Harding School Teaching Education of a Different Sort

Westside campus embarks on an ambitious — and comprehensive — zero-waste program in which everything must go.

 

By Sonia Fernandez, Noozhawk Staff Writer | Posted on 04.25.2008

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Harding School took a big step toward sustainability Friday, unveiling its zero-waste cafeteria, the first school in Santa Barbara County — and one of the first in the nation — to do so.

“We’re not teaching students something they may or may not retain,” principal Sally Kingston said at the morning’s ceremonies, attended by school and city officials at the Westside campus, 1625 Robbins St.

The students, she said, will have years of hands-on experience sorting, recycling and composting their waste — a habit they’ll carry with them as they get older.

The zero-waste program is an effort at diverting as much trash as possible from the local landfill by either recycling or composting as much waste from the cafeteria as possible. Kids learn to put all food scraps in the yellow composting bins and recyclables in the blue bins.

In this program, the smallest details matter. Milk and juice cartons out of the cafeteria come unglazed for easier composting. Even the cafeteria’s plates, bowls and utensils — once a huge part of the school’s trash — are put in the composting bin. They’re made of corn.

“This is ... good,” said Santa Barbara schools Superintendent Brian Sarvis, chewing on a bite of the technically edible plate. The homemade pizza and salad greens the plate held tasted much better, he said.

The zero-waste cafeteria is an approach to sustainability that treats food waste as energy, not as trash.

“We’re educating people that food is not waste,” said Eric Lohela, recycling coordinator for the city of Santa Barbara, which, along with waste hauler Allied Waste (formerly known as Browning-Ferris Industries) partnered with Harding School to roll out this program.

As a result, about three 65-gallon bins are filled with compostable material each school day, from the cafeteria as well as classrooms. The lot is hauled off on a regular basis to the Engel & Gray Inc. compost facility in Santa Maria, where the waste is broken down into soil amendment.

Harding’s zero-waste cafeteria runs in conjunction with the school’s in-house nutrition program, which began in August after the school decided to opt out of the district nutrition program. Around $40,000 in donations and grants established an independent cafeteria, according to Kingston, who hopes to sustain funding through more grants as well as reimbursement for meals.

It was a choice that gave Kingston extra work with regards to the school’s food offerings, but the personal responsibility also allows the school to make its own choices about the food that winds up in the students’ bellies, and in the waste bins.

“They’re eating better every day,” she said, adding that the school’s in-house program emphasizes whole foods that are locally available.

The zero-waste endeavor has only been running for a month but already the kids are pros.

“I put my yogurt cups in the recycle bin,” said Diego, 6. His friend and classmate, Asher, meanwhile, explains the process by which plastics and other materials get recycled.

“They melt them down into little pellets,” he said.

While their seatmate, Aidan, has had some training in recycling at home, their other friend, Juan Pablo (J.P. for short), just began learning the basics of waste diversion at Harding.

Harding School won’t be the only school with a sustainability program for long. Peabody is not far behind, with an emerging environmental program of its own.

“This is fabulous,” said Santa Barbara City Councilwoman Helene Schneider.

Santa Barbara has a waste diversion goal of 70 percent, and in 12 more years, an ambitious 85 percent. With time and luck, said Schneider, the kids will learn to recycle and compost like it’s second nature.

“They might even teach their parents,” she said.

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» a guest on 04.25.08 @ 10:23 PM

Great work, Harding School!!! You should send delegates to educate SB City College students or at least those who believe that "recycling is not worth it". See the Channels Online column: http://tinyurl.com/4mspxy


» a guest on 04.26.08 @ 11:41 AM

Wow this is fantastic! Why aren’t all the schools doing this! Let’s get the school board on board - what can we lose?


» a guest on 04.26.08 @ 05:01 PM

I’m impressed! I keep hearing positive things about this school and its programs. I’m proud it’s in my neighborhood.


» a guest on 04.27.08 @ 02:14 PM

A great education for saving the earth, there should be 100% of school participating…..especially the upper schools. AMS


» a guest on 04.28.08 @ 01:35 AM

This is a great idea, very impessive. How cute is Thomas Macintosh too!! What a star! S x


» a guest on 04.29.08 @ 01:43 AM

Go Aidan, help us save the planet. Karen B.


» a guest on 04.30.08 @ 01:39 AM

Congratulations Harding School for being the first school in the community to make this step. Makes me proud to have once been a Harding Hawk!


» a guest on 05.04.08 @ 01:39 PM

We are proud to be a part of our neighborhood school. What a privelege to walk down the street and participate in this amazing place for learning and growing.


» Hannah Eckebrg on 01.06.09 @ 07:01 PM

Way to go Harding School! How Exciting! Santa Barbara should be proud to be leading the way like this! We can all learn from this.


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