We are delighted to announce a big drive to improve separation and correct recycling of waste in SCS. This initiative has resulted from a collaborative project involving our TY Sustainability, Sustainable Joinery, Home Economics, Green Schools Committee, Agricultural Science, and LCA Horticulture students.
A survey conducted by last year’s TY Sustainability students revealed unsatisfactory levels of waste separation within the school. The students designed new bin units which would include three compartments for general waste (black), recycling (green) and food waste (brown/orange). Students built these units with the help of their Woodwork teachers, Mr. O’Driscoll and Mr. O’Shea. These have recently been completed with the finishing touches provided by our Engineering dept. and are now operational in our canteen area. We also have two new ‘Re-turn’ wheelie bins which will raise funds for charities and our school.
Last year, the school purchased a MyGug anaerobic digestor. On Friday, students and staff welcomed MyGug creator and CTO, Mr. Kieran Coffey to the school. Kieran explained the environmental benefits of anaerobic digestion and the nuts and bolts of how to operate MyGug. When organic matter is not separated, it ends up in landfills where it generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Biogas helps mitigate methane emissions that would otherwise escape from landfills.
When MyGug is ‘fed’ food waste, we can use the methane biogas released from the decomposing organic matter to cook in class also using less conventional natural gas which is obtained by drilling into the earth. A second product of the MyGug process is a rich organic liquid fertilizer which will be used by LCA Horticulture students in the school’s polytunnels. Ms. Ní Chárthaigh has been maintaining MyGug up until now. Daily feeding and maintenance tasks will now be carried out by students who have volunteered for the role!
Our Green Schools Committee also have plans to operate a school compost bin which would work in conjunction with MyGug as certain foods such as orange skins, banana peels, coffee grounds, tea bags etc are better suited to a composter. With MyGug, the basic premise is ‘If I can eat or drink it, MyGug can eat or drink it!’.
Many thanks to BAM for working with us to support the ‘Using food to produce food’ initiative.
