After years of development, the new composting facility started by the Marshall University Sustainability Department will begin full operation on Feb. 1, 2023.

The composting facility took four years to become operational after delays from the pandemic along with other setbacks.

The opening of the facility provides many opportunities for students and faculty alike a new, alternative way of disposing of waste on campus, Sustainability Manager Amy Parsons-White said.

“There are compost bins located at the Memorial Student Center, in front of Drinko Library, one by the science building, in between the freshman dorms and one in Commons,” Parsons-White said.

However, students and staff on campus are not the only people who will be contributing to the new composting efforts. The kitchens on campus will also compost both pre and post-consumer waste, Parsons-White said.

Additionally, other aspects of the Huntington community outside of Marshall University will benefit from the new facility.

“The compost will be used on campus, along with other places in the community like elementary schools and community gardens,” Parsons-White said.

“Being that Marshall has such a beautiful campus and knowing that we are growing the resources to keep it that way is exciting,” Eli Ferguson, a Marshall sophomore, said, “and it seems to have paved the way for continued sustainability efforts.” 

The composting efforts will also provide a new revenue stream to the university as well as open up new educational opportunities for students with an interest in the field.

Those interested can purchase compost from the Marshall facility at The Wild Ramp in Huntington in the weeks following the opening of the facility.