University of Montana in the News...

This article was originally published in the Missoulian (December 3, 2003)

'Earth tubs' yield useful compost
By Chelsea DeWeese for the Montana Kaimin

Ever wonder what happens to the meal-plan money you don't spend by the end of the week?
University of Montana Dining Services goes shopping with it, and a few of the food service's most recent purchases, two "earth tubs," are almost on line despite some lurches along the way.

The massive plastic bins are self-contained recycling machines. When they are up-and-running - after what has been a nearly four-month manufacturer-caused delay- Dining Services employees will use the tubs to mix food scraps and coffee grounds with wood shavings to create nutrient-rich compost for landscaping projects around campus.

"Instead of wasting, you're essentially closing the energy circle," said Joshua Klaus, a second-year graduate student in the Environmental Studies program who helped bring the earth tubs to their current location in a fenced-off area behind the Lommasson Center.

Dining Services Director Mark LoParco said he hopes the tubs will be making earth within a couple of weeks, after facility employees do some finishing technical touches on the machines.

After "biofilters" are installed, food wastes can be dumped into the machines, which in-turn will essentially self-monitor heat and humidity. Each blue vat is about 4 feet tall and looks as if 10 people could fit inside it. Attached to the inside of each tub's rotating cover is a large auger that will churn the waste mixture as it breaks down. Panel doors allow access to the inside of each tub so compost can be easily removed.

"From a composting standpoint, they should be clean and odor-free," said Byron Drake, the assistant director for residential dining at the Food Zoo.

He and LoParco played an integral role in the reintroduction of a composting program on campus.

About four years ago, Dining Services had a composting program that didn't work out because of transportation issues, LoParco said. LoParco, a member of the Recycling Oversight Committee on campus, suggested giving it another shot at a meeting last year, and a student intern discovered the earth tubs.

After logistics were worked out, and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality secured a $5,000 grant for the project, Dining Services decided to purchase the two tubs for $16,000, LoParco said.

He said the decision was based on many factors, one being a continually growing trend in environmental consciousness among students.

LoParco said University Dining Services is purchasing a new dishwasher that will be far more energy-efficient, and a separate pulverizing machine that will grind and compact leftovers at the Food Zoo for the earth tubs.

He said Dining Services and the university community should be leaders in socially and environmentally friendly practices such as conservation, composting and recycling.

According to statistics from campus facilities, UM is getting there.

In a press release issued by Carey Lemer, the recycling coordinator on campus, UM is close to reaching its goal of reducing waste by 25 percent.

According to statistics, the amount of cardboard recycled on campus leapt by 207 percent this year, with mixed paper increasing by 204 percent. The amount of newspaper recycled on campus increased by nearly 66 percent, and aluminum followed with an increase of 62 percent.

Students are encouraged to drop by any of the 75 recycling stations tucked in and around buildings throughout campus. Faculty and staff members can sign up for a payroll deduction plan to help fund the recycling program.

For more information visit www.facs.umt.edu/ facilities/recycle/index.htm