Homepage | Manoa Elementary School Zero Waste Initiative

At Manoa Elementary we collect our leftover food to be composted

We consider these leftovers as resources which we can recycle

We build our compost piles with alternating layers of food and mulch

Once we have about 1,000 lbs of food in a compost pile, we close it and make another pile

We monitor the temperature to make sure the piles get hot enough to get rid of pathogens and phytotoxins which could harm plants in our garden

Compost takes a few months to cure.

We will use the finished compost to improve the soil in our garden area.

Compost we don’t use will be made available to the community as a fundraiser for our school.

Scroll down to view historical data of the amount of leftover food we have collected

2024-2025 School Year Totals

Total Resource Recovered (lbs)	Total Resource Recovered (tons)
26,319	13.2

Notes

The current school year began August 6, 2024.
The total resource recovered includes milk and solid food.

Compost Piles 2023-2024

All the leftover milk and food go into the compost piles. We fill each compost pile approximately 800 lbs of solid food which could produce up to 24 cu. ft. of finished compost after a year.

The piles are also color-coded by painted bricks which holds the brown tarp covers in place.

Mocha 2023

Date	Food (lbs)	Temp (F)
2023-08-08	109.2	95
2023-08-09	145.5	100
2023-08-10	83.4	142
2023-08-14	60.6	159
2023-08-21	169.1	158
2023-08-29	121.8	144
2023-09-05	109.4	160
Total	799

Lilac 2023

Date	Food (lbs)	Temp (F)
2023-08-15	158.2	95
2023-08-16	157.8	104
2023-08-17	169.1	124
2023-08-22	190.2	148
2023-08-30	106.9	160
2023-09-06	117.5	162
Total	899.7

Blue 2023

Date	Food (lbs)	Temp (F)
2023-08-23	127	95
2023-08-24	62.6	138
2023-08-31	192.5	150
2023-09-07	153.8	156
2023-09-13	73.7	156
2023-09-18	241.4	150
2023-09-20	85.6	150
Total	936.6

Coral 2023

Date	Food (lbs)	Temp (F)
2023-09-11	176	95
2023-09-12	139.6	111
2023-09-14	199.4	141
2023-09-19	137.9	152
2023-09-21	78	157
2023-09-25	99.5	157
Total	830.4

Margarita 2023

Date	Food (lbs)	Temp (F)
2023-09-26	122.2	95
2023-09-27	146.5	112
2023-09-28	207.3	132
2023-10-02	228	150
2023-10-18	124	150
2023-10-23	95.7	160
Total	923.7

Banana 2023

Date	Food (lbs)	Temp (F)
2023-10-03	147.5	95
2023-10-04	175.9	130
2023-10-05	115.8	134
2023-10-16	181.9	151
2023-10-17	139	143
2023-10-19	87.6	160
Total	847.7

Dragonfruit 2023

Date	Food (lbs)	Temp (F)
2023-10-24	136.6	95
2023-10-25	143.1	125
2023-10-26	178.1	134
2023-10-30	216	164
2023-11-06	196.2	170
2023-11-08	67.9	165
2023-12-14	81	158
Total	1018.9

Eggplant 2023

Date	Food (lbs)	Temp (F)
2023-10-31	150.2	95
2023-11-01	236.6	125
2023-11-02	145.4	130
2023-11-07	177.7	160
2023-11-09	196.9	160
2023-12-20	140.1	150
Total	1046.9

Daily Resource Recovery

We record the weight of the buckets of food and milk we collect after each lunch period.

