Organic Waste Collection
After attempts to recover organic materials from the trash, such as small animal bedding in 1990 and food wastes for feeding pigs in 1995, the Recycling Program successfully began the collection of food waste for composting from residential hall kitchens and on-campus dinning locations as well as animal bedding from Research Animal Resources in August of 2007. As part of phase I, cooperation with University Dining Services, Ag Services, and Hennepin County, has led to the collection 4,000 lbs/ day of food waste. In addition, the collection of small animal bedding and organic waste is sent to the St. Paul campus where anaerobic and tissue digesters convert the waste into useful byproducts such as methane gas as a fuel source. Phase II includes the collection
of retail food service waste such as disposable dinning ware, compostable single use plates, cups and utensils from campus food service operations, and eventually the concessions within the new football stadium. The final process includes organic waste collection throughout the surrounding University community. Disposable material throughout Hennepin County will become more compostable and aid to a cleaner environment in and around campus.
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