Eliminating food waste is a critical piece of our school’s zero waste philosophy. The leftover food from the children’s meals go to the farm animals or the compost pile to benefit our class gardens.
We have also encouraged the children’s families to contribute to our school compost by bringing in their food scraps from home rather than sending them to the landfill. This is a great way to build a stronger school community, an awareness for environmental issues, and it’s an easy way for families to take action toward zero waste if their home setup doesn’t easily allow for composting.
I have made it as simple as possible for the families to drop off their compostables at school. I placed two bins outside the front door to put their presorted compost in: one bin for “chicken food” and the other for “compost.” When they are bringing their children to and from school, they can quickly dump their compost and go. Parents are busy, so convenience is important to keep in mind!
There can be a lot to know about composting and feeding animals food scraps, so I wrote an informational sheet for families to reference as they sort compost for school. Feel free to use and edit it as you need.
Help our farm and the environment!
The Little Barnyard Preschool is now offering a way for preschool families to compost food from home that would otherwise be sent to the landfill.
Did you know the average American wastes about 30% of the food they purchase? Here are some tips to avoid food waste:
· Meal plan
· Get creative with the food in your pantry and fridge before buying more
· Save and eat leftovers before making new meals
We understand there will always be some food waste and scraps, so let’s put the unwanted food to good use and feed our animals and garden with it!
When collecting food scraps in my kitchen, I reuse two small plastic tubs with handles and lids. They are easy to clean and transport. Labeling your containers “compost” and “chicken food” will help presort the food in your kitchen before dropping it off in our bins. If you will be storing the chicken food for more than a day or two before dropping it off, please refrigerate or freeze it to keep from spoiling.
I will have two labeled compost bins outside the school. Please pour your unwanted food in the correct bins and take your containers with you to use again.
Here is a list of foods to avoid putting in the “chicken food” bucket; these items need to go into the “compost” bin.
· Onion (a little is fine if it’s cooked into other food)
· Raw eggs (shells and cooked eggs are fine)
· Spinach
· Potatoes
· Citrus
· Dried or undercooked beans and rice
· Avocado skin or pit
· Sugary food
· Rotten or moldy food
· Chocolate or candy
· Anything containing caffeine
· Tomato or eggplant leaves (the fruits of these plants are fine, though unripened fruits or the plant itself should be avoided)
· Large pits from fruits
· Wild mushrooms
· Rhubarb
· Raw meat (cooked is fine)
· Compostable paper products (acceptable if ripped into small pieces)
Below are items not allowed in either the “compost” bin or the “chicken food” bucket. These do not break down quickly in a home compost system. Industrial compost facilities may accept these.
· Bones
· Compostable plastic cutlery and bags
