A group of students in Brookfield is trying to make their school and eventually the district greener. We found out about their effort after they contacted our Waukesha County reporter Rebecca Klopf through an email asking her to cover how they were improving the environment.
So we went to Brookfield Central High School to see how these students were making a difference.
These students at Brookfield Central are on a mission to change the trash. They are not just recycling. Now, they are trying to compost all the food lunch waste at school.
“I think something that a lot of people don't realize how easy it is to compost,” said Linnea Weber, senior at Brookfield Central.
This effort started small. The students first watched Tonawanda Elementary School do it. Then, they brought it to Brookfield Central.
“I thought there was going to be a lot less since the elementary schools don't eat as much food. I thought they would be throwing away a lot more. But since we have a large student body it is just so much waste that gets diverted now,” said Christina Minnigh, senior at Brookfield Central.
But this seemly small effort is having huge results.
"In about three weeks it has been about almost 400 pounds,” said Weber, noting that is with Spring Break being one of those weeks.
Each year, the average student produces 67 pounds of waste according, according to the environmental group EarthShare. That adds up to more than 18,000 pounds of waste per year for the average-sized elementary school. Overall, it is estimated that 530,000 tons of food is thrown out. Food that the students say could be composted and turned back into soil.
Brookfield Central is composting so much that these small bins don’t even come close to covering the lunch dump. The high school now pays a local company to haul away the compost. The students hope the entire district and other schools in Southeast Wisconsin follow their lead. They figured the best way to get that message out was to contact TMJ4 News.
“You wanted to tell us?” asked reporter Rebecca Klopf.
“Yeah,” said Weber. “Because we want other people and school to see that this is so simple.”
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
