
A three-compartment compost bin will be placed in Allison Hall around Halloween.
In April, Dominique Ashe, a junior studying human dimensions of natural resources, proposed a bill to the Associated Students of Colorado State University to place a compost bin in Allison Hall.
According to Ashe, the bill was approved April 12 and Ashe recently received conformation from MAX-R that the bin is currently being built. It is expected to be implemented by Halloween.
All other compost bins within the dining halls have been purchased by MAX-R. MAX-R is a company that creates compost bins that are made of 97 percent recycled plastic, according to their website.
According to the bill, ASCSU will give $2,900 from its 2016-2017 senate discretionary budget to fund the bin.
The bin includes three compartments: blue for recycling, brown for compost and black for trash. The bin is equipped with shadow boxes offering examples of what bin is appropriate for the given item.
Allison Hall, where Spoons resides, is currently the only dining hall on campus that does not have 24/7 access to a compost bin. According to Ashe, the bin will be mobile. During Spoon’s operation hours, it will be placed inside the dining hall. When Spoons is closed, it will be placed outside of the closed doors so students will still be able to use the bin.
The 2016 Trash Stream Waste Audit shows that 16 percent of what was thrown away on campus could have been recycled and 41% could have been composted.
“The audit results conclude that there is still a reason to continue expanding efforts to both recycle and compost around campus,” Ashe said. “This bin seems to fit with the goals of the school’s desire to grow yet continue minimizing its negative impacts as a whole.”
Collegian reporter Piper Davis can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @piperldavis.