Vision

Description of the project.
Students at WO would like to help with our waste management at the school by building a sturdy/pest proof outdoor compost bin. The bin is designed by our construction teacher who has a passion and knowledge of composting. Eco club will study composting techniques and educate staff and students who will be directing using the compost bin. The Eco club will go to these classrooms to deliver a lesson and then bring the classes to the compost bin to demonstrate.

Rationale for the project?
WO has piles of food waste through its 16 foods and hospitality courses a year. WO also has 5 green industries classes that run throughout the year. The green industry class runs the school’s flower beds and greenhouse and does not currently compost the cuttings and leaves that it clears. These classes will be regularly using the bins.

This compost bin will save organic waste from going to landfill as well as provide healthy compost for the flower and vegetable beds on school property.

What are the project goals?
*build and use an appropriate backyard compost bin
*save organic waste from landfill
*educate students and staff on backyard composting
*limit Carbon footprint
*use as a teaching tool for foods and science classes

How will this project benefit students and/or the school community?
Approximately 600 students and staff are involved in courses in foods and hospitality, green industries, environmental science, gardening club, and eco club each year. This year there are also the construction classes who are making the bin that will be involved. These students and staff will gain first hand experience using and maintaining compost.

This knowledge will be taken with the staff and students in their life to be used and shared in the community forevermore.

More than the gain of experience and knowledge will be the tonnes of waste that is kept out of landfill which will directly lower carbon in the air.

Action

Eco club partnered with construction classes, foods classes and green industry classes.

Construction class designed and build compost bin.
Eco club educated foods and green industry staff and students on how to use the compost bin. They also check up on the bin.
Foods and green industries classes use the bin.

We will keep track of the volume/weight of food and yard waste as well as the amount of compost that is made. We will then keep track of the amount of waste we are redirecting from landfill. This will give us numbers to calculate the Carbon capture. Environmental Science classes will be interesting in crunching the numbers.

We can keep track of the number of students and staff directly involved in this backyard composting project. (~600 per year!) They will have this knowledge to use and share through their life.

Reflection & Celebration

A visual thing for the school to use and see that we are working towards sustainability. Eco club celebrates an idea coming to fruition.