Composting on Campus: Medford
Two drop-off bins opened on campus in the fall of 2009 while two more bins opened in the Spring of 2012. Both off-campus and residential students as well as administrative departments on campus can now start composting. These bins are not open to the public at large.No animal products or bioplastics, please! These bins are emptied into our yard waste dumpster, which has more restrictions than commercial composting facilities. Thank you to the members of our wonderful Grounds crew who service the bins.
The uphill bin is located at the rear of Miller Hall, next to the Tufts Institute of the Environment (TIE) office. This locked bin can be accessed during normal business hours by using the key, which can be found hanging on a hook in the TIE entrance way. After use, please return the key and lock the bin.
The downhill bin is located at the rear Tisch Library loading dock. This bin can be accessed at any time of day, as the key is kept in a box on the wall. Again, please return the key and lock the bin after you have dropped off your compost.
There are now two additional compost areas on campus:
- the ComposTumbler behind the Crafts House, across from Sophia Gordon East, and
- two Compost Cones behind Braker Hall, next to the Central Heating Building.
Going further, we hope to implement more compost bins around campus!
For more information about the composting process at Tufts, click here to watch a short video created by student JD Cutrufo.
Composting in Dormitories:
On Sunday, December 4, the TCU Senate approved $2,600 to go toward the purchase of composting bins for individual dormitories! This is a project spearheaded by the Tufts Eco-Reps. Compost bins are typically located in the kitchen of each dormitory. If you are unsure where the compost bin in your dorm is located, please contact your Eco-Rep!
If you live in an on-campus unstaffed residence hall (Hillsides, Sophia Gordon, Latin Way, small houses or special-interest houses), you are encouraged to keep a small compost bin or bucket in a common, clean space (generally the kitchen). Students may use any of the four compost areas to dump their compost once their bin fills. Empty your compost bin regularly (every 1-2 weeks) and make sure to clean it out thoroughly after you empty it.
