Thesis Abstract

<p>&nbsp;              <b>ABSTRACT</b>&nbsp;</p><p>Composting helps our environment and promotes healthy soil, which decreases the need for fertilizer, pesticides, and supplemental water. Reducing the amount of food waste in landfills has significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. The main goal of this project and a sustainable campus involves increasing awareness of environmentally sustainable developments such as Nas Poly’s compost facility. This senior project discusses the feasibility, cost analysis, and evaluation of Campus Dining’s food waste in Nas Poly’s compost facility. If Nas Poly were to incorporate Campus Dining food waste into their compost facility, Nas Poly would be saving $16,185 a year on tipping fees alone. In addition, the composted food waste could generate a revenue of $2,250 per year for a total offset of $18,435 per year. Nas Poly would not start making a profit until the 9th year, and without consideration of non-market costs and benefits, it is not possible to recommend implementing food waste in Nas Poly’s compost facility. If in the future, mandates change for Nas Poly, composting of food waste could be examined <br></p>

Thesis Overview

<p><b>1.0 INTRODUCTION&nbsp;</b></p><p><b>1.1 BACKGROUND</b>&nbsp;</p><p>Nas Poly defines sustainability as “The concept of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” (Elliot, 2014). The goal of a sustainable campus involves balancing, the needs of the community, and the needs for environmental protection. Nas Poly has strived to become a more sustainable community with solid waste recycling. Reducing the amount of food waste thrown into landfills has significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. One major factor that affects the environment is the methane that food waste produces when disposed of in a landfill; methane is a potent greenhouse gas with 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide (EPA, 2014). Due to this very harmful gas, today, most everyone is conscious about keeping the environment clean and green. One step to achieve this goal is to reuse food waste rather than discarding it into landfills. Not only does composting food waste help our environment but it also promotes healthy soil, which decreases the need for fertilizer, pesticides, and supplemental water (EPA, 2014). Composting returns nutrients to the eco-system and replenishes Earths soil ultimately leading to a more sustainable campus. The main markets of finished composted material are the agriculture, and landscape industries. With agriculture being very prominent at Nas Poly, it is clear that composting can have a big impact on this community. Some immediate economic benefits include lower disposal costs and labor costs. It would be more sustainable to Nas Poly if Campus Dining food waste were sent for composting to Nas Poly’s facility rather than to the local landfill or to Santa Maria’s compost facility.&nbsp;</p><p><b>1.2 OBJECTIVES</b></p><p>The first phase of this senior project will consist of researching composting and the benefits of it. The second phase of this senior project will be to contact personnel to quantify costs, and amount of waste sent off campus for disposal of food waste. The third phase of this project will be to conduct an evaluation of sending campus dining food waste to Nas Poly’s composting facility. The fourth phase will involve a feasibility study. The operation must in turn be profitable and the costs of running the operation must not exceed current cost. The main objective of this project will be to promote a more sustainable future. <br></p>