News
Michael Lang understands the importance of composting any food waste and other products during lunchtime.
And he's only in the fifth grade.
Michael, 11, and his classmates at Grandview Elementary School in Windsor will become the first elementary school in Weld County on Monday to recycle compostable waste during their lunch periods.
“I think it's going to be fun to start composting. It's going to be really important and it's going to help a lot,” Michael. “I think it will give us a good start.”
Kimber Korsgaard, the sales manager from Clean Air Compost in Fort Collins, was at the school Friday morning explaining the importance of composted materials to the students in grades kindergarten through fifth.
Korsgaard explained to the students how composting is breaking down organic materials and turning it into a soil-like material.
“Composting is a natural form of recycling which continually occurs in nature,” said Korsgaard, who is a 1994 Windsor High School graduate.
Korsgaard told the students that composting is an excellent way to support local farmers to help with soil for their crops, as well as making a huge environmental impact. She said the only other school in Weld County that is composting at lunch time is Union Colony Preparatory School in Greeley.
Korsgaard said composting is extremely important for young kids to understand.
“I don't care what side of the political spectrum. I don't care how you feel about the planet and environment, but the thing with composting is that you care about local agriculture and farming,” said Korsgaard, who counts many restaurants in Fort Collins as well as homes as clients. “I feel it bridges everyone. The schools are fantastic because kids are amazing. The younger the better because they get really excited about stuff. Once they learn it, it's habit.”
She said composting keeps waste out of landfills, which will reduce methane gas emissions. Such items as all food products (meat, bones, dairy), paper products (newspaper, magazines, napkins, paper plates, coffee cups, paper grocery bags, junk mail), regular and waxy cardboard (cereal boxes, ice cream cartons, milk and juice cartons) can be composted.
“Because our school has so much waste, I think it will be really, really helpful for all of them,” said Michael of how composting helps farmers. “I know a lot of food from here, everybody just dumps it into the trash can.”
Instead of the students dumping the food into the trash can, there will be five composting bins provided by Clean Air Compost.
Grandview principal David Grubbs said each bin costs $6 per week to be picked up and emptied by Clean Air Compost.
Grubbs is looking for sponsors to help offset the composting costs. He said the funds for this pilot program the rest of the year will be taken out of the activities budget.
“We are hoping to get some donors to sponsor a bin,” Grubbs said. “I have a few leads but nothing has panned out yet.”
Grubbs said since home recycling/composting is picking up momentum these days, it's good to get it into the schools. Grubbs said being the first elementary school in Weld County to compost can also be a pride thing for the students.
“I hope that's what motivates the kids to take real pride in it,” Grubbs said. “When they know they're the first and they're the leader, they're going to take pride in that and hopefully they'll carry that into their homes and their community. I'm hoping that we're educating kids to be responsible with their resources. If they are picking up on how to compost and they do that at home and save our environment in the process, what a neat way to teach responsibility.”
Grandview head custodian Betty Mestas said it will be exciting to see all the food she used to throw away going toward composting.
“A lot of waste. It will be savings even on trash bags,” she said. “I go through probably 10 bags a day. I'm really excited. I think it's going to be cool.”
Fourth-grader C.J. Christensen, 9, is excited about the program.
“I think this is really cool, and that it's really going to help out our environment,” C.J. said. “I bet I'm going to be doing this for a long, long time after this. This is really exciting for me. I think the world will be doing great if other people catch on with this. If we keep doing this, I think the world is going to be in great shape in a few years or so.”
WHERE WILL IT GO?
Where will the compostable materials go when they get picked up at Grandview Elementary School by Clean Air Compost?
Kimber Korsgaard, the sales manager for Clean Air Compost in Fort Collins, said the compost materials go to Stapleton (old airport area) in Denver where the composting facilities are located.
The composting materials go into the soil for crops to benefit farmers, gardens and land management. Korsgaard said farmers will purchase the materials in bulk.
