Dining

Composting

Composting is an essential part of Brown’s commitment to sustainability.

Brown Dining Services has partnered with the Office of Sustainability and Resiliency and Custodial Services to launch composting at its five eateries. The university has partnered with The Compost Plant to divert food scraps and post consumer compostables to Earth Care Farms, a local facility about 33 miles away from campus. Rather than ending up in the landfill, the food scraps and compostables become compost, which can then be used at local farms and gardens.

Composting is the process of transforming organic materials such as food waste into a nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer. Composting has many benefits, including enriched soils, reduced contributions to landfills, and decreased release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The Rhode Island Compost Law

Brown is a leader among Rhode Island institutions in its commitment to comply with the state’s 2014 Compost Law. Ideally, the Compost Law will eventually make composting less expensive and more convenient for Brown. The university began its campus-wide composting program in July 2016. The environmental impact of a campus-wide composting program is projected to be highly significant. Through composting, Brown could divert 87%, or 460 tons, of its organic waste from the landfill each year.