COMPOSTING GRANT

MOUNT BAKER SCHOOL DISTRICT

COMPOSTING GRANT

We are in the second year of a local funding project from Whatcom County Public Works Solid Waste Division. The funding for our 2006-07 school year allowed us to implement food composting in all three of our elementary schools starting in January of 2007. Our rural location makes composting with the local waste company a challenge and the funding has given us the opportunity to show financial and ecological benefits. With this proof in hand we will be able to sustain composting in the future.

June of 2007 we evaluated our composting system and decided a central location in Deming would allow us to include the Junior/Senior High Campus and realize even more savings. Compost is collected weekly from the elementary schools, and daily from the Junior/Senior High Campus. Watch our numbers for the year grow with the expanded compost collection.

School Year	2006-07
Student / Staff Population			2465


Month	Garbage yds	Estimated Weight	Garbage collection costs	Compost yds	Estimated Weight	Compost collection costs	Estimated Savings
Dec-06	66.00	9900.00	$ 962.77	0.00	0.00	$ -	$ 60.20
Jan-07	100.00	15000.00	$1,302.48	20.37	3055.50	$ 264.00	$299.23
Feb-07	64.00	9600.00	$799.82	37.00	5550.00	$437.00	$310.24
March -07	44.00	6600.00	$652.78	37.60	5643.00	$456.00	$156.02
April -07	44.00	6600.00	$594.16	31.80	4770.00	$424.00	$156.74
May 07	55.00	8250.00	$594.16	37.97	5695.50	$460.00	$386.88
June 07	44.00	6600.00	$652.78	36.00	5400.00	$436.00	$151.22

Total estimated savings for the year $1520.53

School Year	2007-08
Student/Staff Population	2377

Month	Current Garbage in yds	Estimated Weight	Garbage Cost before composting	Garbage Cost with composting	Compost yds	Estimated Weight	Compost Costs	Estimated Savings
Sept 2007 (9/4 - 9/18)	104	15,600	$2,100.00	$1,436.72	9.25	1,600	$152.40	$510.88
Oct 2007 (9/18-10/29)	110	16,500	$2,100.00	$1,520.24	43.8	9,260	$475.95	$103.81
Nov 2007 (10/30-11/13	104	15,600	$2,100.00	$1,436.72	17.1	3,320	$172.50	$490.78
Dec 2007 (11/14-12/19)	94	14,100	$2,100.00	$1,361.06	36.9	7,700	$333.55	$405.39
Jan 2008 (1/7 - 2/1)	130	19,500	$2,100.00	$1,530.92	14.85	2,840	$164.10	$404.98
Feb 2008 (2/4-2/26)	104	15,600	$2,100.00	$1,446.49	35.7	6,800	$317.80	$335.71
March 2008 (2/28-3/28)	101	15,150	$2,100.00	$1,445.59	32.85	6,380	$310.45	$343.96
April 2008 (3/29-4/22)	100	15,000	$2,100.00	$1381.29	18.3	3120	$169.00	$549.71

Estimated savings are based on December 2006 garbage costs before composting started. Garbage costs for the 2007-08 school year include the Junior/Senior High Campus. Garbage costs are per month and compost costs are for the collection period in parenthesis.

Becky Phillips, Sustainability Coordinator
Mount Baker School District
4938 Deming Road
PO Box 95
Deming, WA 98244
360 383-2060
bphillips@mtbaker.wednet.edu