Since 2016, UMBC has had an organic waste diversion program and composted organic materials that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill.
On-campus our organic waste is taken to an industrial composting facility; thus, we are able to accept all food products for composting. This includes fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, and processed food. In addition, we accept the select compostable to-go containers in The Commons.
Compost Locations:
- True Grits Dining Hall (all food waste is composted from the kitchen and used dishes)
- The Commons (labeled green slots in waste bins)
- AOK Library (Einstein’s)
- Administration Café
- University Center
- The compost bin at the community garden (food waste only)
- Outdoor bins (outside of the AOK Library, Administration, Commons, and University Center)
When collecting organic waste to be composted it is incredibly important to be careful and not contaminate compost. A few wrong items can cause a whole dumpster of organic waste to be throw out and be landfilled.
Below are items that should go in the green bin, if you are unsure if an item is compostable place it in the trash instead:
All Food Scraps/Waste
Coffee Grounds and Tea Bags
Check out these videos created by UMBC students and faculty! Communications, Climate, Composting: A Video Project in Baltimore is funded through an Alumni TIES small grant from the U.S. Department of State and was led by Dr. Bill Shewbridge of Media & Communication Studies and Dr. Susan Sterret of Public Policy. In the fall of 2022 students in MCS 395 Television Production and MCS 495 Video Ethnography partnered with the UMBC Climate Action Steering Committee (CASC), and the South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT), to create a series of short videos on waste and composting. SBCLT defines itself as “working to create permanently affordable housing, development without displacement and zero waste in Baltimore.”
The Communications, Climate, Composting project (CCC) presents information about composting and climate, grounded in stories from community members who have been working on developing campus composting. The videos share stories of student reflections on composting on campus, along with those of SBCLT and their efforts to bring a commercial composting facility to Baltimore. By telling these stories, the project hopes to educate the campus community about composting, and what’s being done to institute it at UMBC.
MCS 395
Colin Grayson, Will Henrickson, Lien Hoang, Andrew Hollander, Shahbano Hussain, Nick Ivey, Ben Magder, Ha Mang, Damilola Ojikutu, Lily Stevens, Kara Ung, Parker Vogel, Michael Washington
MCS 495
Tasayeh Nickens, Ruy Benfica, Matthew Green, Levi Lewis, Pranav Pigilam
Why Does Composting Matter?
Composting at UMBC
The Waste Problem