Taking time to compost in The Commons, from Retriever Wkly

Everyone has heard mutterings of a new composting system on UMBC campus this semester, but some people are still unsure about the facts. What can you compost and where? What are the benefits of composting and why should I bother?

Composting is a system of decomposing or breaking down biodegradable materials such as lawn clippings, leaves or unwanted food to produce rich, nutritious soil that can be used for growing plants.
This process helps to stem the large streams of waste that go into landfills and reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Compost also can be bought and sold, transforming what would once be "trash" into a commodity that can help to stimulate the economy.

So how is this system of composting working at UMBC? At this point, composting is already effective in the True Grits dining hall. When you put your dirty dishes with your uneaten food on that conveyor belt, it is later scraped into bins by the staff and sent a composting facility in Delaware, eventually becoming soil.

This semester, composting has been extended to The Commons, but this system is a little more complicated because it is up to the student, staff or visitor at UMBC to separate your "waste" into the correct containers.

In The Commons, all food scraps can be composted from any of the locations. You can also compost the new Pepsi cups (made from corn), and Fresh Fusions and Wild Greens have switched to compostable food containers and eating utensils. Large salad containers and parfait cups from Outtakes should also be placed in the compost bin.

So where are the compost bins in The Commons? Unfortunately, as of right now, there is only one compost bin the Commons. It is located to the right of the "Dream Machine" by the doors to The Commons near the breezeway.

At this point, it is just a regular trash can with a sign that says "Compost," but facilities management is working on ordering a set of new bins with separate containers for the various types of waste.
These new bins will be divided into three different sections: compost (food scraps and specified containers from Fresh Fushions, Wild Greens, and Outtakes), recycling (bottles and paper products) and landfill (trash, everything that doesn't belong in the aforementioned containers.)

We will also have new recycling bins in other parts of the campus. UMBC's academic buildings are switching from a "single-stream" recycling system to a "dual-stream" system. Instead of putting all recyclables in one bin, this new system will divide recycling items into two separate parts, one for paper and one for glass, plastic, and cans. This will be helpful in allowing UMBC to gain profit from selling cardboard and other materials instead of simply paying for waste to be brought off campus.

For now though, stick to using the single compost bin by the back doors of The Commons near the breezeway. Every time that you make the effort to walk over to the compost bin with that last bit of your uneaten Salsaritas burrito or to double back to The Commons after class to compost your Pepsi cup, you're helping to recreate and rebuild the circular systems of nature that work so well.

• More Information about Taking time to compost in The Commons, from Retriever Wkly