COMPOST OUTPOST

What are we doing?

The ASCP (Auraria Sustainability Campus Program), the Auraria Higher Education Center, and our partner institutions, Metropolitan State University (MSU Denver), Community College of Denver (CCD), and University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), are diligently working to advance our waste initiatives on campus. The ASCP is committed to achieving a 35% diversion rate by 2024, in alignment with the community-supported Climate Action Plan. To meet this target, students and the Student Advisory Committee have approved a $3 increase in student fees to support waste diversion efforts through the Compost Referendum (2020), encompassing the comprehensive handling of organic waste collection and processing on campus.

With an annual waste generation of 2.5 million pounds and an average diversion rate of 28.8%, the newly established compost operation, led by the ASCP, aims to process between 200,000 to 300,000 pounds of organic material annually. This initiative is fortified by a Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) grant of ~$123,000 from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the ASCP Compost Referendum Fee. The project encompasses expanding compost receptacles, mandating certified compostable to-go ware for food vendors, implementing rigorous compost sorting procedures, utilizing a state-of-the-art BioCoTech in-vessel composter for processing, and returning the nutrient-rich compost to nourish campus trees and plants. We extend our gratitude to all the key departments involved, including AHEC Planning, Grounds, Facilities, and Finance, for their contributions in bringing this initiative to fruition. The combined efforts of ASCP, our partner institutions, and the wider community will result in an efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective organic waste management system. 

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Have questions about compost? Reach out to Rylee McCone (303.556.8046 or mcconer@ahec.edu) for information about events, education, & outreach. Contact Robbie Tepperberg (tepperbergr@ahec.edu) for information about operations & hauling.