Composting

Composting is nature’s way of recycling. Composting is a way of processing organic waste such as food waste, leaves, grass trimmings, paper and wood and turning it into a valuable organic fertilizer. 

We are growing the compost collection program across UNC Charlotte’s campus.

Behind the scenes kitchen composting is available in all dining facilities on campus. From Chick-fil-A to Subway, the employees at these facilities are separating out the food waste used in cooking and food preparation. And, if you frequent Social 704 or South Village Dining Hall, your food is also being processed through a pulper system. Once you put your plate on the conveyor system, it gets rinsed into the pulper. The pulper then removes the water and chops the food into tiny pieces ready for compost. Once the food waste and compostable material is separated from all these facilities, it is picked up by Earth Farms, a local composting company located in Gaston County. Earth Farms hauls the food waste to their facility where it is composted using a windrow system. The completed compost, which looks much like soil, can be used as a soil amendment in gardens, farms, landscaping, athletic fields and more. 

Example of food waste collected at kitchens: