Plan for Action

There are 2 main areas to move forward in for the coming days. We have all the materials necessary to start building, but there also has to be a plan set up for after we are done building.

We will split up into 2 groups:

• Group one will work on actually assembling the compost bin.
• Group two will work to put together a presentation to educate people (most likely the E-Tech club) how to properly create compost.

We also have to educate students and staff as to what materials are best for composting, and which are not allowed.

Roles in in the Upcoming Week

Kyle: Foreman, builder
Alec: Web design
Elishama: All-around assistant [a little bit of everything]
Raquel: PR and Speaker
Steve: Builder

Our designs

Our Design, crank powered.

Cross Section of the Barrel

Close-up on the Crank

Approved

Dr. Falls formally approved our design.

The compost bin will be located in the space between the Medical Arts building and the McKinley building.

Compost Project Proposal

Project: Our project is to build a compost bin(s) so that we can reduce the amount of waste produced by our school, use the Sunflower Lot's plant waste, and provide mulch for the Grow House. The objective of the bin themselves, as opposed to everyday composting methods, is to reduce the amount of contact with the compost itself so as to avoid any possible health affects and to better the containment of potential composting smells.

Possible Locations:

• Between the Medical Arts building and the McKinley building
• Near the Amphitheatre out front in-between the trees and benches
• On the roof
• In the garage.

List of Materials for “The Composter”

• Large White Barrel (Dimensions TBD)
• Angle Iron 3.5’x.5”
• Metal plate x2 (Dimensions TBD)
• Hinges
• Rubber sealing
• Handle
• Crank
• PVC piping ~ 3.5’
• Bolts/Nuts/washers (Dimensions TBD)

Progress as of 8/31/11

We've brainstormed some of the key problems, and some possible solutions to them.These problems are;

1. We don't want to touch the fecal matter while mixing it
2. It has to be easily watered
3. It has to hold our school's and the community's compostable waste.
4. It has to be able to be emptied
5. We have to have a use for the compost when it is done.

Some solutions we've brainstormed are;

1. a) Use gloves and b) have a crank-based manual powered turning system
2. Have a misting system in the compost bin
3. Will need a big volume
4. Conveyor belt system
5. a) donate to Grow House and b) donate to sunflower field

We've also planned out our timeline:

Welcome to the BioScience Compost Blog!

Our engineering group has be assigned the task of making a compost bin that is easily mix, easily watered, and has a large volume. This blog will track our progress toward our end goal.