FRANKLIN DPW, FACILITIES & PUBLIC SCHOOLS

School Compost

Derek Adams

Environmental Affairs Coordinator

Town of Franklin, Massachusetts

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• Franklin High School
• Keller/Sullivan Middle School/Elementary School
• Horace Mann/Oak Street Middle School/Elementary School
• Remington/Jefferson Middle School/Elementary School
• Kennedy Elementary School
• Parmenter Elementary School

School Dynamics

• The 2022 waste bans lowered the threshold for compost in the waste stream
• Franklin did not meet these thresholds, but aimed to implement a program before the thresholds are lowered further
• A collaboration began between Food Services, DPW, and Facilities

Concept

• Food Services Director: Lunch Staff, students, Principals
• Facilities: Custodial Staff, Principals
• DPW: Solid waste management, Vendor

Roles

• Food Services Director: Determine which principals and kitchen staff are most receptive to the program.
• Facilities: Converse with Food Services Director to determine which Principals and custodial staff are the most receptive.
• DPW: Determine most suitable vendor, logistics, messaging

Roles

• Elementary Schools were the starting point
• One School at a time
• Once the previous school is successful, the next school was brought on board
• Demonstration conducted at each lunch
• “Set-up” is important (desk for lunch trays if
• compostable, compost bin, then trash)
• Keep it simple at first

Implementation

• Lunch Monitors (volunteers, staff)
• Liquids (5 gallon pail to be disposed of through sanitary sewer)
• Recyclables
• Garbage Disposal
• Bins for Kitchen Staff
• Signage
• Share Table

Considerations/Variables

• Franklin partnered with Agri-Cycle
• Agri-cycle collects the food scraps in 65 gallon tots
• The 65 gallon totes are lined with a compostable liner
• Totes are mechanically ‘tipped’ into a sealed truck
• Processed as fuel at an anaerobic digester, providing electricity

Franklin / Agri-Cycle

Questions