Kitchen staff in all UVM Dining locations separate food scraps during preparation and cooking. This is known as prep waste or "pre-consumer" organics and it comprises the largest percentage, by weight, of all the organics we collect on campus.

Resident Unlimited dining areas use real dishes and silverware so there is no packaging waste. At the Central Campus Dining Hall and Redstone Dining Hall, and Northside Dining students scrape their food leftovers (known as "post-consumer" organics) into a designated barrel before putting their dirty dishes on a conveyor belt. At Harris-Millis Dining, students put their plates directly onto a conveyor belt which goes into the dishroom and then the kitchen staff separate the food scraps for composting.

In retail or "take out" food areas, collecting organics is a bit more challenging because of the packaging. UVM Dining uses BPI-certified compostable packaging in most areas which makes the collection task easier. Colorful signage is used in retail areas to guide students and customers in sorting their waste.

Students in all UVM residence halls have the opportunity to collect food scraps for composting using the "small food waste bags" provided by UVM Recycling & Zero Waste. These brown bags are available at the front desk of their specific res hall or the main desk of their associated complex (for example, residences of the Back Five can get bags at the McAuley front desk).

These bags have a cellulose lining which enable them to hold in odors and moisture for the amount of time needed to fill the bag. Once the bag is full the student can then deposit the bag at the provided 13 gallon, green compost container also located close to the front desk. These containers can be identified by the "compost" sticker on the front or top of the container. 

UVM Recycling & Zero Waste services these containers on a weekly basis and all the materials gets hauled to Green Mountain Compost. 

We are working to expand compost collection to all academic and administrative locatons campus-wide, however, this presents operational challenges. UVM Recycling & Zero Waste will provide collection bags and containers so if you are interested in composting in your office please get in touch and we can discuss options and how to get started. Thank you!

Composting and recycling take place at high profile outdoor events on campus. This requires advance planning and typically the event organizer provides volunteers to staff each trash station to help attendees sort their items properly. Contact UVM Recycling for specific needs for your event. 

There are variety of options on how to divert your food scraps and compostables from the landfill. One option is to haul the material to your local drop-off center. Visit cswd.net for locations and times. You can also start your own backyard compost program. Check out "The Dirt On Compost" for all your backyard composting tips and how to get started.