Date	Compost Pile Color	Pile Temperature (°F)	Milk/Juice (lbs) - 1st Lunch	Milk/Juice (lbs) - 2nd Lunch	Solid Food (lbs) - 1st Lunch	Solid Food (lbs) - 2nd Lunch	Kitchen Scraps for Hot Compost	Kitchen Scraps for Worms	How Many Student Helpers	Notes	Total Milk	Total Food	Total Resource Recovered
05/29/2025	Mocha	128	36.3	14.2	95.9	47.9	25.0	0.0	6	Last day of composting for the school year.	50	168	219
05/28/2025	Mocha	120	43.9	0.0	94.4	47.6	0.0	0.0	6		43	142	185
05/27/2025	Mocha	137	41.5	22.7	83.2	72.0	15.0	15.0	6		64	185	249
05/22/2025	Mocha	122	47.6	26.0	126.9	84.4	0.0	0.0	6		73	211	284
05/21/2025	Mocha	138	45.0	19.7	77.6	53.1	0.0	0.0	6		64	130	195
05/20/2025	Mocha	115	42.4	23.4	69.7	48.7	0.0	0.0	6		65	118	184
05/19/2025	Mocha	95	35.2	19.5	81.7	51.7	0.0	0.0	6		54	133	188
05/15/2025	Teal	152	38.1	19.8	90.2	46.1	0.0	0.0	6		57	136	194
05/14/2025	Dragonfruit	143	45.9	26.2	54.4	31.7	0.0	0.0	6		72	86	158
05/13/2025	Teal	160	40.4	15.3	84.1	45.7	0.0	0.0	6		55	129	185
05/12/2025	Dragonfruit	145	38.6	15.1	70.2	39.1	0.0	0.0	6		53	109	163
05/08/2025	Teal	144	45.0	39.3	74.8	46.7	0.0	0.0	6		84	121	205
05/07/2025	Dragonfruit	140	49.0	29.7	87.2	65.2	0.0	0.0	6		78	152	231
05/06/2025	Teal	143	38.7	18.1	67.5	46.2	30.0	10.0	6		56	143	210
04/30/2025	Dragonfruit	140	41.0	20.7	91.6	69.0	0.0	0.0	6		61	160	222
04/29/2025	Teal	137	42.0	23.1	56.6	42.0	0.0	0.0	6		65	98	163
04/28/2025	Dragonfruit	140	59.3	26.9	48.2	21.2	23.5	0.0	6		86	92	179
04/24/2025	Teal	134	44.0	27.1	131.6	87.3	0.0	0.0	6		71	218	290
04/23/2025	Dragonfruit	142	40.4	25.3	92.1	60.1	0.0	0.0	6		65	152	217
04/22/2025	Teal	138	41.7	22.5	58.8	35.9	0.0	0.0	6		64	94	158
04/21/2025	Dragonfruit	143	38.0	16.6	64.9	42.0	38.0	0.0	6		54	144	199
04/15/2025	Teal	130	42.4	12.8	87.1	44.6	0.0	0.0	6		55	131	186
04/14/2025	Dragonfruit	150	33.8	17.1	43.7	41.7	12.0	0.0	6		50	97	148
04/10/2025	Teal	112	37.6	19.7	56.8	46.3	0.0	0.0	6		57	103	160
04/09/2025	Teal	95	48.7	25.7	85.7	49.9	0.0	0.0	6		74	135	210
04/08/2025	Dragonfruit	158	40.0	18.8	54.1	41.3	18.0	0.0	6		58	113	172
04/07/2025	Dragonfruit	158	40.0	16.5	50.0	33.1	8.0	0.0	6		56	91	147
04/03/2025	Dragonfruit	138	38.2	20.3	81.9	61.2	30.0	0.0	6		58	173	231
04/02/2025	Dragonfruit	127	31.7	18.1	93.0	59.3	0.0	0.0	6		49	152	202
