Composting: A Spring Arbor Project

Composting: A Spring Arbor Project
Nature does not produce waste, humans are a part of nature, yet this creates a logical problem: how/why do humans create waste? The simple answer: we do not deal with the resources we no longer need in a responsible manner. While well-established recycling programs exist worldwide to varying degrees of effectiveness, they tend to focus mostly on material recycling rather than the recycling of natural resources. In light of this, one can see that while we may handle our own waste responsibly, we turn something that is not waste into waste by putting it into that same system. As a Christian University, Spring Arbor is ethically obligated to address this problem. Universities are one of the few places that generate
It is important to note here that I am making a distinction between recycling and composting. Composting is the process of rapidly decomposing organic materials and wastes under controlled conditions (Composting, 2008). It is not a complicated process, but for clarity’s sake, it requires a certain Carbon-to-Nitrogen ratio or “browns to greens,” typically around a 30:1 ratio. It takes anywhere from six to eighteen months of aeration to mature, depending on the conditions and maintenance of the process. There are several methods of composting, but in the words of, Justin, a local gardener, “it’s hard to mess up compost.” If the process is so elementary, why is it instituted so infrequently? Landfills, often the concern of the environmentalist, are still part of the concern here, although the argument here is not so much against them as it is for their reduction on the consumer end. We, as consumers, are part of the problem. Analysts estimate that at least 40 percent of what consumers throw away is compostable (Murphy, 2004.). While the United States does not have as much of an issue with land available for landfills, communities are becoming less keen on having one in their backyard. This phenomenon, known as “NIMBY,” (Not In My BackYard) is a problem for all forms of waste management, including composting.
Spring Arbor is ideally situated for sustainability programs like composting because of its location, population, and status. As alluded to earlier, Spring Arbor is located in a rural area with plenty of (cheap) available land (J. Bilbro, personal communication, April 26, 2016). Compost does not require much, but it does require land and organic waste, both of which universities usually have. Land, by its very nature, produces yard waste, and by compiling it you have the beginnings of compost. Universities are also uniquely qualified for composting because of the vast amounts of food that they process and produce. When asked about a composting program, the Dining Commons Coordinator, Beth Lyman, asked, “how much do you need? We can give it to you (personal communication, April 14, 2016).” Spring Arbor not only produces this biodegradable material but also desires to use it productively. There is tremendous support from faculty and staff for such a program and the Concept itself basically necessitates it. In order to be critical participants in a contemporary world, students need to be able to see what that lifestyle looks like, and composting materials that the majority of people consider to be waste would demonstrate just that quality. The population of Spring Arbor is primed for a sustainability program and this is the best way to