There the scraps are mixed with wood chips and formed into large piles, about as high as a person. Plastic perforated pipes are run through, and fans blow air into the piles at intervals, maintaining the ideal temperature and moisture conditions for invisible microbes. The microbes do the real work, converting food scraps to rich brown compost in about six weeks using this system. The compost is then cured outside for two years to allow harmful salts to leach off. And compost holds water better than other materials, so we re using less irrigation.
Couture points out that composting is a project involving work by many hands.
We ve been very lucky to have the assistance of our food service company, Sodexho Marriott. They re committed to the goals of this institution, not only in saving money, but also in helping out the environment.