04/01/2025	Dragonfruit	95	42.5	18.8	78.4	67.0	10.0	0.0	6		61	155	216
03/31/2025	Seven	175	53.5	24.9	66.2	26.9	51.2	20.0	6		78	164	242
03/27/2025	Seven	160	42.6	15.7	114.8	72.0	0.0	0.0	6		58	186	245
03/25/2025	Seven	160	35.8	14.7	67.3	48.5	0.0	0.0	6		50	115	166
03/24/2025	Seven	165	33.4	21.0	63.3	46.4	10.0	0.0	6		54	119	174
03/13/2025	Seven	160	42.6	26.6	59.9	43.6	0.0	0.0	6		69	103	172
03/12/2025	Seven	160	37.2	21.4	82.6	46.9	0.0	0.0	6		58	129	188
03/11/2025	Seven	155	22.0	18.9	41.3	41.2	12.0	0.0	6		40	94	135
03/10/2025	Seven	157	44.8	22.3	53.6	21.8	0.0	0.0	6		67	75	142
03/06/2025	Seven	155	40.2	21.1	74.2	42.0	40.0	0.0	6		61	156	217
03/05/2025	Seven	150	37.3	19.1	93.7	64.5	0.0	0.0	6		56	158	214
03/04/2025	Seven	137	39.8	24.7	50.0	40.5	0.0	0.0	6		64	90	155
03/03/2025	Seven	95	51.9	30.1	42.4	51.1	11.4	0.0	6		82	104	186
02/27/2025	Magenta	140	43.5	23.4	103.0	81.2	0.0	8.0	6		66	192	259
02/26/2025	Blueberry	143	41.3	22.4	84.0	60.2	0.0	3.0	6		63	147	210
02/25/2025	Magenta	142	35.1	19.7	68.8	45.0	0.0	0.0	6		54	113	168
02/24/2025	Red	145	39.6	18.7	66.9	62.6	0.0	0.0	6		58	129	187
02/20/2025	Blueberry	145	38.1	13.8	85.9	68.4	0.0	0.0	6		51	154	206
02/19/2025	Magenta	140	44.5	25.6	55.7	31.2	0.0	0.0	6		70	86	157
02/18/2025	Red	135	40.7	22.1	80.9	50.0	0.0	0.0	6		62	130	193
02/13/2025	Blueberry	140	47.1	26.9	78.0	64.2	0.0	0.0	6		74	142	216
02/12/2025	Magenta	144	41.7	25.1	103.6	70.8	0.0	0.0	6		66	174	241
02/11/2025	Red	136	32.9	19.9	53.4	44.6	15.0	0.0	6		52	113	165
02/10/2025	Blueberry	144	42.7	24.1	59.0	31.3	0.0	0.0	6		66	90	157
02/06/2025	Magenta	142	46.6	22.4	73.7	52.6	0.0	0.0	6		69	126	195
02/05/2025	Red	138	44.1	22.0	103.9	72.4	0.0	0.0	6		66	176	242
02/04/2025	Blueberry	140	46.4	28.3	77.2	64.5	0.0	0.0	6		74	141	216
02/03/2025	Magenta	148	52.8	29.8	43.9	19.2	31.0	0.0	6		82	94	176
01/29/2025	Red	130	39.6	24.2	86.7	65.7	0.0	0.0	6		63	152	216
01/28/2025	Blueberry	130	42.9	28.5	63.5	42.5	0.0	10.0	6		71	116	187
01/27/2025	Magenta	140	32.7	19.8	61.2	37.2	15.0	0.0	6		52	113	165
01/23/2025	Red	130	54.5	32.7	49.2	32.6	14.0	0.0	6		87	95	183
01/22/2025	Blueberry	135	42.7	24.5	56.1	27.9	0.0	0.0	6		67	84	151
01/21/2025	Magenta	130	44.2	28.4	81.4	54.5	0.0	6.0	6		72	141	214
01/16/2025	Red	140	39.9	30.0	68.8	62.1	5.0	0.0	6		69	135	205
01/15/2025	Blueberry	140	39.6	24.7	88.0	62.7	0.0	0.0	6		64	150	215
