breaking ceremony for the compst is scheduled on Wednesday at WCCC. Students interested in getting involved with the Sustainability Council can find more information at http://www.coloradomesa.edu/op/sustainability.html.