The King Open School will be part of a new and exciting environmental initiative in Cambridge called Food to Flowers. Food to Flowers features our mascot Wendy the Worm who helps to teach students about the interconnectedness of nature and how recycling and composting help protect the environment. The Department of Public Works has been working with the School Department on this opportunity to collect cafeteria food scraps for curbside compost pickup.

Food to Flowers uses a colorful slide show assembly to teach how we can protect nature and animals by recycling and composting. Before the program begins, select classes are trained to be compost monitors and assist the rest of the school with composting in the lunchroom. Schools are provided colorful displays reminding students to recycle and compost. Teacher packets include standards-based composting lesson plans developed for Massachusetts can be taught in the classroom.

Since September 2006, dozens of Cambridge businesses have been part of the city’s composting effort, including universities, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. The food waste is sent to area farms for large scale composting.

The King-Open School will enjoy many benefits of composting, including:

• Students gain first hand experience of environmental stewardship and responsible citizenship, outside of the classroom.
• The King Open School will be recognized as an environmental leader on local, regional and national stage for its green practices and for preparing well-rounded, socially responsible students.
• Students will be active participants in meeting the City’s Climate Protection goals. Composting helps to decrease our community’s greenhouse gas emissions and increases our recycling rate.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How will the composting program work?
The collection system will be easy, clean, and efficient. At each trash area in the cafeteria, there will be four clearly-marked containers for liquids (small white bucket), trash (gray barrel), food waste (yellow barrel lined with a biodegradable bag) and Styrofoam (clear bag for recycling). Students will:

1. Pour liquids into the white bucket.
2. Place milk carton and any plastic items into the gray trash barrel.
3. Tap food off trays into the yellow barrel.
4. Place Styrofoam trays into the clear bag for recycling.

These actions will reduce odors that attract rodents at trash dumpsters. After the lunch period, the custodian will place the bag of food waste in 64-gallon toters. These will be emptied twice a week for curbside collection. The hauler will bring the material to composting facilities, where it will be turned into nutrient rich soil to help grow fresh food.

Will schools continue to recycle Styrofoam if they start composting?
Yes, for now. Eventually, once prices and product selection are competitive and complete, all Styrofoam food service ware will be replaced by biodegradable alternatives, which means nearly all cafeteria waste will be composted.

What’s compostable?
All food scraps and food soiled paper: kitchen trimmings, plate scrapings, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, meat, bones, fish, dairy products, baked goods, napkins and paper lunch bags. It is extremely important that everyone at the school do their part to make sure that only compostable items are placed in the yellow barrels. Ask yourself, “Is this worm food?”

What’s not compostable?
Styrofoam, plastic, metal, snack bags, liquids, and glass are examples of other non-biodegradable items. Liquids should be poured into the small white bucket, which will then be poured down the drain.

Does composting help meet the city’s Climate Protection goals?
Yes! By composting food scraps, we will increase the City’s recycling rate by diverting more waste from landfills. Composting is an essential climate strategy since methane emissions from landfills are 72 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year time frame.

Will school composting save the City money?
The City will control disposal costs by removing the heavy stuff from the trash, thereby avoiding waste disposal fees. DPW has estimated that the King Open produces about 100 pounds of food waste per day.

Who else in Cambridge is composting?
Over 40 locations are keeping food waste out of the trash, including dozens of restaurants. Plus, thousands of household’s compost food and yard waste in their backyard. Some residents even compost with worms in their apartment!

Can other schools participate?
Yes. The Principal must first speak with the custodian, kitchen supervisors and lead teachers to gain buy-in. Then the Principal should call the Recycling Director at (617) 349-4866. DPW and the School Department will meet with these staff to answer questions and begin planning the operational and educational details. Lead teachers must volunteer their classes to train students as lunchroom monitors. The educational campaign will involve staff meetings, a school-wide assembly, posters, information packets for teachers, training student compost monitors, and morning announcements. The Principal and custodian must work together with DPW staff to troubleshoot issues immediately.

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