Bend-La Pine Schools serves over 11,000 meals daily across the district. And like any food program, that generates considerable food waste. The district is working to ensure all students know to “Love Food, Not Waste” as we promote efforts to reduce how much food ends up in the trash. Students are helping share this message with a new video featuring young voices from Bear Creek Elementary School, while the district this spring is expanding its school-based food composting program.
Students at eight schools in Bend are diverting their food scraps to compost bins. The food waste is hauled by Cascade Disposal and Republic Services to Knott Landfill’s commercial composting program. Costs associated with expanding this program are funded through the end of the current school year by Deschutes County Solid Waste “This is a great way for students to learn how their individual actions can make a difference in their community,” said Jackie Wilson, Sustainability and Energy Specialist for Bend-La Pine Schools.
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. “As one of the largest elementary schools in our district, it is exciting to see that this type of waste reduction can be done at a large scale,” said Lisa Birk, Principal of Bear Creek Elementary.