Composting and Sustainable Waste Management Strategies

Course Description:
The purpose of this class is to teach students about the importance of sustainable waste
management systems. Composting will be the primary focus, but we will also talk about
recycling and other sustainable practices. We will address the biological science behind
composting, the technology necessary for industrial composting, and the ways composting can
be implemented in modern societies. This class will be very interactive. Students will be posed
with multiple sustainable challenges throughout the semester, where they will have to
acknowledge the waste they produce and reflect on it. At the end of the course students will
know about different sustainable practices, and they will know how to implement these practices
in their own lives.

Course Requirements:
No previous knowledge required. Complete all of the readings and assignments on time.
Hopefully students have a passion for sustainability and the Earth!

Expectations:
Because this class will be very interactive, students will be expected to participate in every class.
Class attendance will also be mandatory. As long as students are present and participative they
will pass the class.

Syllabus:

Topics to Cover:
Biological processes
Technology
Industrial Composting
How to have your own compost
Composting at UVA (residential colleges, dining halls, west range)
Zero-waste
Sustainable Waste Initiatives (Urban vs. Rural) New York City

Grading Policy:
Class Attendance/Participation - 50%
Homework - 25%
Homeworks include taking notes on readings, writing reflections and responses to resources and
presentations
Semester Project - 25%
Students be assigned an area of a proposal to improve UVA-wide composting created by the
class. Students will become familiar with the setbacks and obstacles blocking UVA-wide
composting.

Week 1:
What is composting?
Backyard Composting vs. Industrial Composting
Discuss prevalence of composting in modern society
Benefits of composting

Week 2:
Biological Processes of Composting (Decomposition, Humification, Immobilization,
Mineralization)
-Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio
-pH
-Oxygenation
-Temperature and Moisture Levels
-Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Composting
Technology behind Industrial Composting

Homework Due: Read http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/cis/cis1179.pdf

https://www.compostsystems.com/systems-components

Week 3:
Composting at UVA (Residential Colleges,UVA Green Initiatives)
Composting at other colleges (Cornell, American University)

Homework Due: Reading: http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/about.htm

Look into how committed Cornell is to developing and implementing sustainable waste
management strategies. Think about how we could implement similar practices on Grounds.
Take some notes because we will be discussing in class, and these could help you with your final
project.

Week 4:

Industrial Composting and a Closer Look at Blackbear Composting

A look into Urban Composting Systems: New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland

Homework Due: Readings: Look through the Blackbear Composting website

https://www.blackbearcomposting.com/
https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/20/opinion/nutter-san-francisco-composting/index.html

Week 5:
Zero Waste- What is it? How do people do it? How can it be done on a large scale?

Homework Due: Throughout the day record all of the waste you produce. The following day, try
to cut this waste down by half. How much of this could be composted? In what ways could you
reduce your waste production? Do you have the means in college to reduce your waste
significantly? Write a short response to these two days and questions.

Week 6:
Composting at UVA Dining Halls
Introduce Final Project
Brainstorming final project ideas

Homework Due: For one day try going zero-waste. Reflect on what challenges you faced and if
this could be a practical lifestyle. How can you implement some of the strategies you had to use
into your daily life to cut down on waste?

Week 7: Trip to the UVA Dining Halls to look into the back-of-house compost system. If we do
not get approval to do this, then a trip to the IRC to see the garden/ compost system that they
have in place.

Homework Due: None

Week 8: Composting in Developing Nations (Senegal (Dakar), Sri Lanka)

Economic Feasibility of Composting
Check up on students to see how their final projects are coming along.

Homework Due: Reflect on our trip to the Dining Halls or IRC. Do you think the system in place
seems to be running efficiently? What could be done to improve this system? How do you think
these practices could be implemented into all University Housing?

Week 9: Guest Lecturer: Victoria Ngo on the 2018 3-week Composting Pilot through the
Materials Working Group.
What were the results? How did the University react to the pilot?

Homework Due: TBD. We are going to ask Victoria for some of the information she used to
carry out the pilot.

Week 10: In Class Final Project Workshop

Homework Due: Come to class prepared with questions concerning final project.

Week 11: Informal Presentations of Final Project

How can we improve? Combine all parts together.

Homework Due: Finish Draft of Project and Prepare Brief Presentation outlining your thought
processes.

Week 12: Final Presentation

Homework Due: Finalize Project and Prepare Brief Presentation to give to the class on your
work.

Final Project Description:

The final project will be collaborated on by the whole class. We want our class to write a
comprehensive policy proposal that details specific ways UVA can improve the sustainability of
their waste management systems. Each student/each pair of students will be assigned a task
within building this solution. For example, assigned areas may include, but are not limited to:
obstacles, policies, ways to get students involved, the technicalities of composting
(transportation), and the financial responsibilities. It will be a substantial report that will
conclude the class by bringing together all of the material discussed in this class.