Residents of Gilbert Hall and Burlingham Hall at Pacific University will soon be able to take full advantage of a new composting system. The new program, which will be ran through the Center for a Sustainable Society (CSS), will provide students with buckets and compostable bag liners.
The buckets will remain a property of the apartment students are living in and will remain at the same apartment for the program’s duration. Students will then be able to use the composting bins and fill the bag liners, which they can dispose of in the trash rooms. CSS workers will then collect the
compost bags on a twice a week basis.
The composting bags will then be delivered to the same composting plant Aramark uses, utilizing the
composting bin located behind the University Center. The program will launch the last week of February, depending on the arrival of final materials, and end on May 4, to give CSS workers time to rinse and sanitize the buckets.
In years past, Gilbert residents had access to a composting system that featured two-gallon buckets
with screw-on gamma lids. However, that system ended in the spring of 2017, after composting partner Sow1 Farms had financial trouble and CSS experienced a change in leadership.
“The new program is a lot easier to maintain,” senior Gabriella Brill, director of the composting
program said. “I have no doubt it’ll be successful.”
According to Brill, the composting service may expand into all residence halls within a year, provided it runs smoothly.
“Our objective is to create a program that will meet student demand and meet sustainability goals,” Director of CSS Michelle Larkins said.
Both Brill and Larkins know the program will take some time.
“It’s going to be a lot of trial and error over the first few weeks,” Brill said. “The last program was a pilot program, so this is a re-pilot pilot. It’s really difficult for us to collaborate with as many services as we have, so we will have to be patient.”
In addition, CSS has begun to introduce its new composting system to all event-goers at catered events on campus. CSS will be looking for feedback from residents after the program launches and volunteers for the program’s possible expansion. Students can email Larkins for more information
at michelle.larkins@pacificu.edu.
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