Green Initiatives

Composting and Recycling in the School Cafeterias

In 2018 the North Andover Public School district was awarded a highly competitive grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) to reduce waste. This funding enabled our students at North Andover Middle School (NAMS), Thomson, Atkinson, and Kittredge to begin a lunchroom sorting process in 2019-2020 to decrease their waste that will act as a guide for their future and the future of the Planet. Over 30,000 pounds was diverted that year alone!

Though the program was put on hold at these schools due to the pandemic, we were able to successfully begin the program again at all of our public schools in 2022. And we have been very successful in these past three years. Some stats from the 2023-2024 school year…a successful year reducing waste in North Andover Public Schools and promoting environmental awareness in our youth:

• Over 3,000 pounds of food waste and trays diverted per week.
• Student Green Teams at every school led by Green Team Teacher.
• Using over 50 trash bags LESS per week in the district.
• Compost returned to schools to plant flowers and enhance school gardens.
• Lighter work for custodial staff, potentially leading to less injuries.
• Close to 80% of NAPS cafeteria food ware BPI Certified compostable–no more Styrofoam or other potentially harmful plastics served. Special thanks to Erika Murphy for these efforts.
• Over 110,000 pounds of food waste and trays diverted at NAPS this school year 2024-2025, hauler Bootstrap Compost.

When we recycle our food scraps and keep them out of landfill, they go through a 6-9 month breakdown process where the end result is nutrient-rich soil, that can be used again to plant crops.

This process includes:

• Pouring off liquids to reduce weight in the trash.
• Recycling container (if applicable).
• Disposing of uneaten food waste and other compostable items in a designated bin which will be taken offsite to a nearby farm where it will decompose and become nutrient-rich compost.
• Put any remaining unopened food in a supplied container at the station for those in need.
• Throw what remains into the trash.

These programs wouldn’t be possible without the help and support of our custodial and lunch room staff... thank you!

Along with the help from the staff, students are hands-on learning about how this project impacts our school, community and world. With a designated Green Team lead teacher at each school, students are developing green teams which will include students who have a special interest in these topics to develop their leadership skills. This process is
raising students’ environmental awareness, reducing the waste they produce, and teaching our kids the importance of doing their part to help our planet and our local environment.

Interested in helping!? We could use community support! If you are interested in being a part of this, volunteering an hour of your time at one of our schools or donating supplies (we always need disposable gloves for the students!) or have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Joanna O’Connell at joconnell@northandoverma.gov.

THANK YOU!