01/14/2025	Magenta	130	34.1	22.8	52.0	39.7	20.5	0.0	6		56	112	169
01/13/2025	Red	125	31.7	17.8	37.2	18.9	0.0	12.0	6		49	68	117
01/09/2025	Blueberry	140	39.7	23.5	70.5	50.7	30.0	0.0	6		63	151	214
12/19/2024	Magenta	145	46.1	25.8	69.3	56.9	0.0	5.0	6		71	131	203
12/18/2024	Red	160	44.1	23.5	97.5	90.3	0.0	0.0	6		67	187	255
12/17/2024	Blueberry	148	40.8	18.9	65.4	37.4	16.0	0.0	6		59	118	178
12/16/2024	Magenta	158	49.6	12.8	52.9	22.0	0.0	0.0	6		62	74	137
12/12/2024	Red	140	40.7	19.3	69.2	13.1	0.0	0.0	6		60	82	142
12/11/2024	Blueberry	150	39.8	19.9	95.4	86.2	0.0	0.0	6		59	181	241
12/10/2024	Magenta	143	42.8	21.1	81.7	22.1	21.1	0.0	6		63	124	188
12/09/2024	Red	136	37.2	23.0	47.0	27.0	18.0	10.0	6		60	102	162
12/05/2024	Magenta	148	43.4	27.2	121.1	98.3	0.0	0.0	6		70	219	290
12/04/2024	Blueberry	155	42.0	17.9	69.9	57.2	0.0	0.0	6		59	127	187
12/03/2024	Magenta	95	42.8	24.6	65.7	52.7	0.0	19.5	6		67	138	205
12/02/2024	Red	137	39.4	22.5	73.8	57.9	0.0	0.0	6		61	131	193
11/27/2024	Red	110	30.6	26.2	35.9	22.4	0.0	0.0	6		56	58	115
11/26/2024	Blueberry	140	44.5	15.7	60.4	39.0	10.0	0.0	6		60	109	169
11/25/2024	Red	95	42.6	14.6	55.7	30.5	0.0	12.0	6		57	98	155
11/21/2024	Blueberry	140	46.4	24.5	68.6	56.5	8.1	0.0	6		70	133	204
11/20/2024	Blueberry	100	43.3	21.2	103.5	45.4	0.0	5.0	6		64	153	218
11/19/2024	Blueberry	95	23.2	17.7	37.8	22.8	16.6	0.0	6		40	77	118
11/18/2024	Purple	145	49.4	26.0	56.0	27.9	0.0	0.0	6		75	83	159
11/14/2024	Purple	140	44.3	23.2	55.8	40.1	0.0	0.0	6		67	95	163
11/13/2024	Multi1	145	41.9	19.8	93.7	64.9	0.0	0.0	6		61	158	220
11/12/2024	Purple	140	39.2	22.8	37.7	35.0	0.0	0.0	6		62	72	134
11/07/2024	Multi1	144	45.0	26.7	118.9	94.6	0.0	0.0	6		71	213	285
11/06/2024	Purple	140	50.3	27.0	106.0	71.6	0.0	0.0	6		77	177	254
11/04/2024	Multi1	150	39.2	20.2	79.4	48.2	0.0	23.0	6		59	150	210
10/31/2024	Purple	145	44.9	29.3	99.2	69.2	0.0	0.0	6		74	168	242
10/30/2024	Multi1	150	47.8	24.6	48.6	18.0	9.5	0.0	6		72	76	148
10/29/2024	Purple	145	41.2	25.8	63.1	49.4	16.9	0.0	6		67	129	196
10/28/2024	Multi1	162	28.4	19.5	48.3	26.6	0.0	35.0	6		47	109	157
10/24/2024	Purple	140	41.4	19.4	80.5	55.8	0.0	0.0	6		60	136	197
10/23/2024	Multi1	165	40.0	22.4	95.1	74.4	42.0	0.0	6		62	211	273
10/22/2024	Purple	146	34.6	17.8	62.4	42.2	0.0	0.0	6		52	104	157