— T.M. Fasano
And he's only in the fifth grade.
Michael, 11, and his classmates at Grandview Elementary School in Windsor will become the first elementary school in Weld County on Monday to recycle compostable waste during their lunch periods.
“I think it's going to be fun to start composting. It's going to be really important and it's going to help a lot,” Michael. “I think it will give us a good start.”
Kimber Korsgaard, the sales manager from Clean Air Compost in Fort Collins, was at the school Friday morning explaining the importance of composted materials to the students in grades kindergarten through fifth.
Korsgaard explained to the students how composting is breaking down organic materials and turning it into a soil-like material.
“Composting is a natural form of recycling which continually occurs in nature,” said Korsgaard, who is a 1994 Windsor High School graduate.
Korsgaard told the students that composting is an excellent way to support local farmers to help with soil for their crops, as well as making a huge environmental impact. She said the only other school in Weld County that is composting at lunch time is Union Colony Preparatory School in Greeley.
Korsgaard said composting is extremely important for young kids to understand.
“I don't care what side of the political spectrum. I don't care how you feel about the planet and environment, but the thing with composting is that you care about local agriculture and farming,” said Korsgaard, who counts many restaurants in Fort Collins as well as homes as clients. “I feel it bridges everyone. The schools are fantastic because kids are amazing. The younger the better because they get really excited about stuff. Once they learn it, it's habit.”
She said composting keeps waste out of landfills, which will reduce methane gas emissions. Such items as all food products (meat, bones, dairy), paper products (newspaper, magazines, napkins, paper plates, coffee cups, paper grocery bags, junk mail), regular and waxy cardboard (cereal boxes, ice cream cartons, milk and juice cartons) can be composted.
“Because our school has so much waste, I think it will be really, really helpful for all of them,” said Michael of how composting helps farmers. “I know a lot of food from here, everybody just dumps it into the trash can.”
Instead of the students dumping the food into the trash can, there will be five composting bins provided by Clean Air Compost.
Grandview principal David Grubbs said each bin costs $6 per week to be picked up and emptied by Clean Air Compost.
Grubbs is looking for sponsors to help offset the composting costs. He said the funds for this pilot program the rest of the year will be taken out of the activities budget.
“We are hoping to get some donors to sponsor a bin,” Grubbs said. “I have a few leads but nothing has panned out yet.”
Grubbs said since home recycling/composting is picking up momentum these days, it's good to get it into the schools. Grubbs said being the first elementary school in Weld County to compost can also be a pride thing for the students.
“I hope that's what motivates the kids to take real pride in it,” Grubbs said. “When they know they're the first and they're the leader, they're going to take pride in that and hopefully they'll carry that into their homes and their community. I'm hoping that we're educating kids to be responsible with their resources. If they are picking up on how to compost and they do that at home and save our environment in the process, what a neat way to teach responsibility.”
Grandview head custodian Betty Mestas said it will be exciting to see all the food she used to throw away going toward composting.
“A lot of waste. It will be savings even on trash bags,” she said. “I go through probably 10 bags a day. I'm really excited. I think it's going to be cool.”
Fourth-grader C.J. Christensen, 9, is excited about the program.
“I think this is really cool, and that it's really going to help out our environment,” C.J. said. “I bet I'm going to be doing this for a long, long time after this. This is really exciting for me. I think the world will be doing great if other people catch on with this. If we keep doing this, I think the world is going to be in great shape in a few years or so.”
WHERE WILL IT GO?
Where will the compostable materials go when they get picked up at Grandview Elementary School by Clean Air Compost?
Kimber Korsgaard, the sales manager for Clean Air Compost in Fort Collins, said the compost materials go to Stapleton (old airport area) in Denver where the composting facilities are located.
The composting materials go into the soil for crops to benefit farmers, gardens and land management. Korsgaard said farmers will purchase the materials in bulk.
— T.M. Fasano
