This document discusses food waste collection and composting programs at various public schools and events in Franklin County, Massachusetts. It provides details on the programs at the Franklin County Fair, Conway Festival of the Hills, and several elementary and regional schools. The schools have seen significant waste diversion rates ranging from 53% to 71.5% by collecting food scraps, soiled paper, and recyclables separately from trash. Compost collection has reduced waste disposal costs for the schools by hundreds to thousands of dollars per year. Volunteers and custodians play important roles in operating the collection systems.

1. Collecting Food Waste at Public Events/ Schools Amy Donovan Program Director Franklin County Solid Waste Management District Greenfield, MA

2. Lowell Folk Festival

3. Lowell Folk Festival

4. Franklin County Fair 24,000 attendees, 4 days in Sept. 2007: 40 recycle bins, 40 bags recycling, 7 volunteers 2008: 55 recycle bins, 1 ton recycling, GF Hockey Team 2009: 95 recycle bins, 12 compost stations,100 volunteers! 12 cubic yards cans and bottles 8 cubic yards food and paper waste (1800 lbs.) Greenfield DPW provides ten 95 gal. toters for storage of recyclables 2009: Vols. picked up food waste at participating vendors Cardboard collected by fair trash staff: 1.6 tons, 16 c.y. Waste oil picked up by biodiesel vendor 2009: 38% diversion rate Agricultural wastes sent to Shelburne farm

5. Volunteers from Pioneer Regional (also essential!) Carts are essential

6. Checking compost for contamination Sorting recycling Recyclables storage Compost dumpster

8. 26 bags of organics: Bear Path Farm Whately, MA

9. 12 bags of cans and bottles

10. Water station with paper cups, composted cups

12. District schools that divert organics

13. School Composting via Martin’s Farm /Triple T Trucking Also accepts organics from Northfield transfer station.

15. All food waste

16. All paper, cardboard

17. $258 / month; $16/c.y.

18. 8 yards trash: 30%

19. $372 / month; $47/ c.y.

20. Savings of $486/ mo.; $4860/ yr.

21. 2 yards cans and bottles: 8%

23. Advisor: Amanda Damon (Spanish)

24. JNHS collects during study halls

25. Collect from hallways, cafeteria

26. Also rinse kitchen cans & bottles

27. Awarded with:2010 Commended Chapter of NHS

28. Pioneer Regional School: Entrance

29. Pioneer Regional School: Hallways

30. Pioneer Regional School: Cafeteria COMPOST: TRASH: Bucket: Liquids/ Milk Red top: Compost Barrel: Trash

31. Pioneer Regional School: Kitchen Compost Trash Cans & Bottles: JNHS rinses

32. Pioneer’s Trash & Compost Dumpsters TRASH: 8 yard COMPOST: 8 yard COMPOST: 8 yard

34. All food waste

35. All paper, cardboard

36. $115/ month; $19/c.y.

37. 4 yards trash: 36%

38. $ 172/ month; $43 c.y.

39. Savings of $143 /mo.; $1430/ yr.

40. 1 yard cans and bottles: 9%

42. All food waste

43. All paper, cardboard

44. $95/ month; $24/c.y.

45. 4 yards trash: 47%

46. $ 172/ month; $43 c.y.

47. Savings of $77 mo.; $770/ yr.

48. ½yard cans and bottles: 6%

51. All food waste

53. 2 yards trash: 28.5%

54. ½ yard cans and bottles: 6%

55. 2.5 yards paper recycling: 37%

56. Diversion rate: 71.5%Paper Recycle

57. Erving Elementary School

58. School Composting via Bear Path Farm, Whately, MA Whately Elementary only. Bear Path Farm also accepts food waste at Whately transfer station, ? the first municipal organics collection in the state? 2009: school + transfer station composted 12 tons of food waste.

59. Whately Elementary SchoolWhately, MA 140 Students, Pre-K to 6th grade Food and paper waste is collected in tray return. 68 gallon organics toter picked up every week.

60. School Composting via Clear View Composting, Orange Swift River Elementary only. More schools to be added soon! Clear View Composting also accepts food waste at New Salem transfer station.

61. Swift River Elementary SchoolNew Salem/ Wendell, MA 140 Students, Pre-K - 6th grade Custodian Larry Ramsdell: “No more smelly dumpsters. We reduced the cost of trash bags by 50%.”

62. Swift River Elementary School

65. Some paper towels, etc.

66. Has 3 bay system

67. Large garden

68. Custodian maintains

69. Kids very involved