The practice of composting has been especially successful. Pre-consumer composting has been an ongoing practice of Dining Services since 2001 and contributed roughly 1,000 pounds of organic material daily to the student run farm. Although post-consumer composting has been logistically overwhelming in the past, it has become a reality.

Through a collaborative effort with Jepson Prairie Organics, R4 Recycling Program, UC Davis Student Housing, and UC Davis Solid Waste Division, Dining Services has successfully established a post-consumer composting program at Tercero Dining Room, with plans for expansion to the other three dining rooms on campus in the near future. As a result of the program, there has been a 91% diversion of organic materials from the landfill to the composting facility and a reduction in the number of hauls per month by two. This is a huge accomplishment.

The process begins when a customer returns his/her soiled dishes, uneaten food, napkins, and silverware to the dish room. Nearly 99% of the items in the dining room that are not reusable or compostable, therefore, dish room attendants sort out the 1% of noncompostable waste and pulp the remaining materials – everything from paper napkins to uneaten food. Pulped material is then captured in a receptacle that is lined with a biodegradable bag and taken outside to a compactor. Twice a month nearly 11 tons of compost-ready materials is hauled to Jepson Prairie Organics.

Once the material arrives at Jepson Prairie Organics, it is broken down into nutrient rich matter for use by local growers and vineyards, many of which supply Dining Services with fruits or vegetables – closing the sustainable food system loop. Ultimately, it is the goal of Dining Services to facilitate zero waste operations.

The concept of sustainability is timeless. It has been practiced by different communities and people around the world. Dining Services commitment is to make changes in our ways of delivering food to the campus community and become a seamless part of a sustainable food system. Ultimately, everyone is responsible for making this happen…from the cook making sure the carrot clippings are placed in the compost bin instead of the trash receptacle to the dish room attendant sorting organic material from noncompostable waste.

Waste collection systems were established decades ago and supported by strong collaboration with key stakeholders. This project took a holistic approach of reviewing current waste streams and identifying strategic avenues to divert waste from the university-operated landfill. It was estimated that more than 90% of the waste generated from the dining room was made of organic materials, therefore, making it eligible for composting. As such, a partnership was formed with Jepson Prairie Organics to receive organic material, compost them, and market the final nutrient-rich soil to growers from which Dining Services can procure fruits and vegetables.

By providing extensive hands-on training for more than 150 staff and educational signage for customers, Dining Services is successful in diverting 97% of the waste generated at Tercero Dining Room. These results are due to recycling (4%), pre-consumer composting (2%), and now, post-consumer composting (91%).

This collaboration is led by Brenan Connolly, General Manager of Resident Dining and Lin King, Director of R4 Recycling Program, who has contributed a vast amount of research, guidance, and best practices for implementing the composting initiative. Additionally, Brenan and Lin work closely with the Students for Sustainable Agriculture, Resident Hall Advisory Board, and other campus departments. Groups meet regularly to discuss progress towards meeting the objectives and to foster support in moving towards a more sustainable food system on campus.

Each stakeholder has dedicated valuable resources to ensure the project’s success, as outlined below: