North Andover Gets Grant For School Composting Program

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection awarded North Andover a grant for a composting program in public schools. The program has already been implemented in the lunchrooms at North Andover Middle School and Thomson Elementary School and will be expanded to all eight schools in town by the end of 2021.

Under the program, the schools have implemented a waste sorting program in lunchrooms. Liquid wastes are poured off so they don't end up in the trash and uneaten food waste and other compostable items are placed in a special bin to be taken to a farm for composting. Unopened food is put in a special container to be used at a shelter.

At North Andover Middle School, the effort has decreased trash by an average of 450 pounds per week. The program was recently started at Thompson. In a pilot program last year, about 90 percent of waste was diverted from going into the trash. That cut trash to about 15 pounds per day, or two bags, down from 10 bags.

"This process is raising students’ environmental awareness, reducing the waste they produce, and teaching our kids the importance of doing their part to help our planet and our local environment," the school department said in a statement. "The goal of this project is to significantly reduce the amount of waste generated each day."

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).