Compost Kiosks
Reduce waste and turn your scraps into something new and useful for the environment.
Composting turns food and other items we don't consume into nutrient rich soil that helps grow food.
How it Works
Our compost kiosks are available to all ISU students, faculty, and staff. Find them outside entry ways at Watterson Towers and Linkins, and on Redbird Plaza between Milner Library and Bone Student Center. We limit access to them with a four digit code to reduce contamination.Follow the simple steps below to start composting!
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1. Become Familiar with Campus Composting
Review the content on this page to learn how and what to compost on campus.
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2. Take a Quiz
This short quiz makes sure you know what is compostable and what is not. It's not a hard quiz, and is only 5 questions long. We just want to make sure we are all composting correctly and prevent contamination in the kiosks.
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3. Get the code
After you pass the quiz, you'll get a four digit access code to use at the compost kiosks around campus.
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4. Start Composting
Drop your food scraps and BPI compostable products into any of the compost kiosks around campus. Stations are located outside Watterson Towers and Linkins, and on Redbird Plaza. Make sure to close the lid when you are done.
Compostable Items
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All food scraps
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BPI compostable products
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Paper napkins and soiled pizza boxes
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Coffee grounds, tea bags, and wooden stir sticks or chopsticks
Download our compost signage to communicate what you can and cannot compost.
What's the Difference
Industrial vs. Home Compost
Composting on campus is a little different than composting in your backyard.
Our compost is taken to a commercial compost facility in Peoria, Illinois. This process breaks down food and compostable products within approximately 90 days. Unlike your backyard compost, they can compost ALL food scraps including meat, fish, and dairy along with BPI certified compostable products. You can find Better Earth Compost at local gardens shops. We have even used it on the grounds of our campus!
Our University Farm also composts waste used by the farm, but it is a more traditional compost like you would have in a backyard. They cannot accept all food scraps or BPI certified compostable products since it won't break down like at a commercial facility. The ISU farm sells their compost for personal use.