Project 2050: An inspiring composting initiative
At Fieldcrest Elementary School, waste isn’t just waste, it’s an opportunity to make a difference. As a large school in a rural area that has urbanized rapidly over the past decade, they noticed how much food waste and paper towels were being thrown away during nutrition breaks and in washrooms. With their municipality offering green bin collection, they realized they had a chance to turn waste into a resource rather than send it to the landfill.
Through Project 2050, students are learning that tackling climate change doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It starts with small, achievable actions, like sorting waste correctly and making composting a daily habit.
From small steps to a collective impact
The initiative started with students bringing their classroom compost bins to central depots, a process that quickly became a source of pride and responsibility. Custodians played an instrumental role in the initiative; caretakers also stepped up, ensuring paper towels were composted instead of trashed. Parent volunteers joined in too, helping to break down pizza boxes, a simple but meaningful way to reduce waste on pizza days.
Behind this initiative is Carol Lynn Wallace, a dedicated Grade 7 teacher and a leader in the school’s environmental initiatives. She has been instrumental in getting students and staff on board, ensuring that composting becomes a seamless part of daily school life.
“We are a very large school, and we produce a lot of food waste during our nutrition breaks,” explains Carol Lynn. “It just made sense to try and divert this waste. Students take pride in helping, and parent volunteers have also stepped up to support us.”
Overcoming challenges
Managing green bins from 40+ classrooms and portables twice a week was no small task. Last year, the team learned valuable lessons, making this year even more efficient by adding depots on both floors so bins could be emptied at any time. Education was also key, students and staff needed to learn what belongs in the compost and what doesn’t. For those hesitant to handle food waste, collecting tissues and paper towels became an alternative way to participate.
Looking to the future
Fieldcrest hopes this initiative will become a natural part of the school routine and serve as a model for other large schools looking to integrate municipal composting programs.
“We hope to be able to start giving awards to classes that do a great job with their green bins and individual students who bring their bins for their class”.
Advice for other educators
Carol’s advice to educators looking to start a similar initiative:
“Start simple and recognize that not everyone is going to want to be involved. Make it as easy as possible for educators and students to participate. Celebrate your success!
EcoSchools has inspired our initiative because it recognizes the importance of diverting as much food waste as possible from our landfills. Getting recognized for our hard work through the EcoSchools Program and being able to share our strategies with schools around the province and country is wonderful.”
Way to go, Fieldcrest Elementary School!