BYU Recycling uses food waste to take care of the campus grounds as the seasons change.
All of the mulch on campus comes straight from campus waste. Food that campus community members don’t eat is turned into compost that feeds the earth instead.
The goal of composting is to break waste down that still has value and turn it into something useful again.
Bill Rudy, manager of BYU Recycling, looks for that value in materials around him.
“When I see paper, I think, oh that’s a tree, and if we recycle the paper, then that tree that I’m thinking of can stay out there in the woods,” Rudy said.
Food waste from BYU travels to recycling facilities in Provo. Machines first grind up plant clippings and food waste. Then, that mixture moves to the sifting machine that pulls out unwanted items from the fine mulch end product.
The BYU recycling teams turn out about six to eight mulch piles every year.
Jonathan Kershaw, BYU professor of Food Science, said that compostable material makes up half of the solid waste that ends up in landfills.
“Food waste is probably the biggest low hanging fruit when it comes to impact of food on the environment,” Kershaw said. “We could convert that into compost instead of going to the landfill, and that’s going to be a big win there.”
Bremen Leak, social director of BYU Sustainability and Continuity, said that time and energy constraints make it tough for people to get involved in sustainability efforts.
BYU’s religious values play a role in caring for the earth, Leak said.
“I cannot step outside of my office and see the mountains and not feel grateful,” Leak said.
Leak said the sustainability team keeps working to get the whole campus engaged in stewardship for the earth.
Taking care of people and the earth is worth the campus community’s time and effort, Rudy said.
“We’re asking people to put in a little bit more effort because convenience is not a gospel principle,” Rudy said.
BYU Sustainability encouraged students to help by picking one thing they can do consistently to be more intentional about waste.