City to help local schools turn food waste into garden resource

Eugene, Ore. — The city of Eugene has partnered with the School Garden Project of Lane County to build and implement five new school gardens and cafeteria composting programs in the 2011-2012 school year.

Cafeteria composting reduces the amount of waste schools send to the landfill and provides valuable compost for each school’s garden. According to city officials, when food waste is sent to the landfill to decompose anaerobically, it releases a potent greenhouse gas (methane) that is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

Read the full story at MyEugene.

For more information about composting in schools, take a look at "Cafeteria Composting In Schools: Strategies, Systems and Resources for Lane County Schools" by the School Garden Project of Lane County.

Photo credit: City of Eugene