Kemnay Academy’s ability to recycle all its food waste took a giant leap forward in June when
our electric composting machine – called The Rocket – was switched on.
Staff at the Academy were shown how to use the machine by Glasgow-based environmentalist Frank McMaster, who uses a Rocket – which is a brand name – in the college where he teaches.
Kemnay Academy will be the first academy in Aberdeenshire to recycle all its food waste. The resulting compost will be used on its garden that grows potatoes, cabbages, neeps, and other vegetables.
The Academy currently produces approximately 60kg of food waste from its canteen, snack machines, HE department and in staff bases every week.
Teachers from the Academy’s RMPS department which set up the garden three years ago and the composting scheme 18 months ago were trained in the use of the Rocket by Mr McMaster.
Teacher of RMPS, George Clail, said:
“We’re thrilled to be getting this training, and being able to use the Rocket.
“The idea that we, as a school, can recycle all our food waste is exciting in itself. But we’re showing youngsters in this area what can be done with food waste – something that is part of their everyday lives – and that is educational in a fundamental sense of the word.”
Mr Clail concluded:
“This is exciting not just for the school, but for the community as well, as we at the Academy would like to invite local people to get involved with our garden and composting projects.”
Mr M Bayliss
We have been recycling all cooked and uncooked food waste at Echt for the past year. It would be really good if some of our pupils could visit Kemnay Academy to see their Rocket!
How are you getting on with the Rocket? Love to hear the highs and lows! We are working with schools in Inverness and Dingwall area and hoping to encourage them to have food composting systems.
Ruth – I would be happy to show the Rocket to any pupils you want to bring along. Just let me know in adavance and either Martin Bayliss or myself can show you how it works.
Toni – We have had a few problems getting it going. There was a little red tape to get through and then there were difficulties in locating woodchip or sawdust which is needed in equal volumes to the waste food being put into the Rocket. We have been processing small amounts of vegetable scraps from home economics and from the staff room. We are now at the stage of being ready to start adding the food waste from the canteen. There are problems with having the food waste collected, weighed and put into the Rocket each day. This will have to be done by volunteers from the staff. The process itself works well as the Rocket provides additional heat which accelerates the composting. It is much better than the old hand turned tumbler that we previously used.