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http://ncsustainabilitycenter.org/education/sustainability-coordinator-improves-schoo1-districts-financiaI-and-environmentaI-ledgers From the North Carolina Sustainability Connection: Credit: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Dan Schnitzer's job is to prove that sustainability pays off for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City schools. So far, the numbers are adding up. A district-wide composting and waste education effort, funded by savings from more efficient dumpster use, has led to these impressive results since the school year's start ten weeks ago: * 19 bags of lunch trash generated daily by 15 schools, down from 155 last year * 32,940 pounds of waste diverted from the landfill ® 12.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions prevented 2.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions absorbed through creation of compost 87 percent reduction in cafeteria landfill waste When Schnitzer began his role as the school district's first full-time sustainability coordinator last November, a transition from styrofoarn to compostable cafeteria trays was already underway with assistance from an organization called Eve Jr _y.Cp1 it . This year, all elementary and I �M _�L middle schools became involved, with 8,000 students separating compostable, recyclable, and landfill waste every day in cafeterias across the district. The transition was an incredibly collaborative process between parents, teachers, students, custodians, food service staff and composting companies, says Schnitzer. Volunteers contributed more than 500 hours during the first two weeks of the school year to get the project off the ground.