Composting for All: Northeastern’s New Outdoor Bins 

By Michael Earls with the Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub 

When Pranali Ashara, president of Composting at Northeastern University (CANU), first stepped onto campus as an eager first-year, she dreamed of helping expand the school’s budding composting program. Now, four years later, her vision has become a thriving reality as the state of composting at Northeastern has exceeded her wildest fantasies.  

 

“It’s been amazing,” Ashara reflected. “All the ideas we were thinking about my first year have now come to fruition—everything lined up perfectly. It’s a little surreal.” 

 

Years of work culminated in late September with the unveiling of six outdoor composting bins located across Northeastern’s Boston campus. While composting has existed in Northeastern dining halls for years, these new bins respond not only to student demand for more accessible options but also address faculty and staff requests for convenient office composting options. As more Sustainability Committees form across campus, these bins will provide an opportunity for faculty and staff to compost at work, further integrating sustainable practices into office spaces. Strategically placed in high-traffic areas, the bins can be found at Speare Place between Stetson and Speare Halls, the Law School Plaza, Centennial Common, Robinson Quad, behind Churchill Hall, and outside International Village. 

 

The outdoor bins were made possible through cross-campus collaboration between CANU, led by Ashara, and Sue Higgins, Director of Materials and Recycling, in Northeastern’s Planning, Real Estate, and Facilities (PREF) division. CANU conducted student surveys to gauge interest and build the case for expanding composting. The results revealed a student body itching to compost. Using the survey data and considering factors such as campus traffic flow and accessibility, Higgins and her team determined the ideal bin locations.  

 

“We had a lot of outreach from students who wanted more,” said Higgins. “In particular, they were interested in publicly accessible locations. “We’ve had composting in both dining halls and some residence halls for years,” said Higgins. “But students wanted it to be available across campus for everyone to use, not just those living in residence halls.” 

 

For Higgins, overseeing the project has been a labor of love. She’s been involved in every step, from the initial planning to ensuring the bins are maintained and used correctly. Her focus has always been on making the program both efficient and accessible to meet the growing demand from the campus community. 

 

With the bins installed, the work for Ashara and Higgins shifts to getting the word out and educating the student body on proper use. In collaboration with Northeastern’s Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub, CANU has been organizing tabling events and creating clear signage to help students understand the guidelines for composting. 

The signs around campus list acceptable items such as fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, and bread while reminding students that materials like plastic containers, coffee cups, and metal cans should be kept out of the bins. Higgins stressed that education is critical to preventing contamination and ensuring proper bin use. So far, early feedback shows promising results, with high levels of student engagement. 

As the composting bins become a staple of Husky life on campus, Ashara and Higgins remain laser-focused on the future. CANU plans to continue its educational outreach, partnering with residence halls and campus groups to incorporate composting into Northeastern’s culture.  

The growing success of the composting program is a major milestone for both Ashar and Higgins, but for Higgins, the true reward has been fulfilling students’ sustainable desires.  

“The real excitement for me is being able to follow through and meet the needs of what our campus population has been advocating for,” Higgins said. “We’re just so happy to meet the expectations of our faculty, staff, and students.” 

Written By Michael Earls
October 29th, 2024