The Davenport Lounge will never trash its used coffee grounds again, thanks to a new composting program.
The Dav started composting its used coffee grounds Thursday, according to Rebecca Regan, the Dav’s general manager. She said the coffee shop goes through about 250 pounds of coffee grounds and 100 pounds of espresso grounds a week.
In addition to reducing waste, composting can also result in environmental benefits such as richer and cleaner soil, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The used grounds are placed in two bins behind the Dav’s counter. Aramark employees collect the bins’ contents twice a day and deposit the grounds into a larger composting receptacle in the basement of the School of International Service building. Facilities Management also deposits biodegradable materials such as grass clippings and leaves there.
Facilities Management ultimately collects the contents of the bin and ships them to a composting company. AU also purchases fertilizer from this company.
Regan said the Dav management hopes to expand the program this spring to include a larger bin in the coffee shop’s main area that students can use for compostable waste.
Most of the disposable products at the Dav are compostable, meaning that students will be able to toss their used straws, coffee sleeves and cups in the pile, along with their apple cores and orange peels. Currently, however, the Dav is just composting its coffee and espresso grounds.
The Dav also switched from disposable stirrers to metal spoons, and from pastry bags to reusable plates, Regan said. They also now offer reusable mugs to customers so fewer disposable cups are used.
Alexandra Langton, a sophomore in SIS and a Dav employee, said she supports the new composting program.
“The amount of waste we have is really exponential and this is just a step to reduce that waste, reduce our carbon footprint and to be friendly towards the environment,” Langton said.
Cassie Guerin, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, an Eco-Sense member and a frequent Dav customer, said that the coffee shop’s new project would educate students on environmental issues.
“I think awareness is the number one thing with environmental problems,” Guerin said. “I think that once people know, they care.”
The Dav is not alone in its efforts, as Housing and Dining Programs and student-run groups are also promoting environmental action, according to Regan.
TDR already composts its waste, she said.
Regan added that the Dav’s composting project is a pilot program and a way for Housing and Dining to branch out and get the whole school involved in increasing AU’s sustainability.
Composting opportunities might also extend to the residence halls, according to Guerin.
“Right now in Eco-Sense we’re trying to get composting bins in each of the dorm buildings on each floor, so at the end of the week they can take the composting and add it to that,” Guerin said.
The Dav is located in the new SIS building, which AU’s website says is expected to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.
“When we were in the old building, the Davenport was the greenest thing about SIS, and now we’re trying to keep up,” Regan said. “SIS has inspired us to do everything we can, and to keep expanding our green initiatives.”
llandau@theeagleonline.com
