School Resources

School composting provides endless educational opportunities and can be tied in with the growing popularity of school gardens.

Composting has the potential to reduce waste in schools by significant amounts.

By composing, students learn to care for their communities and the natural environment.

Lessons can include:

1. Fundamentals of building a compost pile
2. The Ecosystem that a compost pile creates
3. The benefits of using compost for plants
4. Reducing methane emissions by composting
5. How composting can reduce storm water runoff
 
What's something you can do in your school to reduce food waste? Perform a Food Waste Audit!
A Food Waste Audit is a survey of the food prepared during school meals, and the amount of food that ends up in the trash.  A Food Waste Audit can help schools determine if changes could be made to reduce the amount of food wasted during meal services.

In 2019, EGLE worked with Forest View Elementary in Lansing to perform a Food Waste Audit.

EGLE staff helped perform a two-day audit with students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grades. After the two days, EGLE was able to educate school staff on the amount of food being thrown away during an average day. Many students were throwing away uneaten fruit, unopened juice and milk cartons. All food that could have been saved for other meals!

EGLE, with the leadership of the teachers hosting the audit, was able to show the teachers and staff that in those two days they had thrown away over 170 pounds of food waste! Interested in doing a Food Waste Audit at your school? Contact EGLE for more information!