Spotlight on Schools: Composting program takes root at St. Joseph in Avon Lake, teaches care for the earth

About a year ago, the Social Justice Committee at St. Joseph Parish in Avon Lake suggested  beginning campus-wide composting in line with the late Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home,” in which he reminded the faithful everyone bears a shared responsibility to care for the earth, which is a gift from God. The idea dovetailed with a student garden program that is overseen by a parent volunteer.

Maureen Goodwin, St. Joseph School principal, said introducing the composting proposal made sense at the parish, which is known for its fish fries, festival and other celebrations that feature food. Extending it to the school community was logical but took some planning.

“We had an assembly in December (2025) and explained to the students what could and couldn’t be composted,” she said. The program launched in January. The parish collaborates with Rust Belt Riders, a worker-owned cooperative dedicated to climate resilience, food autonomy and workplace democracy. Their slogan is “Feed People, Not Landfills.”

Goodwin said staff and students embraced the program. Among the first steps were eliminating straws and plastic cutlery, switching instead to metal silverware that can be washed and reused. Rust Belt Riders provides buckets for compost that are attached to trash cans in the lunchroom and students were instructed about what could be placed in each container.

“The students think ahead about what can and can’t be composted,” Goodwin said. “Some students have shared the idea with their families and started composting at home.”

When lunchtime ends, students walk over to the trash can and separate their food scraps and compostable items from the regular trash. Food waste, such as fruits and vegetables (with stickers removed), cereal, rice, pasta, pizza and processed snack foods go into the compost bucket. Styrofoam, plastic, metal and coated paper plates go into the regular trash. After lunch, cafeteria workers take the compostables to a special container behind the school. Rust Belt Riders then picks up the compost weekly.

“I feel like I’m giving back to the environment, even if it’s just an orange peel scrap or a banana peel,” said Hannah, a fifth grader. “I feel like it’s going to have a bigger impact than a tiny fruit scrap.”

Her classmate Kiley said composting “makes me feel really good because I’m doing one thing and it’s affecting a lot of other things.” She noted the compost is used to help make soil, some of which is used in the school garden.

“I think it’s cool when you can put the compost in the bucket and then come back a year later and it’s dirt … It gives me a perspective of how the soil outside is kind of the food you’re eating,” said Ben, another fifth grader.

In the school garden, parent volunteer Megan Blank works with the students to teach them about plants and the growth cycle. Classes take turns working in the garden to clean up the garden area, weed the beds and plant vegetables and herbs.

Blank invited students to smell the various herbs and explained how they can be used.

“Oregano is from the mint family,” she said, noting it can be used to add flavor to things like spaghetti and pizza sauce. “Herbs can also help keep insects away from the plants.”

She also explained how some plants are pollinators, attracting birds and bees. Blank told students that the items they compost help make rich soil in which the plant and herbs grow.

“The composting is helping the earth and helping the plants to grow,” said Kiley.

“I think this program calls us to do what God wants us to do, to renew what he gave us. Protecting his gifts are important. He wants us to be kind to his world and not to trash it, but to keep it clean and organized,” Ben added.

Goodwin also credited Father Ron Wearsch, St. Joseph pastor, with his leadership for the composting program.

“He is always very mindful about stewardship,” she said, noting he eliminated Styrofoam from the parish fish fries and switched to compostable or reusable plates and cutlery. “I know sometimes it’s a bigger expense, but in the long run, it’s going to make a bigger difference.”

Rust Belt Rider photos provided by Steven Springer.