WHS’ Green Team, a student-run environmental preservation club, has placed compost stations in the Commons, in addition to continuing composting in the kitchen. There are two composting stations located in between lunch tables, and they are emptied into compost bins outside every day after school.

“The food scraps from the buckets in the kitchen/commons are taken outside, then someone will pour the food scraps into the painted composting bin outside near the garden,” said senior Lily Toto, President of Green Team. “After pouring it in, leaves from the other bin are put in the composting bin to cover the food scraps. This keeps away bugs and rodents.”

Members of Green Team and students in science teacher Jennifer McGuinn’s environmental science class volunteer to participate each day.

“It’s amazing, I’ve wanted a composting system in our school for so long,” senior and environmental science student Callie Junkin said. “It’s something everyone can do so easily, and we can help our environment at the same time. What else can you ask for?”

So far, the kitchen compost stations have generated one to two five-gallon bins of food scraps every day. However, the composting in the commons isn’t as successful.

“Often people don’t want to walk over to the composting stations, or take the effort of separating their trash,” Toto said. “It’s so important to compost at WHS because of how much waste we generate as a school.”

Custodians have also been a large part of this process. Every morning, they set up the composting stations in the Commons by placing buckets on the tables.

Students are encouraged to separate trash and various compostable foods into the correct buckets, which are labeled. Toto hopes for more students to participate and engage in this environmental movement.

“It feels weird at this point to throw stuff out, and it’s good to know that your wasted food will revert back to the ground,” sophomore Ella LaClaire said. “It’s definitely a good thing.”

“I’m so thankful to them because they’re the ones who are making composting possible here,” Toto said. “I’m really proud of everyone who has been helping with this.”