Since the start of the new year, American University’s Facilities Management and Office of Sustainability have found a new way to promote the university’s Zero Waste goal while also supporting veterans. AU is contracted with Veteran’s Compost, a local business that employs veterans and their family members, for the removal of organic food waste from the Terrace Dining Room and the Davenport Coffee Lounge.

As their name suggests, Veteran’s Compost will collect food scraps from designated bins at both locations and turn them into high-quality compost at their licensed and permitted sites. The company’s services also will be available for the university’s Zero Waste events, upon request. Their composting process is fueled entirely by wind power, and the compost is 100 percent organic and approved for organic farming. Veteran’s Compost takes particular pride in its reliability and trustworthiness by reasoning, “If we can show up on time and on target on the battlefield, you can trust us with your food scraps.”

Veteran’s Compost’s dual mission is to “fuel (their) growth with people and material that others pass over,” and to that end, their hiring and employment practices help to address the fact that Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans have an unemployment rate that exceeds the national average. In addition to its work at AU, the veteran-employed firm has provided composting services for notable events such as the Marine Corps Marathon and the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, as well as countless weddings and festivals.

“This partnership not only helps AU move forward in our goal of zero waste sent to landfill,” remarked Director of Sustainability Programs Megan Litke, “but embodies the AU values of service and community partnerships.”

For more information about AU’s composting and sustainability practices, contact sustainability@american.edu. For information about Veteran’s Compost, visit their website.