10/21/2024	Multi1	158	40.0	21.0	57.9	29.6	0.0	5.0	6		61	92	153
10/16/2024	Purple	131	37.3	20.6	98.4	76.6	35.0	0.0	6		57	210	267
10/15/2024	Multi1	147	36.7	24.9	71.5	71.9	5.0	18.0	6		61	166	228
10/14/2024	Vermilion	158	44.7	27.2	45.9	44.9	52.5	0.0	6		71	143	215
10/03/2024	Purple	152	28.6	22.9	80.7	74.4	12.1	0.0	6		51	167	218
10/02/2024	Multi1	145	36.0	19.9	38.3	13.0	0.0	0.0	6		55	51	107
10/01/2024	Vermilion	166	36.6	16.7	94.8	51.5	0.0	0.0	6		53	146	199
09/30/2024	Purple	140	40.0	26.6	57.3	34.6	0.0	12.0	6		66	103	170
09/26/2024	Multi1	150	44.9	23.3	74.8	57.7	0.0	15.3	6		68	147	216
09/25/2024	Purple	95	41.4	16.8	104.3	71.2	0.0	0.0	6		58	175	233
09/24/2024	Multi1	149	34.4	16.5	52.9	37.1	0.0	0.0	6		50	90	140
09/23/2024	Vermilion	160	42.9	23.6	55.9	22.3	37.0	18.0	6		66	133	199
09/19/2024	Multi1	130	35.3	23.2	63.7	47.5	5.0	0.0	6		58	116	174
09/18/2024	Gold	140	37.5	22.3	98.9	51.0	41.0	0.0	6		59	190	250
09/17/2024	Peach	167	37.2	21.3	67.5	47.5	0.0	0.0	6		58	115	173
09/16/2024	Multi1	95	46.8	19.5	77.4	64.2	16.0	27.0	6		66	184	250
09/12/2024	Vermilion	162	32.9	22.8	123.4	85.7	16.8	6.0	6		55	231	287
09/11/2024	Gold	164	35.3	13.7	85.4	45.0	0.0	0.0	6		49	130	179
09/10/2024	Peach	165	39.7	24.7	75.8	53.3	0.0	0.0	6		64	129	193
09/09/2024	Vermilion	156	31.5	22.2	71.9	57.8	0.0	0.0	6		53	129	183
09/05/2024	Gold	160	29.5	20.0	91.0	62.9	7.6	0.0	6		49	161	211
09/04/2024	Peach	162	43.2	21.6	62.5	32.6	0.0	0.0	6		64	95	159
09/03/2024	Vermilion	140	43.0	21.5	102.5	63.3	0.0	0.0	6		64	165	230
08/29/2024	Gold	150	27.7	23.6	58.5	47.8	0.0	0.0	6		51	106	157
08/28/2024	Peach	170	38.6	21.9	90.0	45.0	0.0	19.6	6		60	154	215
08/27/2024	Vermilion	95	32.1	20.7	54.9	38.4	0.0	0.0	6		52	93	146
08/26/2024	Gold	140	45.3	20.9	53.0	23.9	0.0	8.0	6		66	84	151
08/22/2024	Peach	160	37.0	25.1	76.0	64.4	0.0	0.0	6		62	140	202
08/21/2024	Gold	138	37.9	20.5	102.2	53.5	0.0	0.0	6		58	155	214
08/20/2024	Peach	161	47.2	21.8	84.1	68.6	0.0	5.0	6		69	157	226
08/19/2024	Gold	95	52.4	28.2	80.5	65.4	0.0	0.0	6		80	145	226
08/15/2024	Peach	152	39.5	16.9	65.1	41.1	0.0	0.0	6		56	106	162
08/14/2024	Peach	95	36.1	21.1	82.1	54.2	0.0	0.0	6		57	136	193
08/13/2024	Guava	130	31.1	22.7	55.0	50.4	0.0	0.0	6		53	105	159
08/12/2024	Guava	130	33.3	19.8	64.1	52.8	21.8	21.8	6		53	160	213