Stephanie Mott has proposed a composting site for the University of Kansas to help reduce the amount of food waste in landfills.

Mott, 2008 graduate, met with a subcommittee of the project Tuesday to discuss potential locations for the composting site.

Peg Livingood, project manager for the University Design and Construction Management, said she thought students would benefit from the composting site because it would allow students to decrease their collective impact on the environment.

“As a major research and educational institution, KU has an opportunity to provide leadership and education for the citizens of the state in matters of sustainability,” Livingood said.

Tim Evans, KU alumni and author of a previous composting idea at the University, said he thought composting would benefit more than just the people involved.

“This project would provide a great opportunity to show students, faculty, staff and the community that we have resources around us that go untapped,” Evans said. “What was once a waste is now a valuable resource.”

Mott, a researcher for the KU Center for Sustainability, said that once a location was determined, the next step would be funding the project. Mott said they would need to research where funding was available and whether they could get grants or on-campus funding.

Mott said the committee looked at the possibility of having the site near one of the KU dining services, which would provide the food scraps, but most dining services didn’t have enough room.

“We now plan to evaluate places on West campus,” Mott said.

Mott said she had researched all possibilities for KU. She said she looked at costs, physical space of the site and what other universities had done. She said she found Green Mountain Technologies had the best in-vessel system for the University called Earth Tub.

“Earth Tub cost the right amount and had an optimal size for KU,” Mott said. “It also has an air filter, which reduces the smell.”

Mott said the project would probably only require two Earth Tubs in the beginning. She said she figured the project would start out small and they would add more tubs later.

Penny Bernard, the business manager of Green Mountain Technologies, said Earth Tub would decrease the amount of time it took to compost as opposed to using regular bins.

Bernard said it would be easier for the University to implement a composting project because the University has more people available to help install and run the composting site.

Mott said the project would need students for collecting the food and placing the soil, but that the Earth Tub only required one person to operate. Mott said the positions would most likely be paid.

Mott said that she hoped KU would soon approve the project, but in the meantime, she would continue to remind KU about all the advantages composting offered.

“Composting is a very effective way to improve KU’s soil,” Mott said. “We may even increase campus pride, knowing we are all actively contributing to a more sustainable and beautiful campus.”

- Edited by Asher Fusco