The ABCs on establishing an effective school composting program … The 5 Ws and 1 H.

By: Shankara Venezio, Kelsea Shubert, and Chris Riegel

▪Letter of Recommendation (pg.2) ▪Diagram of Bacteria (pg. 3) ▪Bacteria to Other Organisms (pg. 4) ▪Role of Bacteria in Composting/ to Ecology (pg. 5) ▪Process of Composting (pg. 6) ▪Diagram of the Process of Composting (pg. 7) ▪Products of Composting (pg. 8) ▪Benefiting the Society (pg. 9) ▪Requirements for Composting/Pros and Cons of Composting at School (pg. 10) ▪Budget (pg. 11) ▪Budget Data Table (pg. 12) ▪Opinion Poll (pg. 13) ▪Conclusion (pg. 14)

The Virtuous Putrid Solution 2

November 2, 2010 Dear Mr. Flood, When you traverse these hallways day after day, do you observe different things and contemplate what exactly could make this school that much better?

In Biology, Mrs. Hansen has introduced the sophomore class to the diverse ways of studying bacteria. As our group was studying, we ended up taking a detour toward the lane of composting. We have since discovered that with just a few slight adjustments and some cooperation from Beatty High School Staff and Student Body that we can be well on our way to benefitting not only ourselves as a school, but America as a whole.

To do this, the steps are quite simple and they will be explained in depth as you read along. Yes, we must be up for some change, but it will be worth it! Composting will help out our environment and our school in many different ways. The students will learn how to become responsible consumers by thinking about what happens to the waste they create once it “disappears” into a trash can, and our fields and lawns will eventually be healthy and green!

Composting will help improve Beatty High School all around. We hope you will consider taking on a composting program. If we are successful, there will be a few less things to reflect on when you traverse these halls, and Beatty High School will be able to say they cleaned up their footprints before they were stuck there forever.

Sincerely, Shankara Venezio ______________________ Kelsea Shubert ______________________ Chris Riegel ______________________ 3

The Virtuous Putrid Solution 4

First off, bacteria are different from all other organisms simply because they are prokaryotic which means they lack membrane-bound organelles. Bacteria cells are also very small whereas the cells of other organisms aren’t so tiny. Lastly, bacteria only consist of a single cell and other organisms have multi-cells which function simultaneously.

Compared to viruses, bacteria can grow on non-living surfaces, whereas viruses must have a living host in order to multiply. Some bacteria are beneficial, but all viruses are harmful. Antibiotics can be provided and consumed to kill a bacteria but not a virus. Bacteria are more similar to you and me. They exhibit the basic characteristics of all living things like breathing, producing waste, metabolizing, and maintaining a membrane potential. However, their major distinction involves the fact that bacteria do not have a nucleus.

The Virtuous Putrid Solution 5

https://www.groundgrocer.com/product_im ages/uploaded_images/earthmaker01a.jpg

• • •

Go to your fridge or your favorite store and grab a container of yogurt. The label on the back says “probiotic”, which indicates that bacterial species have been reported to help immunity and digestive health.

Bacteria reproduce in most biological processes. The raw material of the compost that is transformed into the soil like structure is actually the bacteria. (It is the bacteria in our intestinal system that help convert the food we consume into the nutrients and energy our bodies need to function.) It is bacteria in certain plants that renovate nitrogen from the air into a form which plants use for healthy growth. That’s why plants are referred to as ‘nitrogen fixers’. When the heap of ingredients is altogether and adequately moist, the bacteria get to work. It does not take long for this process to start; you can tell by the heat produced in the compost.

• • •

When our assortment of intestinal bacteria become unbalanced from a new stain of bacteria such as touching dirty hands and objects or eating somewhere new, we can get sick. From this, we could experience things like food poisoning. Antibiotic medications can also disrupt your balance by reducing critical populations. When our bacterial concentrations return to normal and our bodies have adjusted to its new stains, our good health and normal balance resume. Utilizing the same principles of balance and equilibrium, can you imagine how bacteria can either maintain good health or lead to illness in an ecosystem which can lead to environmental distress or possibly even the loss of an ecosystem or the extinction of a whole species?

On the roots of many legumes, peas, beans, and other plants like these, live nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Without this bacteria living in the roots, the plants would not be able to take nitrogen gas from the atmosphere and synthesize it into biomolecules such as amino acids and proteins.

