1. An overview of the current composting environment here at
Porter

2.  Compost is decaying carbon-based matter that is used
to fertilize plants – it adds an abundance of important
nutrients back into the soil
 Typically includes:
 fruit/vegetable peels
 Egg Shells
 Coffee Grinds/Tea Bags
 Lint
 May also include meat scraps and bones (these aren’t
composted here at Porter)

3. Pre-Consumer Compost is comprised of food scraps
generated in the kitchen that have not yet reached the
hands or mouths of consumers
Post-Consumer Compost is comprised of food waste
generated by consumers (for example, what’s left on your
plate after a meal that would normally go in the trash).
While Porter does compost Pre-Consumer Compost, we
have not begun to compost Post-Consumer waste.

4.  In 2012, VT Legislature passed the Universal Recycling
Law
 By 2020 this law will ban the disposal of food scraps in
landfills.
 All compostable food scraps will have to be
 collected
placed in proper receptacles
relocated to local waste management sites.

5.  Composting Pre-consumer food waste saves the
hospital around $1100 each year.
 We can approximately double that amount if we were
to factor in post-consumer waste
 Post-Consumer waste would be diverted from trash
receptacles to the 32Gallon compost bins
 $5.50/tote for compost versus $125/trash receptacle
 Less stench from garbage, since compost is picked up weekly
vs. upon filling

6.  While we might compost our leftovers at home, the
nature of the foods remaining on patient trays is a bit
more questionable…
WHY?
 Patients aren’t typical consumers – many are ill with
infections and/or diseases that may or may not be
transmittable through food waste.
 The question has become: are diseases transmissible
via post-consumer compost?

7.  Are diseases transmissible via post-consumer compost?
 Vermont Department of Health
 Epidemiology Department
 Food and Lodging Department
 Center for Disease Control
 Environmental Protection Agency
 Soil Science Society of America
 Etc…
 Nobody has been able to answer or provide evidence to
answer this question – and this is a question of Public
Health Safety

8.  A VDH epidemiology member even went so far as to
say that “nobody in the state of VT could answer that
question for me”,
 The representative proposed that I contact the CDC,
who had already re-directed me to the Environmental
Protection Agency (who are yet to call me back)
 MJ said she feels entirely uncomfortable using patient
meals in compost

9.  There is not a sufficient body of
evidence that allows us support or
abandon the practice of post-
consumer waste composting in a
hospital setting, yet there is a law that
will require all consumer settings to
do so by 2020.

10.  2020 is less than 5 years away, yet nobody can answer if or if
not diseases are transmissible via post-consumer compost in a
hospital setting. NOT EVEN THE CDC.
 Just a few of the illness we are concerned about…
 -Cdiff, Pneumonia, Salmonella, E.Coli, ETC…
 What are your thoughts on this practice?
 Do you think there should be evidence that substantiates
the use of this practice before it becomes law?
 Questions you may have?
 Concerns?
 How would you feel about using compost that includes
patient food waste in it?