By Jolie Scott

UVM to Stop Composting ‘Compostable’ Products January, 2022

By Jolie Scott

The University of Vermont (UVM) carries prestige in its environmental awareness and many aspiring applicants are attracted to the school’s sustainable commitments, one of which is a key part of campus life: composting. Food waste and compostable foodware products (e.g., plates, utensils, napkins that meet physical and chemical breakdown criteria) are collected daily in dining and residence halls and sent to a commercial compost facility. Composting has been a decade-long practice at the University; however, beginning Jan. 1, 2022, the compost facility UVM uses, Green Mountain Compost (GMC), will no longer be accepting compostable foodware products, marking the end of an era. This is the perfect opportunity for the school community to ensure that UVM takes the right steps forward in reducing single-use disposable packaging altogether. Highlighting this importance is The Princeton Review’s (a popular test preparation company) “Top Green School” list in which UVM’s position has been falling significantly. In 2018, UVM was named number three out of 50 schools, whereas in 2021 their rank fell to number 44, and for 2022’s version they are being kicked off the list entirely. Student advocacy, like the 2019 fossil fuel divestment campaign, is the main reason UVM upholds environmentally friendly decisions and as the climate crisis worsens, we must keep pressuring the University to keep up with the standards of a green school.

Every week, UVM sends 15 tons of compost, including food scraps and foodware, to GMC, the Organics Diversion facility in Williston managed by Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD). These compostable products are implemented in nearly every dining location on campus, including retail. Such products include food service packaging that comes in the form of green Eco-Products utensils, Greenware drink cups, uncoated paper take-out containers, Green Mountain coffee cups, or any other product that is labeled ‘compostable.’ These materials are frequently used as substitutes in dining halls for washable plates and cups. Similarly, they serve as the primary take-out containers for retail locations like the Skinny Pancake. Beginning next year, however, these materials will be banned from GMC.

As of right now, GMC is the only commercial compost facility near UVM that accepts compostable packaging. According to Corey Berman, the Program Manager of UVM Recycling & Zero Waste, when the ban is put into effect, UVM Dining will continue to serve food using the packaging on account of supply issues that make it impossible to switch to another product. The school cannot choose another facility to divert waste to as transportation costs would be too high and many facilities have already banned compostable foodware products. The alternative to getting rid of this waste is to throw it in the trash where it will be taken to a landfill or an incinerator. Landfills are only designed to store waste, not break it down. It can take upwards of a couple centuries for some waste to completely biodegrade, and even then the average life expectancy of a landfill is only 30-50 years. In landfills, microorganisms that function without oxygen break down organic matter, such as food waste, and produce biogas as a by-product. Biogas is composed mainly of methane and carbon dioxide which, when released into the atmosphere, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA, food waste accounts for 24 percent of the waste that enters landfills. Luckily, composting is one way to reduce this percentage to instead create a nourishing mixture that enhances the health of soil and plants. Oxygen-dependent microorganisms in compost, such as bacteria and fungi, feed on decaying organic matter like food waste and transform it into nutrient-rich soil, commonly referred to as “black gold” by farmers. This process has many benefits such as conserving water, reducing erosion, and cutting the waste stream. GMC is valuing these benefits with their new ban by reducing factors that can ruin compost quality such

as wrongful sorting, PFAS, and product buildup.

Compostable foodware poses a threat to high-quality compost due to the potential for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are long-lasting chemical compounds commonly used in non-stick cookware and water-repellent clothing. Unfortunately, they are also associated with cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility, and an increase in the risk of asthma and thyroid disease as well as other adverse health impacts. Currently a chemical of emerging concern, PFAS are a topic of interest right now and according to Michele Morris, Director of Marketing & Communications for CSWD, it is impossible to know which compostable food packaging products contain them. Outside of biodegradable foodware, 46 percent of paper food wrappers (like McDonald’s hamburger wrappers) contain PFAS, which are used to coat the packaging in order to make it grease and water-resistant. As for compostable food packaging, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that PFAS concentrations were higher in compost that incorporated compostable food waste packaging than compost without. Chinet paper plates are another example, found to leach PFAS into the soil as they break down. This is a potential issue because compost is commonly used to grow crops, raise seafood, and feed animals, which can lead to PFAS ending up in the food supply. The only way to remove PFAS from compost is to discontinue acceptance of feedstocks that knowingly contain them. Again, it can be difficult to know which products contain PFAS without expensive testing.