The Virtuous Putrid 6 Solution

• • • • • • • Composting is the process that hastens the decomposition of organic matter into soil. Building a compost heap is sort of like baking a cake. You must mix ingredients together in the right proportions and give it the time to cook. The things most commonly recommended to put into your compost are leaf litter and weeds, grass clippings, poultry, manure, herbivorous animal manure, kitchen scraps, and peels, straw, animal bedding, shredded paper, seaweed, and of course, water. A few things that are not recommended are pig and carnivore manure, citrus peels, oils and fats, runner type weeds, persistent bulb type weeds, shiny paper, and diseased plant materials. If the materials are large, try to chop them up into smaller sized pieces. This will help the compost break down quicker. The ideal compost pile is made up of a ratio of 25 parts carbon material to 1 part nitrogen material. Carbon materials are things like dry weeds and leaves, straw, and paper … Coarse, bulky stuff. They do contain small amounts of nitrogen, but not enough to stimulate the process. Nitrogen rich matter is stuff like poultry manure, green grass clippings, and leaves. Precision is not necessary when it comes to composting, so don’t stress it. You can correct any imbalances throughout the process.

You begin your heap with a layer of coarse material directly on the ground whether your compost is in some sort of structure or not. This could be something like leftover cornstalks or small tree trimmings. It is just to create some air space. You will sprinkle this with a thin layer of nitrogen rich material. You need to keep building the heap in this way, layering a variety of carbon materials with a layer of nitrogen rich matter. The composting heap needs to be at least 1 meter cubed. Be sure to water it all thoroughly. It’s important to maintain a good balance between air and water. If it’s too dry, it won’t work. If it is too wet, anaerobic bacteria will take over the pile. It will, in result, become slimy and smelly, rather then having a friable texture and an earthly smell.

When your compost smells like nature, resembles soil, and you cannot recognize any of the original material, it is ready to use. The time this will take will depend on the size of the material used, how often it is turned, how big the heap is initially, and if it has the correct balance of air, moisture, organic matter, temperature, and bacteria. The Virtuous Putrid Solution 7

The Virtuous Putrid Solution 8

• • http://images.hayneedle.com/mgen/di gimarc.ms?img=master:SUN135.jpg

&h=400&w=400

The products used during composting pretty much rely on the composter. To start, if you choose you can have a composting tumbler or bin. The bins are the most traditional and reliable composters. Whether your composting is active or passive, the bin will accommodate. They come in a variety of different shapes and sizes from slatted mesh and wired pens to pointed models. Composting tumblers are an efficient alternative to the bins. It was constructed for ease-of-use as the number one feature. Requiring only the slightest bit of effort, you just have to give the bin a few turns a day. It is generally the most active composter for those who do not have much time to devote towards their composting, but whether you’re new to composting a seasoned pro, anyone can use the tumbler.

The other products needed are of course the scraps of food, leaves, weeds, grass clippings, shredded paper, or pretty much almost anything you can think of. We will also need a place to put everything. Once you have all those things, you should be good to go.

https://www.storesonlinepro.com/files/1816 388/uploaded/Compost%20Tumbler%204.j

pg The Virtuous Putrid Solution 9

•

You can be amazed at how much something as little as composting could benefit our world. Composting is a simple way of keeping organic materials out of landfills which helps cut down on climate warming gases. It is nature’s way of recycling because it returns the valuable organic matter and nutrients to the soil so it can be used again. If you incorporate compost into soil, it will help to increase the soil’s ability to retain moisture and reduce the need for fertilizers. Composting increases infiltration and the permeability of heavy soils which reduces erosion. It can also retain 100% of its weight in water and is an important component to gardening in a drought. Composting will help prevent pollutants in the air. It reduces out trash and saves us money.

http://academics.sru.edu/MacoskeyCenter/D emonstration/revised%20compost%20diagr am.jpg

http://www.cas.muohio.edu/scienceforohio/Composting/images/benefit.gif

The Virtuous Putrid Solution 10

http://www.natureworksllc.com/the-ingeo-journey/end-of life options/~/media/Our%20Values%20and%20Views/Endo fLife_Options/composting/_compostingcriteria_png.ashx

