Compost: Economic Sustainability
- With the material provided by the University Compost Facility, this low-cost program saves money and prevents Iowa State from purchasing compost from outside sources. ISU's compost is mostly used for landscaping projects and agricultural research.
- The University Compost Facility charges a small fee for material that goes in and out of the site. This enables the facility to operate as a self-sustaining operation that can pay for its own maintenance and labor.
- In addition to a full-time manager, the University Compost Facility also employs several students to work at the site.
- The University Compost Facility continually assesses ways to improve its site to become more economically efficient. For example, the facility is currently upgrading the roofs of all its warehouses to better manage snow, which is the single biggest composting challenge at Iowa State, as it can be difficult to maintain microbes and warmth in the compost during winter.