Something is missing at the university, something that thousands of students across the country already have access to. While some students have taken to personal gardening, SVSU lacks a dedicated space for students to garden on campus. I challenge the university to produce space for this, along with an area to compost food scraps.
Gardening offers countless benefits to students, acting as a stress reliever, a way to pass the time, and promoting sustainability. Composting, in turn, would make gardening more efficient while also cutting down on how much food is thrown away. Together, these initiatives would be a step toward a healthier and greener campus.
Other schools have already implemented similar programs. For example, Kalamazoo College has both student-run and industrial composting initiatives. Their on-campus composting allows students to drop off their food scraps in designated bins, which are later taken to the Grove area to be composted.
Additionally, they have an education component that teaches students about the environmental impact of food waste. Interested students can also sign up for a class on composting during the school year.
For instance, climate change can be impacted by composting. When food scraps go to landfills they release methane which is a greenhouse gas. By composting food instead, these emissions become reduced and create a soil rich in nutrients. The U.S. Composting Council highlights that composting also improves soil health, conserves water, and helps absorb greenhouse gases. Link
Kalamazoo College has another part of their compost program which partners with My Green Michigan, an industrial composter company. This company picks up food waste on campus and composts the food at its site in Lansing. SVSU could easily follow this model laid out by Kalamazoo College and other colleges in the area.
After hearing about these programs, implementing a composting program at SVSU would not only promote sustainability but also help the students living on campus or bring in more students.
SVSU already promotes sustainability on its website, including tips for composting at home. However, on-campus students lack access to a space where they can properly dispose of compostable waste. Without a designated composting system or garden, students are left without realistic options. If SVSU truly cares about sustainability, the school must provide students with the resources to act on these values.
A community garden would offer additional benefits beyond sustainability. Gardening has been proven to support mental and physical well-being. It provides an opportunity to step away from the stress of schoolwork, engage in hands-on activity, and enjoy the rewards of growing something from a seed to a plant. Students could plant a variety of items from flowers, fruits, or vegetables as well.
There are plenty of spaces where a garden and composting site could be made on campus. The Pine Grove area or the Woodland section across from Wickes Hall could be possible ideas for where to place these services. Additionally, the campus already has a greenhouse, which could be partially opened to students for year-round gardening and composting. These spaces are already available on campus, SVSU just needs to take the next step and build a site to facilitate these activities.
Compost bins can also be set up in high-traffic areas such as the marketplace, cafe, Einsteins, and around the living areas.
Beyond the environmental and personal benefits, a composting and gardening program would bring good press to the university. Sustainability initiatives attract prospective students, demonstrating that SVSU is committed to being sustainable in the future. Other universities already have successful gardening and composting programs, leaving SVSU behind if they do not adapt.
Gardening and composting are two simple and powerful ways for SVSU to invest in students and the environment. With the right tools and support from the university, this initiative could transform the campus into a more sustainable, vibrant, and healthy place for students to live.
