As the University of Tennessee, Knoxville continues to make strides in creating a more sustainable campus, the UTK Office of Sustainability team plays a large role in ensuring we’re creating a better campus today for the students and researchers of tomorrow.
Recently, Sustainability Manager Jay Price led the effort to apply for an Organics Management grant through the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation’s (TDEC) Division of Solid Waste Management’s Materials Management program.
Thanks to Jay and his team, the UT Compost Facility was awarded a $100,000 grant for improvements that will help us continue to build upon our already robust compost operation. Additionally, the Student Environmental Initiatives Fund will be contributing $100,000 to match the TDEC grant.
This grant will pay for a large concrete pad with bays and a blower to aerate the compost. This will help improve upon the quality of our finished compost product while also speeding up the process. The grant will also pay for a smaller concrete pad and scale that will allow our staff to accurately weigh materials as they come and go. This will help improve data collection and reporting as we work to make this facility and its benefits to campus and the community increasingly successful.
On June 27, representatives from TDEC visited the compost facility to present the check, see the facility, and share more about other opportunities available through various grant programs. It was a productive visit that left the Sustainability team with many ideas for future development, and we can’t wait to see what they dream up next.
To learn more about the work of UT Sustainability, click here. To learn more about our compost operation, click here.
To learn more about TDEC, click here.