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Home Zero Waste Compost On Campus Composting

On Campus Composting

Composting collections continue to expand at CU Boulder, with a goal to have compost collections in every CU building by 2023.  

Depending on what building you are in on campus, you may find a compost bin in a public space, near a food service area, in the rest rooms, or back of house.  

 

Academic & Administrative Buildings On Campus

ALL Academic & Administrative buildings on campus now have compost!

  • They are located in the rest rooms for most buildings
  • Some buildings with food service have compost bins near the dining area
  • All compost bins are for paper towels, food scraps, compostable plastics, compostable paper, and all compostable serving ware
    • Here is list of acceptable items for the compost bins
  • Offices can use a Compost Mini-Bins at desks... inviduals are responsible for emptying them in rest room compost bins 

How to use a Compost Mini-Bin

  • Fill your Mini Bin with only compostable materials      
  • Keep the lid on the Mini Bin to prevent smells, fruit flies and pests
  • When full, bring your Mini Bin to the rest room and empty it into the Compost Bin
  • If necessary, rinse out your Mini Bin in the nearest kitchen or break room sink (please don't rinse in the rest room as the sinks will clog)

 

Rest Room Compost Bins  

Compost Mini Bin

Dining Halls

love food hate waste
  • Food prep waste from the kitchen
  • Uneaten food goes on the trey return and then ends up in the dish room
  • All food waste is composted
  • All food waste from the Village Center is put into a food waste digester to be processed before leaving the building as waste water

Locations
  • Village Center at Williams Village
  • Sewell
  • Farrand Grab & Go
  • Center for Community (C4C )

UMC

ring circles umc

The UMC has led the campus in public composting, starting the first rest room compost bins and public bins in a dining area.

Here are places compost is collected in the UMC
  • Food prep stations in the kitchen
  • "Spent" food from the grill area
  • Public bins in the Dining Area on the 1st floor
  • Rest room compost bins for paper towels, food waste, and other compostables

Residence Halls

restroom
  • Compost bins are located in the lobby area
  • You may need to ask the front desk staff where the compost bin is located
  • A few buildings also have compost bins at the "sink nooks" or kitchen areas

Locations
  • Williams Village North
  • Williams Village East
  • Baker
  • Smilth
  • Kittridge West
  • Buckingham
  • Kittridge Central
  • Arnett
  • Andrews

 

 

recycling in arizona football game

CU Athletics

CU Athletics has committed to Zero Waste efforts in their facilities since 2008, with recycling efforts happening long before that.  For more information about zero waste in CU Athletics through Ralphie's Green Stampede, click here.

The folowing CUAD buildings currently have compost collections

Folsom Stadium

  • Compost collections in the kitchens for food prep
  • Rest room compost bins for paper towels and other compostables
  • Public bins throughout the stadium during football games and other events

Coors Events Center

  • Compost collections in the kitchens for food prep
  • Rest room compost bins for paper towels and other compostables
  • Public bins throughout the building during basketeball games and other events

Dal Ward Athletic Center

  • Compost collections in the kitchens for food prep
  • Public bins throughout the building in Max-R cabinet locations

Champions Center

  • Compost collections in the kitchens for food prep
  • Public bins throughout the building in Max-R cabinet locations

paper line cut

The ROC

The Recycling Operations Center, or ROC, can handle any compostable materails that end up there.  Although it is not a main collection or drop off point for campus, student staff make sure any compostable materials that end up there get composted.

Even though we can sort compost out of the recycling, PLEASE DON'T PUT COMPOSTABLE ITEMS IN THE RECYCLING BIN! It takes a lot of extra time to sort it out, and can contaminate the recycling to the point where we have to landfill the contaminated items.

Graduate & Family Housing has compost collection points for all areas:

  • Athens Court Dumpster Area
  • Marine Court Dumpster Area
  • Smiley Court Garden
  • Day Care Center

GFH residents are given compost bins for their kitchen area and can bring their compostables to any of the collection points, listed on the following map.  

Graduate & Family Housing Compost Location Map
Graduate & Family Housing Compost Location Map

Graduate and Family Housing Compost Locations

 

graduate housing composting bins

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Environmental Center

CUSG | Division of Student Affairs 
University of Colorado Environmental Center
207 UCB, UMC 355, Boulder, CO 80309-0207 
To contact us please leave a message at 303-492-8308 or email ecenter@colorado.edu
Office Hours Monday - Friday 9:00a-5:00p

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