Daily Barometer: Composting system helps residence halls go green
Posted January 10th, 2013 by UHDS News[The Daily Barometer, Jan. 10, 2013] — The average college student produces 640 pounds of solid waste each year, including 500 pounds of disposable cups and 320 pounds of paper according to a recent study conducted by the University of Richmond.
As Oregon State students greet the new year, they are also greeted by the grim reality of excessive waste, a reality the Student Sustainability Initiative and Campus Recycling is trying to tackle.
Composting organic waste produced by OSU dorm residents is one solution proposed by the SSI waste reduction center in an effort to minimize waste. Composting allows organic waste, like food, to decompose into a rich soil that can then be reused.
“We wanted to create a program that would reduce the waste generated by Oregon State University,” said Cauthorn Hall eco-representative Jan Ulrich Bartels.
The SSI has plans to begin to implement composting bins in four resident halls: Cauthorn, West, Wilson and Halsell.
“The goal is to create greener people and encourage sustainable behaviors in college and for life,” Bartels said.
After conducting a pilot composting program in Halsell Hall last year, the SSI plans to have the seemingly successful project continue into this year.
