Education on composting and sustainability is crucial in today's world for several reasons. Firstly, it raises awareness about the environmental impact of waste and promotes responsible disposal practices by the world’s youngest generations. By teaching students about composting, society can significantly reduce organic waste in landfills, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Secondly, this education empowers individuals to take direct action in their daily lives, which fosters a sense of environmental responsibility. It also promotes a deeper understanding of natural cycles and ecosystems, potentially leading to individuals choosing more sustainable lifestyle choices beyond just waste management. Lastly, by integrating these concepts into educational curriculum, educators can prepare future generations to tackle environmental challenges effectively in their day to day lives. Widespread education on composting and sustainability is essential for creating a more sustainable future and ensuring the long-term health of the planet.

The Boys and Girls Club of Boston is a community based non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for young people in Boston. This club has been working in Boston’s communities for over a century and plays a critical role in the city’s education system. The after-school programs create a safe environment for kids to go, offer academic support, and create fun opportunities to get involved with the community. The Boys and Girls Club of Boston relies on community partners to create a variety of programs in which students may be interested. These programs are designed to foster personal, academic, and social development growth for children and teenagers. The Boys and Girls Clubs aim to provide urban students with the resources and opportunities to build essential skills and gain confidence in their abilities.

The Northeastern iGEM team’s collaboration with the Jordan Boys and Girls Club's culinary arts program presents an exciting opportunity for hands-on education in sustainability. The Human Practices team plans on engaging the after-school program students in interactive workshops focused on composting and its role in reducing food waste. Specifically, the iGEM team will bridge the gap between sustainable kitchen practices and the food-service industry. These sessions will demonstrate how kitchen scraps can be transformed into nutrient-rich soil, connecting their culinary skills with environmental stewardship. We will guide students in creating small-scale composting systems, teaching them about the science behind decomposition and its benefits for urban gardening. Additionally, we will explore how composting can be integrated into their culinary practices, emphasizing the full cycle of food production and waste management. This initiative aims to inspire future chefs to consider sustainability in their professional practices, potentially influencing the broader culinary industry towards more eco-friendly approaches. By combining cooking with environmental awareness, we hope to cultivate a new generation of environmentally conscious individuals.

This project will significantly impact Boston’s future by fostering a generation of environmentally conscious individuals. By educating students about composting and sustainable practices, we're equipping them with practical skills to reduce waste and combat climate change. The hands-on experience gained through our program will empower students to make informed decisions about waste management. Our efforts contribute to building a more sustainable future, where responsible waste management is a norm rather than an exception.

In addition to impacting the future generations of environmental stewards, this partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston will continue to inform the Northeastern iGEM team’s future projects. Learning from the community is just as important as educating students, and our role in student education will allow us to hear first-hand how environmental sustainability in Boston can be improved upon. The students who live in these communities are professionals in what sustainability practices work best for residents, which is invaluable information for organizations who focus on improving the city’s environmental friendliness.

The iGEM team’s collaboration with Northeastern University's waste management team represents a unique opportunity to enhance campus sustainability efforts. By providing a student perspective on composting initiatives to Northeastern’s management, we aim to identify key areas upon which the composting efforts can be expanded and improved. This partnership allows us to leverage our research and insights to enhance communication efforts, which can potentially increase composting participation rates among students and staff. We plan to conduct surveys and create focus groups to gather data on student attitudes and behaviors regarding composting. This information will be invaluable in developing targeted educational campaigns and user-friendly composting systems specifically tailored to the Northeastern community. Our goal is to create a more comprehensive and effective composting program that aligns with the university's sustainability goals, addresses the specific needs and preferences of the student body, and reduces food waste on campus.

