NEWS
April 17-23, 2019
THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
6
Composting extends MCC’s ‘green’ policy Woodstock student leads campus effort
the college conducted a waste audit on April 5, when students and staff volunteers sorted, measured, and weighed food scraps from the cafeteria kitchen, dining area, and culinary labs. The audit resulted in 163 pounds of food compost and 87 pounds of recycling that would have ended up in the landfill. “It’s really encouraging,” Hankins said. “This is a really good snapshot of where we are now and what we need to improve and how to adjust for everyone going forward.” Hankins has been working at the college for the past six years to implement initiatives to support green campus, green curriculum and green community. “The composting program addresses all three initiatives by reducing the college’s carbon footprint, teaching students about composting and boosting the green economy in northern Illinois,” she said.
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Composting of food scraps from its cafeteria and dining area is part of the latest initiative by the Sustainability Center at McHenry County College to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and enhance the commitment to being green. As part of the college’s overall commitment to sustainability, food composting efforts began last August behind the scenes with the kitchen and culinary classes. According to a news release, the college launched a food scrap composting program April 1 by installing new recycling bins in the MCC cafeteria and Commons area. Staff and student volunteers have helped people to sort their food waste, paper and plastics, and other waste from their cafeteria trays during lunch hours. “People are really curious and interested in how to do it right,” said Kim Hankins, director of the Sustainability Center, referring to students and college employees who are getting used to the new system of sorting their waste into composting, recycling, or landfill receptacles. “Our goal is to reduce the college’s carbon footprint,” Hankins said. “Less waste means less waste hauler trucks coming to and from the college and less waste in the landfill. We hope to eventually scale back our waste hauler service, which in turn, saves the college money. “Food waste takes up a huge part of the waste system, so composting food scraps means less waste goes into the landfill, which extends the life of the landfill.” Composting is good for the economy, good for our bodies, good for the air, and good for water conservation, she said. Studies have shown that when food is landfilled, it decomposes without air and creates methane, a highly potent and
Among other efforts
Other college-wide sustainability efforts have resulted in the MCC Café becoming a 3-Star Certified Green Restaurant, making MCC the only community college in the U.S. to reach that level as of last fall. In addition, MCC hosts annual Green Living Expos, which have MCC PHOTO resulted in at least five new solar installations added in McHenry Jennifer Kainz of Mindful Waste, a nonprofit group in Barrington, and County. Plus, MCC offers 70 classes MCC student Luca Palacios, president of the college’s Environmental Club, sort through food scraps from MCC’s cafeteria during a waste each semester that have a green audit to determine how much the college is sending to the landfill. The component in their core lessons audit was part of the college’s launch of a food-composting program. plans. New recycling bins in the college’s Commons area helped to kick off MCC also offers a LEEDS credit the new food-scrap composting program. class in the construction management program and added the speAUTO|HOME|LIFE|BUSINESS|RETIREMENT harmful greenhouse gas. containers.” cialty option of urban agriculture Hankins said she was commit- in the associate in applied science ted to educating students about degree in horticulture. Luca Palacios of Woodstock, pres- sustainability. Hankins said she would intro*FREE INSURANCE REVIEW* ident of MCC’s Environmental Club, “We want our students to be duce a new sustainability effort this revisíon de sus said he was excited about the com- exposed to sustainability as part of summerGratis: – event kits for employee aseguranzas posting program. their everyday life choices as well as department luncheons. Instead of “I’m glad to see we’re making a learning about it in the classroom,” using disposable tableware for cerAUTO|HOME|LIFE|BUSINESS|RETIREMENT change [to waste disposal] that’s she said. “This helps prepare them tain events, employees will be able and me! return a kit with permanent,” he said. “It’s impor- to make responsible decisions with to check out Call AUTO|HOME|LIFE|BUSINESS|RETIREMENT tant because it’s a lot of waste. Peo- the choices in front of them.” plates, cups, utensils, and table ¡Llámeme! ple need to take the effort to sepacan be washed To measure the impact of the new cloths – all items *FREEthat INSURANCE REVIEW* *FREE INSURANCE REVIEW* rate materials into their respective program to compost food scraps, and reused.
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