On Oct. 7, Grade 4 teachers Mrs. Schatz and Mr. Steed and their students, along with parent volunteers, met compost technician Nalaka Ileperuma at the Olds College Composting Technology site.
The Grade 4s learned about the proper use of the town black, blue and green bins waste removal system which is offered to residents in the town of Olds.
Ileperuma focused on the green composting bin and gathered a sense of how much Grade 4s already knew.
The students also learned about the equipment and process involved, such as the windrow turner, temperature, steam, bacteria, completion time, process benefits, uses of the compost and the affordable price of the finished compost product for gardeners.
Ileperuma asked the Grade 4s to raise their hands if they knew which items to place in the black bin. Very few students raised their arms.
He told them the black rollout bins are for household items that can't be composted. Do not place dirt, sod, rock, concrete, large appliances or furniture, flammable materials like oil and gasoline or paint, hot ashes, construction or demolition debris in the black bins.
The blue bin and green bin recycling rules confused the students the most. Ileperuma taught them the blue bins are for recyclable items like cardboard, tin cans and tinfoil. Do not place glass, plastic bags, plastic wrap or shredder paper in the blue bins. Glass, plastic, plastic wrap and paper can be taken to the Olds recycling centres provided in town.
Three students raised their arms to answer this question: what is placed in the green bin? Ileperuma stated the green bins are for solid food waste, grass clippings, plant waste, small branches and bio bags only.
Please do not place plastic, glass, ceramics, metal, foil, Styrofoam or paper products in there (recycle them instead). Also do not place feminine hygiene products, diapers, sod, large tree trunks, cat litter, feces (pet waste), large branches, roots, synthetics like vinyl, nylon and polyester in the green bin.
Ileperuma mentioned the towns of Olds, Didsbury, Sundre and Carstairs use the site for their green bins.
Next, the students were walked outside the compost shop to the large machine called a windrow turner that turns the rows of compost. Some students stated it looked more like a Zamboni from the hockey arena.
The windrow turner is driven overtop of the long rowed piles of compost, turning over the windrow pile. In order for the compost to decompose, the pile initially needs to heat up to 55 C. Students saw steam come from one of the windrow piles.
Bacteria is also important and responsible for the high temperature of the compost. The bacteria kills pathogens and weed seeds.
The students were permitted to handle the finished dark black compost and experience the soft texture in their hands. They wanted to climb the pile and play in it but that request was declined.
Instead, the students were turned to observe a pile of compost mix and were asked if they noticed items that will not compost. The problem pile of compost contained plastic bags, logs, cement, carpet, ceramics and Styrofoam.
Please empty leaves and grass clippings into the green bins without the garbage bags. Recycle plastic bags at the town recycling centres. Recycling plastic bags properly saves Olds College money and time from sorting.
The compost process from beginning to end is completed in approximately six months. The finished compost is sold for $40 per cubic metre or a $1 (a loonie) per five-gallon pail. Ileperuma sells lots of compost just before the long weekend in May.
For more green literacy information, please contact Olds College Composting Technology Site.
The field trip ended after a snack at the Olds College Wetlands site near the compost site and a walk back to the school.
- Submitted by Kimberly J. Mildenstein, a rural Olds resident.
Pull Quote
Ileperuma asked the Grade 4s to raise their hands if they knew which items to place in the black bin. Very few students raised their arms.