Commercial facilities may find that buildup is a potentially devastating issue to their composting process. Compost piles contain a lot of heat in the center which is required to break down compostable food packaging (that and a long residence time). However, in many cases packaging ends up on the edges of the pile which are not as warm and have a hard time breaking down. Dr. Eric Roy, a Gund Fellow and Assistant Professor at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, said he has observed multiple compost piles that have had foodware accumulating on the top and sides of the pile that were still intact, even though the rest of the pile was successfully undergoing the composting process. Although not highlighted as a key issue for GMC by Morris, this problem likely exists in other compost facilities.

Wrongful sorting, or compost catfishing, is the act of throwing waste into the wrong sorting bin. We have three sets of waste bins at UVM: trash, recycling, and compost. There are labels on each one telling the user what kind of waste can be put into each bin. Unfortunately, many people will put an item into the compost that is not compostable simply because they saw the person in front of them do it. According to a survey I conducted among 25 UVM students, 60 percent said they would imitate someone’s actions as described above. I then asked if the students had ever seen someone at school put something in the compost bin that did not belong, to which 68 percent of the participants responded yes. With a chain reaction like this, it is easy for mistakes to pile up. Next thing you know, GMC will be receiving compost full of trash without the staff or resources to sort it out. Furthermore, they cannot sell poor-quality compost to their customers, who typically consist of wholesalers and landscapers, because it tarnishes the reputation they have built.

Morris offered more information on what happens in the commercial composting process. Part of the process involves a screening section where pickers are sometimes hired to go through the compost piles and clear off visible pieces of trash such as plastic bags. There are also ma-

chine screeners that are used on the compost piles that have about half an inch of tolerance. Unfortunately, this also means that stickers typically found on fruits and vegetables from grocery stores can easily pass through as well. Similarly, many other types of small waste could fit through that margin, potentially including microplastics. Morris confirmed that if compostable foodware products cannot be put into the compost, they must be placed in the trash. This is the same for recyclable packaging that has been tarnished with food residue. Both originally environmentally friendly options would then have to be sent to a landfill.

The only landfill in Vermont is located in Coventry and it has limited capacity, like many other landfills in the United States. Waste goes wherever it makes sense economically to put it, meaning the Coventry landfill is enticing to VT waste distributors who need to get rid of their trash. Almost 65 percent of trash from homes and businesses ends up in landfills and incinerators, which leads to environmental hazards and contributes to climate change. For this reason, supporting the compost process is of growing importance in order to reduce the waste stream entering landfills.

Although the new ban raises concern for the future of compostable foodware, we need to focus on solutions that prevent single-use disposable packaging that is attributed to ‘throwaway culture.’ Roy highlighted some potential solutions for the UVM community, one of which refers to this ‘grab and go’ philosophy. This refers to the idea that it is easier and more convenient to use disposable products in our fast-paced lives. Many of us do not have the time to think ahead and sort through our waste properly, and some people simply do not care about the issue. The solution to this lies in an increase in the reuse of more items and the overall minimization of waste on campus, both compostable and non-compostable. Another suggestion he has for the UVM community is to emphasize the importance of clean food waste streams which face difficulties like contaminants that can lower the quality of the compost that is produced. “I think we can improve food waste source separation on campus, but it will take education as well as buy-in from students, faculty, and staff,” he says. Lastly, we want to ensure that UVM has a relatively low environmental impact, which we can do via ecological accounting according to Roy. This takes a look at energy and water use on campus as well as compost contamination that occurs off-campus. “We might find that more old-fashioned ways of doing things (e.g., washing and reusing metal utensils) far outperform the current model that relies more on compostable products,” he remarks. Luckily, UVM already has the groundwork for this with the Eco-Reps and EcoWare programs where students aid in the distribution of reusable packaging to use as takeout containers in UVM dining locations.

One survey respondent had this to say about UVM’s environmental commitment: “All things considered, the school still produces a massive amount of waste when it comes to plastic and there isn’t much initiative by the school to change that.” Composting is a widespread part of campus life and is vital to UVM’s environmentally-aware reputation. As students, we need to encourage alternative methods to single-use disposable packaging (compostable or not). UVM has taken big steps towards being an environmentally friendly and sustainable school, especially compared to other colleges and universities in the United States. Therefore, it is essential to hold UVM accountable to its sustainable commitments and as a community we can reclaim our rank as one of the greenest schools in the country. H

Art by Abby Kaiser