How to manage organic waste onsite
On average, about 30% of landfill material from school sites (by volume) can be composted. Reducing the amount of compostable organic material going to landfill bins has significant environmental benefits, and can save your site money!
Depending on factors such as volume of material produced and the size of the site, you may be able to compost some or all of your organic material onsite, reducing your waste management costs even further and producing a valuable resource for your gardens.
Onsite composting also offers valuable learning experiences for students.
Depending on factors such as volume of material produced and the size of the site, you may be able to compost some or all of your organic material onsite, reducing your waste management costs even further and producing a valuable resource for your gardens.
Onsite composting also offers valuable learning experiences for students.
The four main ways of managing organic material onsite in schools are:
- Worm farming
- Composting
- Chickens
- Bokashi
Choosing the right system for your site
This will depend on several factors, such as:
The size of your site and number of students
This affects the amount of organic material generated and the space available for managing it. The amount of garden material produced (grass clippings, leaves, prunings) by your site is also important, and usually related to the size of the school gardens and lawn areas.
School lunch policy and facilities
Sites with a canteen, OSHC and cooking facilities will generally have a greater amount of organic waste produced than those without.
The type of organic material produced from your site
Depending on the age range and demographic of your site, the type of organic material produced may differ. Consider conducting a Bin Materials Audit (BMA) to determine what types of organic material your site produces. Remember, this includes compostable paper hand-towels and lunch-order bags.
How you want to use this for educational purposes
If you want to compost onsite for education purposes, you may want more than one type of compost system, to act as a demonstration for students. No matter what system/s you go with, make sure students are heavily involved in every stage!
The size of your site and number of students
This affects the amount of organic material generated and the space available for managing it. The amount of garden material produced (grass clippings, leaves, prunings) by your site is also important, and usually related to the size of the school gardens and lawn areas.
School lunch policy and facilities
Sites with a canteen, OSHC and cooking facilities will generally have a greater amount of organic waste produced than those without.
The type of organic material produced from your site
Depending on the age range and demographic of your site, the type of organic material produced may differ. Consider conducting a Bin Materials Audit (BMA) to determine what types of organic material your site produces. Remember, this includes compostable paper hand-towels and lunch-order bags.
How you want to use this for educational purposes
If you want to compost onsite for education purposes, you may want more than one type of compost system, to act as a demonstration for students. No matter what system/s you go with, make sure students are heavily involved in every stage!
Worm FarmingWorm farms are fantastic education tools, especially for younger children. They are efficient at breaking down most food scraps and paper products, however cannot take garden waste or meat/ dairy products. They produce valuable solid and liquid fertilisers which can be used onsite or sold as a fundraising venture.
See the School Worm Farm Guide for more information ChickensHaving chickens onsite is a fantastic education tool for students, and can be extremely rewarding.
However, there are also many challenges to keeping chickens at your school, including: - space constraints - ethical considerations - Council regulations - care during weekends and holiday periods Chickens are also unable to deal with all the organic materials your site will produce, including paper and some garden material. We recommend contacting your local Council to discuss your options first. |
CompostingTraditional composting is most likely to be able to handle the largest quantity of organic material, including garden waste, food scraps and paper. They can produce a large amount of compost which can be used on onsite or sold as a fundraising venture.
See the School Composting Guide for more information BokashiBokashi bins are ideal for classrooms or sites which are space constrained. They are designed for rapid indoor composting, should be odourless and able to handle all organic material, including bones, meat and dairy.They also make excellent science experiments!
However, they do not take garden or paper material, and unless you are a very small site, they are unlikely to be able to handle all food waste produced. They also require regular maintenance and the purchase of a micro-organism activator. Further, if not looked after properly they may start to smell. |
All of the above options will require some initial financial investment, however once established should be relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain.
Classroom Activities and Resources
Compost ROcksHosted by Costa, this is an interactive website with free online composting courses, education tools, tips, blogs and video clips.
Best suited to Foundation- Year 7 curriculum 'Dirtgirl, scrapboy and Costa the garden gnome want to share all they know about caring for a garden…and especially about one of their favourite things – Compost. ' ABC Splash resources
Splash has a education resource page to help teachers and students fight the war on waste, including:
'Life in dirt' (5 min 19) Year 4& 5 Science Calculate your compost (1 min 41) Year 6,9,10 Geography & Mathematics |
WA Waste Authority- Waste Wise ActivitiesNumerous activities and guides on various topics, including Composting and Worm Farming.
Suited to a range of ages, with links to the Australian Curriculum. Cool Australia resources
Cool Australia has numerous classroom activities and resources available relating to composting and organic waste, including:
Let's look at our organic waste Year 7 Science The compost cycle Year 1 & 2 Science and English Note, you will need to register to access these materials, however registration is free and emails are minimal. |
