School Composting

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Composting Options

There are many considerations associated with operating different kinds of composting systems at your school. Among the composting systems to consider are:

  1. On‐Site Bin System*
  2. On‐Site Forced Air System* (similar to a bin system but with included equipment (blowers and air channels) that are designed to aerate the compost piles, ultimately speeding up the process of decomposition
  3. Hauling Off‐Site to Chicken Feeding*
  4. Hauling Off‐Site to a Local Composter*
  5. In‐Vessel Systems (unfortunately, cost can be prohibitive, starting at $10,000 for the smallest systems)

  6. Worm Bins for Classrooms ‐ worm bins are a great method for recycling smaller amounts of food scraps. Worm bins are ideal for classrooms to maintain and use for recycling snack time food scraps. An overview of managing a worm bin can be found in this site's resource library.

Important note: for numerous reasons Highfields does not advocate for on‐site composting when an off‐site option is available. Off‐site options are often the most sustainable option long‐term and can be implemented much faster. On‐site composting requires a lot of hard work and long‐term institutuonal commitment.

*These systems are compared in our “School Composting Options” resource.