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Marshall Road Elementary School students have transformed nearly 30 tons of lunch waste into compost since January 2023, turning a once-messy experiment into an everyday routine.

Each week, designated student composters carry bins from table to table during lunch and collect leftover food. Third grader Cami Poliner said the job helps protect the planet, even if it sometimes leaves her covered in sauce.

Second grader Adeline Wahl sorts orange peels, pieces of burgers, macaroni and cheese, and other scraps while reminding classmates that plastic utensils do not belong in the compost bin.

The program diverts an estimated 300 gallons of food waste every week. It began after parent lunch volunteers noticed how much food students were throwing away and started looking for an alternative.

PTA President Monica Nuno developed the initiative with support from parents and the school. Garden educator Christene Hendon secured funding from the Amazon Web Services Northern Virginia Community Fund to cover the first year of composting services.

The transition initially required hands-on guidance. During the program’s first month, two parent volunteers attended every lunch period to teach students what could be composted. Nuno said the goal was to encourage children to pause before throwing something away and consider whether it could be composted or shared.

After the grant ended, the PTA continued the service at a cost of about $3 per student for the school year.

The waste-reduction effort also includes yellow sharing bins and a donated refrigerator. Students can leave unopened milk cartons, yogurt, cheese sticks, and other packaged food for classmates who finish lunch and remain hungry.

Hendon said students have embraced the system, routinely contributing uneaten items and taking extra food when needed. The practice also helps children recognize that classmates may need more to eat.

Small vermicomposting bins bring the process into classrooms. Students observe worms converting decaying food into compost, helping them connect food waste, decomposers, and healthy soil.

Fourth grader Nola Kattenburg said students do not want to leave environmental problems entirely to adults. Composting gives them a direct way to make a difference themselves.

Nuno has also heard from parents whose children encouraged their families to begin composting at home. She hopes students will carry those habits forward and advocate for similar programs at future schools.