You might have noticed some new collection bins around campus. This is part of an exciting reboot of TST’s composting initiative. Their Farm to School program, in collaboration with our facilities department and their continued cooperation with Tompkins County and Cayuga Composting, has launched a pilot program dedicated to reducing waste on campus.
This new food waste redirection program aims to turn food waste into a nutrient-enriched soil that will be utilized on campus and in our greenhouse. One bucket at a time, our organization is slowly growing its composting capabilities, and reducing our landfill footprint.
Farm to School Program Coordinator Sean Mckean spearheaded this initiative in an effort to reduce waste while also spreading awareness to students and staff about the overall benefits of composting. “Landfills are not going away, and we understand that compost can't fix that. However,” Mckean added, “with a little intention and effort we can slow the speed in which the landfills grow, while also creating a valuable and in demand product.”
As an added layer of collaboration, a student in our CTE Digital Media class, Madison B., designed the branded wraps that label each compost bin throughout campus.
Finding a way to make composting more inviting and aesthetically pleasing was not an easy task, but Madison created an insightful design that was not only fun and earthy but is also very on brand.
We sat down with Madison, to connect for a short Q & A:
What drew you to, or how did you connect with our compost program?
It was mostly timing since I am the first to arrive at Digital Media. They asked if I was interested in the challenge, and I said yes.
Can you give us some insight about the design and your creative process?
The colors of the image didn’t match the buckets, so first we edited that, then worked on the sizing. Eventually the worms and flowers design stayed as we narrowed it down from 3 possible designs. I definitely tried to keep it in alignment with the TST BOCES themes already being used. Overall, the process didn't take too long to finish. Honestly the hardest part was successfully putting the stickers on the bins.
In general, what influences you as a designer?
Really, I like to come up with a theme that matches the product's purpose or function and/or the person I am working with. It should reflect the reason it is being created. For example, recently I crafted dinner menus for a Culinary Arts catering event. The meal was fancy, so the design of the menu had to feel fancy and add to the overall experience. The compost bucket needed something nice and welcoming, and I like the flowers because they added some beauty and gave it that inviting look.
Photo Caption: Digital Media student from Dryden CSD Maddison B. personally designed and installed wraps on each compost collection bin, as part of the organization’s collaborative compost pilot program.