Happy first week of classes to the Princeton community!
In celebration of the start of the ’23-24 academic year, we look back at the summer happenings at the S.C.R.A.P. Lab:
OPERATIONS
After a taking a break from mid-May through June, the S.C.R.A.P. Lab was back in operation on a limited schedule after July 4th through the end of August. We processed on average a half of a ton per week (about half of what we process during the busier academic semesters).
RESEARCH
The rest of the time was focused on research and course planning tied to our DEP compostables testing grant. The next phase of our grant studying bioplastic composting will happen this fall in conjunction with FRS 115: Decomposing the Science of Composting: How To Turn Waste into Resource. In preparation, we met with Prof. Zhang and her lab team to test out the sampling protocol for the class:
ENGAGEMENT
We also had a tour with the US Composting Council and engaged a group of first-year students for a work day.
Photo courtesy of the Compost Research & Education Foundation
IN THE NEWS
Waste360 recently profiled the S.C.R.A.P. Lab in a piece about broader efforts happening in the Garden State to advance organics recycling: How Princeton is Taking Compost to the Next Level
ON TAP
Stay tuned for more research updates later this month!