Student ‘Green Team’ at Pine Ridge Elementary leads efforts to inform their peers about cutting lunchroom waste

Bend-La Pine Schools recently announced an expansion of its composting program. KTVZ visited the Green Team at Pine Ridge Elementary who demonstrated how they take care of food waste.

On school days during lunch, they guide other students on how to separate garbage from what can be composted. Students weigh and measure what's composted and keep track of it daily. The students have created a clever way to turn their leftover lunch into something useful for the planet.

Jackie Wilson, Sustainability Coordinator at Bend-La Pine Schools, says: “We know when the food leaves our school and gets composted, at least it's getting brought to the landfill and turned into soil rather than just ending up in the landfill, and turning into methane.” It'll be picked up by Cascade Disposal and Republic Services and taken to Knott Landfill's commercial program.  

The EPA estimates 30% to 40% of food is wasted - Tuesday at Pine Ridge, members of the Green Team made a difference by the bucketful.

Cafeteria composting recently began at Pine Ridge Elementary School and Bear Creek Elementary School, and will begin at Ponderosa Elementary School in May. The program already has been in place at six other schools: William E. Miller Elementary School, Juniper Elementary School, Westside Village Magnet School, Amity Creek Magnet School, Mountain View High School and the production kitchen at Bend Senior High School.