•

You will need a good location for your compost pile. It should be somewhere warm and protected from overexposure to wind and to much direct sunlight because overexposure will dry the materials. You will need shredded organic material. You also need nitrogen. It will accelerate the process. Good sources for this could be grass clippings, manure, and nitrogenous fertilizer. The other key components needed are air and water. Air helps the decay process while water does the same.

http://www.eulesstx.gov/composting/images/HAPPENS.jpg

• •

If your school composts, the students learn to become responsible consumers by thinking about what happens to the waste they create once it disappears into a trash can. It also provides an on-site tool for learning about the community and the environment. Students will be able to play an active role in improving the school’s vitality and environment. Composting encourages children to use their senses and identify with natural resources. However, pre-selected students would have to monitor the bins in the lunch room during lunch hour. To many, that could quickly become a chore. In order to solve that dilemma, you can make monitoring the bins a privilege. Some of the other downfalls of composting at school would be the change. We would like to be able to switch from Styrofoam to paper in the cafeteria. The students will also have to be willing to separate their food instead of just throwing it out. Other than that, things shouldn’t be too complicated

. The Virtuous Putrid Solution 11

http://www.villapark.org/2008-09Budget/budget_pie.gif

• •

Would it cost the school more to compost, or would we make a profit? We have researched how much money can be saved over a period of 15 years by composting instead of buying fertilizer. We also attempted to find out how much money could be saved by using the water released while composting to water the trees and the grass during the summer, when the most water is needed, instead of paying for the water. According to our preliminary research and findings, we have estimated that it would take almost four and a half years to make a profit, if we used a $40 a pound, 1666.6 square yard bag of time released fertilizer and taking in account the $525 it would take to start the whole composting process, but we have found some references to a grant, and it may be in affect. It could very well reduce the time to one year, possibly two if the cost is lowered by only a few hundred dollars.

The Virtuous Putrid Solution http://whatmatters.uwde.org/budget_cutting_hg_clr.gif

12

700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1 2 3

YEARS

4 5 Series1 Series2

• Series 1 – Cost of composting based off of the price for a bin and bin lining without a grant.

• Series 2 – Fertilizer based off a thin layer being applied to every field twice annually at $1/pound.

The Virtuous Putrid Solution 13

• • • We have been chatting with some of the staff about our project and how we would like the school to start composting. After enhancing their knowledge a little bit, we asked for the opinions. The first person we spoke with wasn’t so sure about it. When we asked her what she thought, she began to tell us that she had no authority to say. She said we needed to talk to the superintendant or the principal. That’s when we explained to her that we planned on talking to the principal, but we wanted to have her judgment on the proposal prior to us doing that for the simple fact we didn’t want to take it to the principal and have him end up enforcing it when she wasn’t really for it herself. After explicating that, she told us she was composting stuff at her home and it stunk, therefore she wasn’t really sure about the whole thing. Then we asked her what she thought about switching from Styrofoam to paper and she said she preferred the Styrofoam.

The second person we asked said he thought it was a good idea. He said he would give us another bin to put in the lunchroom and he would help us find a place to put the heap. Other than that, he made his point by telling us that he was not going to take on any more responsibilities from which he already had. He told it was not going to be his job to keep up on the compost and as long as he didn’t have to, then he was all for it.

The Virtuous Putrid Solution 14

• • • • • •

If this school is willing to challenge change head on, then we need to make a difference by composting. There really isn’t much to it once you get started, and it will make a difference in the students, staff, the environment, and America.

The cost might be one of the biggest issues, but if we get that grant than it won’t be a problem at all and our school will be on its way to making a profit. Instead of spending a bunch of money on a tumbler or a bin, maybe we can just buy the supplies needed and the shop kids could come together and construct one. We are thinking it would be best to put it outside the lunch room near by the dumpsters that way we don’t have to carry the trash a long way in order to put it in the heap.

Along with that, we would like to switch from Styrofoam to paper in the lunchroom because paper is compostable, where as Styrofoam is not ... And you know, once we start producing it, we could take special orders and sell some. Or maybe, one of the businesses in town will let us sell some there.

In order for the composting to take its course, you simply just have to make a few modifications. By doing so, this generation and the many generations to come will be benefitted.

http://stephenwhitt.wordpress.com/2008/ 08/17/a-sense-of-wonder/ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki /File:DeadTree.jpg

The Virtuous Putrid Solution 15