Coalition of Maryland students and schools

The Coalition to Re-Imagine School Waste, supported by a WWF Food Waste Warrior grant, established composting and food recovery pilots in Montgomery County, Maryland, and successfully lobbied for the 'Grant Program to Reduce & Compost School Waste' through large-scale postcard campaigns. The group aims to expand these sustainability efforts to 150-250 more schools in the 2023-24 school year.

• Students from Capital Compost and Compostology high schools identified that approximately 40% of school garbage consisted of food scraps, unopened food, and paper trays, while only 10% was actual landfill or incinerator waste.
• With funding from the WWF Food Waste Warrior program, the Coalition to Re-Imagine School Waste implemented composting pilots in elementary and middle schools, specifically prioritizing lower-income areas, and partnered with local food centers to redirect unopened food to families in need.
• The Coalition conducted a multi-year lobbying effort to pass the Grant Program to Reduce & Compost School Waste, collecting approximately 6,000 postcards in the first year and 12,000 postcards from 14 counties in the second year to pressure state representatives.
• The newly passed state legislation provides grants to schools for creating cafeteria collection bins, transporting waste to composting facilities, redistributing unopened food, and student education.
• Following the passage of the legislation, the students intend to involve between 150 and 250 additional schools in sustainability efforts, including composting and share tables, during the 2023-24 school year.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Coalition of Maryland students and schools. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/teaching-resources/wild-classroom-spotlight/coalition-of-maryland-students-and-schools/

Chicago

WWF International. Coalition of Maryland students and schools. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/teaching-resources/wild-classroom-spotlight/coalition-of-maryland-students-and-schools/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Coalition of Maryland students and schools |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/teaching-resources/wild-classroom-spotlight/coalition-of-maryland-students-and-schools/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndcoalition, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Coalition of Maryland students and schools}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/teaching-resources/wild-classroom-spotlight/coalition-of-maryland-students-and-schools/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }