Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., says it is preparing to open the state's first commercial composting facility.
The university announced in a news release that the composting facility was designed and will be operated by the university’s Sustainability Department, led by Amy Parsons-White.
It will be the second-largest university compost facility in the eastern United States and will have the capacity to compost eight tons of organic waste per day. Organic waste consists of food waste, lawn waste, white office paper and cardboard.
The facility will help Marshall reduce its carbon footprint and cut costs by lowering the amount of waste hauled to landfills.
“As someone who has composted organic material on a daily basis for over 20 years, I can tell you that I am very excited about our new composting effort and proud of our new facility,” says Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert. "This will be a game changer for Marshall and the Huntington community.”
Students in Marshall’s specialty agriculture degree program within the College of Science will use the compost facility as an educational laboratory, which will also serve as a community outreach hub that offers community composting and agriculture workshops.
Finished compost, branded as Herd Dirt, will be available for sale to the public as early as April 2021.
