At Texas A&M Central Texas students learn how to recycle materials that can be used in compost.
This is later transferred to their on-campus garden. It's one way to save the environment and in many cases save money.
Ted Reynolds, facilities Director at Texas A&M Central Texas said it was an idea suggested by the Environment Health Advisory Council.
“We decided to get a composter and put some compost trashcans in the lobby to gather the materials, once materials get composed, we take it to the second balcony that has flower beds and vegetable gardens, we're going to use that to mix in the soil to get some more vegetables for the students," said Reynolds.
“A lot of students are learning; you can’t just expect to deplete the earth’s resources and expect to be successful," said Shawn Kelley, manager of facilities at the university.
It's a lot more than just a creative project, a maintained four-by-eight-foot garden can produce $600 dollars in food savings over a single summer one study found.
It also can't hurt to grow a garden in the midst of what economists say is 'record level inflation.'
Simply put, however, compost minimizes the loss of soil by 86 percent.
Kelley said, “We end up with basically organic dirt and we take that soil that’s created from this, and we’ll add it to the flower beds we have on the second-floor terrace.”
The university encourages students not just to grow their own plants but to grow them organically without the extra cost of having to buy compost, pesticides, and other materials.
Reynolds said, “We like to encourage students, if you have a small area, you can grow your own vegetables and kind of support yourself that way you don’t have to buy it all.”
