Sustainability and Stories
Sustainability and Stories

Starting A School Compost

Compost is a natural process of recycling food scraps.

Compost is soil that forms from broken down food and plant waste. It is a nutritious addition to the garden to help plants grow.

Ideas for getting started: 

  • Compost can be made in container or a pit in the ground.
  • Use brown and green waste in layers, more brown than green.
  • Use “brown” plant scraps like old leaves, palm fronds, torn up paper and small twigs. Add “green” food and plant waste like fruit and vegetable scraps, green leaves.
  • Keep moist but not wet. Sprinkle water on layers as you go.
  • Turn every few days to let air into the compost.
  • The compost should be warm and steamy and shouldn’t smell “bad”.
  • Add to the garden bed or containers when it has turned into soil.
  • As the compost starts to turn into soil, start a new compost pile. This may be every 2-3 months.

Links for getting started: 

Examples in schools around the world

The following list of schools features examples of sustainability practices which are part of school programs around the world.

Generally, these schools aim to achieve a Whole School Approach; the school community integrating sustainability into their daily programs and school life.

These examples highlight some of the outstanding but achievable practices. Projects do not have to be on a large scale to be effective.  

India: Auxilium Convent School

Pali Hill, Mumbai, India 

The Eco Club comprising 50 students lead the 800 students in running a school garden and composting system at school. Each week, students collectively bring approximately 150 kg of food scraps to school.

Each grade  level is involved in the gardening and composting program.  It is composted in 2 large drums. The soil which comes from the composted food is used to grow  vegetables and herbs.

Students use old PVC pipes and tyres as planters for their crops. All class levels are involved and have designated tasks.  All students take turns in waste collection and gardening. 

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Thailand: Ban Map Ta Phut School,

Rayong Province, Thailand 

 

As part of a three-school pilot project: “Waste-free Community,” composting plays a large part in the project.

Examples of composting “Green Cone Station” where food waste is composted to soil and the “No-flipping Fertilizer Station” where leaves and twigs are composted to make fertiliser for gardens. 
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Fiji: Nadi Town Municipality schools

Nadi, Fiji

Fiji Clean Schools Program 

Since 2009 the Fiji Clean School Program which is a collaboration of the Nadi Town Council, Ministry of Education and the Japan International Cooperation Agency introduced the 3R system – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to address waste management problems in Nadi Municipality schools.

Each school with support from officers from Nadi Town Council formed an action plan including composting.

Students compost their food waste and returning the compost to the garden. School classes have bins to collect food scraps. 

Compost containers vary from holes in the ground to raised containers.  Schools are also using liquid composters. 

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Australia: Menzies Creek Primary School

Menzies Creek, Victoria, Australia   

“Pot To Plot”  

The school has an edible garden and students learn to grow plants, compost and cook their produce.

The compost uses worms and breaks down lunch and food waste. Family members are welcome to volunteer in the school garden.

The importance of waste reduction and recycling is emphasised at the school and composting plays an important part. 
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