Composting comes to WWU residence halls

Western is among the first universities in the nation to provide composting bins to students living in residence halls.
John Olson

Western is among the first universities in the nation to provide composting bins to students living in residence halls.

Last fall, residents received small bins and biodegradable bags in which they could deposit their apple cores, paper napkins, pizza boxes, coffee grounds, ramen noodles, and other compostables of college living.

Students in the Sustainability Representatives program worked with University Residences to launch the program last fall and student educators continue to work with their peers on many waste reduction topics, including where to empty their compost at FoodPlus! toters near residence halls.

“For many of these students, it is their first exposure to composting,” says peer educator Hope Peterson, Zero Waste coordinator and an environmental policy major from Everett. “Residence hall composting is an excellent opportunity to teach young adults sustainable living habits they can continue throughout their lives.”

John Olson ('20) is a program support staffer in the Office of Communications and Marketing

Photo by John Olson, '20