Integration of food waste composting and vegetable gardens in a university campus

Local composting (household, community and small scale applications) is considered a sustainable option for bio-waste recovery receiving increasing demand from society. Higher education institutions are no exception, but detailed comprehensive long-term studies on programs university campuses lacking. The local program of the University A Coruña (UDC) offers decentralized service treatment food waste 11 canteens using static dynamic composters located in 9 different areas. Considering three pillars sustainability, this work describes characteristics technologies used their investment operational costs, routine monitoring process product quality, integration systems as living labs biotechnology environmental engineering courses, use compost vegetable gardens. agents involved project canteen staff, gardening company, external operators, researchers teachers, sustainability scholarship students volunteer people. Organic usually delivered directly by staff to composters. provides green UDC campus (crushed pruning) that bulking material. maintenance areas currently charge provided NGO dedicated cooperation job reintegration unemployed. also allows incorporation volunteers operators supervisors. main result was prevention large amount did not require collection transportation, or disposal incineration. This being done an economically way, costs have been lower than average municipal solid region. largely offset higher labour overall those composter. dissemination practice society another important outcome project.