by Joe Richardson, Chair, Lunch out of Landfills
LOOL Partners with ChangeX to Drive Greenhouse Gas Reduction in Schools
We are excited to announce that Lunch out of Landfills (LOOL) is now part of the ChangeX Platform and is included in a $200,000 fund from Nickelodeon to promote school compost programs. LOOL is a powerful way for students to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by diverting wholesome, uneaten food to those in need, and composting food scraps instead of sending them to landfills.
We are encouraging schools from around the country to apply for ChangeX funding. Each school will be awarded $3200, and LOOL will be given a stipend to introduce and support each awardee. A local school in Union Bridge, Maryland is the first school to be awarded under the program.
Photo: compostology.org
The $200,000 will go fast, but with Microsoft, Amazon, and Nickelodeon as major contributors, the potential for more funds is substantial. Interested K-12 educators need only complete ChangeX’s simple application and onboarding process, and then they can receive money directly to fund their in-school composting program. The platform walks them through the formation of a project and team. Please feel free to forward this to any U.S. educators you know who are interested in starting a program but are hampered by a lack of funding.
Hawaii’s Green Call to Action: EPA Funding Boosts Food Recovery and Compost Programs
On April 26th there was a planning Zoom meeting led by Christina Laney Mitre from the Kaka Ako Rotary Club that focused on starting Lunch out of Landfill programs in Hawaii. $360,000 in funding from the EPA was awarded to create food recovery and compost programs and increase capacity for composting on the island of Oahu. With limited capacity for landfills, the Hawaiian Islands may be the most motivated state to integrate waste diversion, and our Rotarians in Hawaii are poised to initiate programs at four elementary schools, a middle school, and one or two high schools next year.
Rotaractors leading the way towards environmental sustainability
A group of young people from Compostology
On May 15, LOOL hosted a dinner honoring five amazing young women, Shrusti Amula from the Rise and Shine Foundation, Sanjana Ranasinghe, Pragna Yalamanchili, and Angelina Xu and Advika Agarwal. These high school graduates will continue to assist and express a desire to work with students from around the country to expand the programs. Advika, Angelina and Shrusti presented me with the President’s Environmental Youth Achievement Plaque they received at the EPA last summer. They felt that the plaque belonged at my corporate office for display. I was deeply touched.
Advika was one of the twelve Rotaractors chosen worldwide to represent Rotary at COP 28 in Dubai. Angelina and Advika are the founders of Compostology. Working through the Committee to Reimagine School Waste, these young women initiated programs in over 50 schools and successfully lobbied the Maryland State Legislature for $1.25 million in funds for compost programs. The Committee to Reimagine School Waste will be meeting with underclass students from Maryland, New York, New Hampshire, Maine Utah and Hawaii in June as we gear up for the next school year.
How can you get involved?
Compostology Call-To-Action
The initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in schools is gaining momentum worldwide. Efforts like the Committee to Reimagine School Waste have successfully implemented compost programs in numerous schools and secured substantial funding to expand these efforts. As we look ahead to the next school year, the Committee will engage with students from various states, aiming to catalyze even greater change. This is a crucial moment to join the movement. Take action now to support greenhouse gas reduction in schools by advocating for and participating in food recovery and compost programs. Together, we can make a significant impact on environmental sustainability for future generations.
Photo of LOOL celebration May 15, from left: LOOL coordinator Joe Richardson with LOOL leaders Sanjana Ranasinghe, Pragna Yalamanchili, Angelina Xu, Erica Weiss, Shrusti Amula, and Advika Agarwal.
The photo of students sorting food waste is from Compostology
