Composting has been ingrained in the culture at the University of Vermont since the late 1990s. On average, UVM sends 15 tons of food scraps per week to the Green Mountain Compost (GMC) facility in nearby Williston.

Unfortunately the increase of compostable packaging has forced GMC to announce that it will no longer accept any compostable foodware packaging effective January 1, 2022.

“The Office of Sustainability understands how this decision impacts our community and have been working together to prepare our campus for this change and minimize its impact in the spring semester,” said UVM Sustainability Director Elizabeth Palchak. 

GMC staff have found that compostable packaging—including products like bowls, plates, cups, and utensils—degrades the quality of their compost and other soil products they sell. Even certified, legitimately “compostable” products do not always break down adequately in the GMC operation and the financial cost and carbon outputs involved makes transporting waste to facilities outside Chittenden County an unsustainable practice.  

To respond to these challenges on campus, UVM Recycling & Zero Waste will be redesigning campus waste sorting areas. 

“Proliferation of single-use compostable packaging has created confusion around what’s reusable, what’s recyclable, and what goes to trash,” notes Corey Berman, recycling & zero waste program manager at UVM. “But we want everyone to remember, ‘when in doubt, throw it out!’ meaning it’s best not to contaminate the recycling or compost bin with something that might not belong there.” 

UVM Dining will shift compostable packaging to recyclable alternatives wherever possible and enhance the reusable takeout container program, EcoWare. Starting in the spring semester, reusable mugs will be welcomed back in the retail locations on campus.  

“Reusables are a better option than single-use compostable items, from the standpoint of carbon emissions and energy use,” said Nicole Reilly, sustainability and campus partnership manager at UVM Dining. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of the existing reusable options: EcoWare, sporks and mugs. These are more sustainable options and also come with a discount at the register!"

The Office of Sustainability and other groups are partnering to educate the campus community about proper waste sorting and accessing UVM Dining’s reusable programs. “Eco-Reps will be doing lots of outreach about this, from social media Q&A sessions to being stationed in dining areas to explain the changes,” says Palchak.

To learn more about the change in the GMC policy see these FAQs. For more information on these changes at UVM contact recycle@uvm.edu.