Composting

There are strategic, environmental, social, and financial benefits to composting.

This composting initiative aligns with our University Value of Stewardship and is part of the University’s Sustainability Plan, which was adopted in 2019. In the plan, UR established a goal of diverting 75% of our waste from the landfill. As much as one-third of the waste that currently goes to the landfill on campus is compostable. Therefore, composting is an essential strategy for achieving our aims.

Composting is good for the environment. For many of us, when we throw our waste items into the bin, it simply goes “away.” In reality, there is no away – our waste always ends up somewhere. When food goes to the landfill, it releases nitrogen, methane, and volatile organic compounds during decomposition. On the other hand, when food waste and compostable materials go to a composting facility, these items are converted to a healthy soil amendment through a process that mimics nature. Composting cycles organic waste back into our food system, rather than allowing it to sit in a hole in the ground.

Composting is a visible signal of the University’s commitment to sustainability. Unlike some other initiatives, such as our investment in renewable energy and energy efficient operations, waste is something students interact with on a daily basis. The Rethink Waste team has improved recycling systems and education. Composting is the next step in our evolution and efforts to divert 75% of our waste from the landfill.

Students and staff at the University of Richmond have been piloting composting efforts for years at events like Spiders Go Green football and basketball games. Recent increases in waste have increased the call for composting from our student body. Dining Services’ incredible efforts to provide safe and delicious to-go meals led to an unintended consequence of increased waste at the bin. The first change to address this was introducing reusable bags. Capturing compostable materials for responsible reuse is the next step.

Our partnership with Natural Organic Processes Enterprise (NOPE), will allow us to capture processed compost, which can be used on campus in Abby’s Garden or on grounds for landscaping. This will help us reduce the use of chemical fertilizer around campus, which is an environmental and financial benefit. Because one-third of our landfill waste is compostable, we will also reduce the number of trucks coming to campus to haul our landfill materials, saving money and reducing vehicle emissions.

University of Richmond dirveted 86 tons of organic waste from the landfill during the 2021-22 academic year. Please contact Rethink Waste Manager David Donaldson at ddonalds@richmond.edu with questions about composting or other waste programs.