South Kitsap School District Expands the Food to Flowers Recycling Program

(Port Orchard) - On September 14, 2009 Olalla Elementary will kick off the Fall launch of the lunchroom organics recycling program sponsored by Kitsap County Solid Waste Division and local recycling company New Day Recycling. Sunnyslope Elementary successfully piloted the program last Spring, diverting three tons of organic waste from the landfill. As a result they were able to reduce their garbage service, a cost savings of $156 per month to the district.

Now the district continues the pilot partnership with six additional elementary schools: South Colby, Sidney Glen, Mullenix Ridge, East Port Orchard, Burley Glenwood, and Orchard Heights, as well as the district’s Central Kitchen.

The Solid Waste staff is present during lunchroom periods during the first week of each school’s launch date, to provide technical assistance. Student Monitors will assist the students on proper sorting of their waste into the appropriate containers for garbage, compost and recyclables.

The program works by collecting leftover food and food-soiled paper from the school lunchroom and kitchen, thereby diverting it from the waste stream. New Day Recycling then transports the collected material to North Mason Fiber Company, a state-of-the-art commercial composting facility. At North Mason Fiber Company, the food and paper scraps are composted into a nutrient-rich, natural soil amendment.

The program goals are to reduce the amount of organics in the waste stream, lower garbage service costs, raise community awareness about composting and waste reduction, and give students hands-on experience as environmental stewards.

Over 200,000 tons of garbage is generated annually in Kitsap County, with a conservative estimate of 20% being food waste or other organics. The Food to Flowers program helps divert this material from landfill disposal. In addition, some of the compost produced will be returned to the pilot program schools for application to demonstrate “Closing the Loop.”

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To contact the Public Information Officer, 
call Doug Bear at 360-337-4598 or email: dbear@co.kitsap.wa.us