Lunchroom Composting
With combined leadership from Green Bellevue and the student and staff leaders at both Bellevue East’s Green Initiative and Bellevue West’s Sustain Bell West club, both high schools have successfully launched and maintained lunchroom composting programs since January 2024. The programs are funded by Green Bellevue through grants secured to advance this effort.
Together, the schools are diverting approximately 30 tons of food waste per school year from the landfill. This includes not only compostable food waste, but also recyclables and untouched food, which is placed in a “share bin” for any student to take and eat. Student leaders take great pride in the program, ensuring it's on-going success by training new leaders as others graduate. To date we've had three graduates join the Green Bellevue board to stay involved while attending college.
The most meaningful outcome is the hands-on education all students receive about composting and waste diversion - knowledge they will carry forward for life. Knowing that funding has been secured is a powerful motivator for students and staff to continue the program with confidence. Please consider donating to advancing Bellevue’s lunchroom composting efforts.
This is an overview of a Zero Waste station at Bellevue East High School.
The students bring their waste from lunch and discard it in the appropriate bins: recycling, composting, uneaten to share and landfill.
Students at West monitor the containers to be sure there is no contamination.