Cascade School District earns first-ever 'Soil Friendly' designation for district-wide composting

LEAVENWORTH - Cascade School District (CSD) has become the first school district to receive the "Soil Friendly School District" designation from Winton Manufacturing Compost Works, following the successful implementation of a district-wide composting program.

The initiative, which began in 2022, was launched at Peshastin-Dryden Elementary School in partnership with the nonprofit organization Waste Loop. "We started our program at PD for two reasons: there was the most food waste due to the ages of the children and there were the fewest bears," said Superintendent Dr. Tracey L. Edou.

The program expanded systematically throughout the district, reaching Cascade High School in November 2022, followed by Alpine Lakes and Icicle River Middle School in spring 2023. More than 1,000 students participated in the waste sorting program during its first year of operation.

To address safety concerns in bear-populated areas, Winton replaced standard compost collection carts with bear-resistant versions in spring 2023. The City of Leavenworth subsequently upgraded all trash containers to bear-resistant models, ensuring comprehensive wildlife safety measures.

"We live in a bear territory; being able to compost and manage our trash within our school district in an environmentally responsible manner while not attracting bears is very important," Dr. Edou explained. "We are grateful to both Winton and the City of Leavenworth for making these bear resistant containers available to us for our facilities."

The district's composting system operates through sorting stations where students separate uneaten food waste after lunch periods. Staff members and cafeteria workers provide initial guidance, while custom-designed signage helps students identify proper waste sorting procedures.

Now in its third year of district-wide composting, CSD has earned recognition for all its facilities. Peshastin-Dryden Elementary School, Alpine Lakes Elementary School, Icicle River Middle School, and Cascade High School have each received the "Soil Friendly School" designation.

Robbette Schmit, General Manager of Winton MFG Compost Works, praised the district's achievement: "We are thrilled to offer this award to the Cascade School District and its schools. Hopefully this program will inspire other schools and school districts to become soil friendly and to compost their food waste."

The designation acknowledges the district's commitment to environmental education through food waste recycling and highlights the importance of composting for soil enrichment and climate action.