Two members of the Human Practices team recently completed a composting walk-through at Northeastern University that provided valuable insights into the current state of waste management on campus. They toured the International Village dining hall, observing the kitchen staff's composting process and identifying areas for improvement, such as enhanced staff education to prevent contamination. The university uses Rezzi, a data collection service, to measure the amount of collected compost, though the application is still in beta testing. They also learned that September typically sees the highest food waste in dining halls, which is an interesting fact that can be used in future hardware or educational material development. The tour also covered West Village residence halls, where a pilot dorm-composting program was introduced with varying degrees of success. Key challenges included low student participation and logistical issues. The walk-through revealed potential opportunities for improvement, such as establishing central locations for compost bag access and enhancing direct outreach to students. This firsthand experience has given the team a clearer understanding of the current composting infrastructure and the behavioral aspects the team needs to address to increase participation and efficiency in campus-wide composting efforts at Northeastern.

Figure 2. Rezzi hardware on a compost bin in the Northeastern dining hall.

Northeastern University generates approximately 10 to 15 tons of food waste each week, which is a significant amount that the Northeastern iGEM team is committed to reducing. Many students have found composting at Northeastern to be challenging due to a lack of existing educational materials supplied by the school. In addition, the lack of composting sites on campus makes it difficult for students to engage in proper food waste disposal. To further complicate the matter, compost bins that are currently available are often misused, with students mistakenly tossing plastic bottles and other non-compostable items into them. This issue stems from a general lack of awareness and knowledge about what can and cannot be composted. To improve composting practices on campus, we hope to make more compost bins accessible and strategically placed in high-traffic areas across campus. Additionally, clear and visually appealing educational materials, such as signs with images and simple instructions, could also be placed near compost bins to guide students on proper composting techniques. During the walk-through discussed earlier, Sue Higgins, the Associate Director for Materials and Recycling, requested that the iGEM team help her department create such graphics.

Figure 3. Example of how the compost bins are misused in the residence halls. Here, there is a plastic bag in the compost bins despite it being clearly labeled as compost only.

Figure 4. Example of an educational tool that could be used for student education. This could be used either in the actual dorms above compost bins or sent out through mass communication.

Northeastern University has taken initiatives to integrate composting on campus through physical bins and minor educational resources. Despite these efforts, many students remain unaware of the composting guidelines, including where to find compost bins and what materials can be composted. Composting might appear straightforward to those familiar with the process, but without proper knowledge, students may inadvertently contaminate compost bins with non-compostable items. This contamination complicates the composting process at the larger facilities where Northeastern sends its compost. To address this gap, iGEM at Northeastern is committed to making composting information more accessible and widespread. The team's goal is to empower all students with the knowledge they need to compost effectively and reduce food waste on campus. While Northeastern provides a limited composting infrastructure, we need to enhance student awareness of the latest composting guidelines. In partnership with Northeastern’s Materials and Recyling team, we intend to do this by sending out simple, easy to digest, explanatory emails on how to compost at the start of each semester. In addition to emails, we plan on increasing physical resources in the dorms where the pilot composting programs are in action. These emails will detail what to put in compost bins and where to find compost bins on campus. By ensuring that all students have access to this essential information, we aim to make composting an easy and effective practice for everyone.

Enhancing sustainability at Northeastern University goes beyond just informing students about composting. Our vision is to foster lasting, sustainable habits that students can carry with them beyond campus and into their personal lives. To achieve this, iGEM is committed to not only educating students but also providing practical tools to make composting an integral part of campus life. We recognize that building effective composting habits involves more than just knowledge; it requires convenience and encouragement. To this end, iGEM plans to distribute personal countertop compost bins to students living in on-campus housing. Alongside these bins, students will receive informational pamphlets outlining what can be composted. In the future, NuScent kits designed to manage and eliminate any odors that might arise from composting will also be included in this starter kit. This will help ensure that students can compost with ease and without inconvenience. Through these efforts, we hope to inspire students to integrate these sustainable practices into their lives beyond Northeastern, fostering a broader culture of environmental responsibility that extends into their future communities.

Figure 5. An example of the only signage near the dorm compost bins. This shows an extreme lack of effort from the school to teach their students what is appropriate to compost.

In order to accomplish these goals, the iGEM Human Practices team is working with the Northeastern Materials and Recycling Team to introduce better educational materials, better communication methods, and better facilities to address the school’s sustainability efforts. In collaboration with Sue Higgins, we continually researching the best ways to reach students.