ECOS Leads the Charge in Composting, At School and At Home

Did you know that food and yard waste make up more than 28% of our waste stream? Dumping this waste into landfills creates several environmental challenges, including the release of methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that causes climate change. 

At school, RL’s student-led environmental group, ECOS, runs a composting program to make sure that food waste from the Refectory is turned into nutrient-rich soil. While students are now learning from home, ECOS members are continuing to compost, and are bringing their families in on the act.

With all of these meals we are eating at home these days, now might be a great time to consider composting your own family’s food and yard waste. The best compost is a mixture of “green waste,” “brown waste,” and moisture. Lucas Connors, Class VI, created this poster to share some of the things you can easily compost into nutrient-rich soil in just two to five weeks. For more guidelines on how to compost, you can find further reading here and here.

As the weather begins to warm, one way to put your compost to good use is to consider starting a small garden. This time of year is particularly well suited for growing herbs and lettuces. In this short video, award-winning gardener and RL faculty member Alessandro Ferzoco ‘14 shares his secrets for how to quickly and easily plant a garden of your own.

If you have gardening successes of your own during this spring and summer, please share them with us!