City, USF partner for student-led composting business

The City of St. Petersburg and the University of South Florida have partnered to redirect and compost over a ton of food waste weekly.

City council members unanimously approved accepting a $358,735 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant at their April 17 meeting to launch the GreenCycle Composting Initiative. USF St. Petersburg (USFSP) needed a local government partner to receive the federal funding and will oversee the project moving forward.

Aramark, USFSP’s food service provider, typically produces between 2,100 and 2,700 pounds (1.7 tons) of food waste weekly. Councilmember Brandi Gabbard expressed her excitement for the program and its planned evolution into a self-sustaining business.

“I’ve been working and talking with USF St. Pete for a very long time about what I would consider to be their desire to get more involved with urban agriculture and environmental stewardship,” Gabbard said. “So, this project just hits all the right tones on that.”

Maeven Rogers, director of sustainability and resiliency for the city, noted the award serendipitously came during Earth Month. Diverting food waste from landfills, incinerators and sewer systems to compost production reduces greenhouse gas emissions and mitigates the risk of harmful algal blooms.

The initiative will also provide nutrient-rich compost to bolster community gardens and urban agriculture efforts. USDA funding will support equipment acquisition and operational logistics and help establish community partnerships to ensure the project’s success.

Rogers said USFSP students will create a local business with previously established clientele. Groundskeeping crews will purchase the compost and mitigate fertilizer use, known to fuel red tide blooms, at the 52-acre waterfront campus.

The school will also donate compost to the 15th Street Farm, a nonprofit educational facility that distributes nutritious food to underserved communities. Stakeholders plan to expand waste collection citywide and eventually compost 7,000 pounds – 2.5 tons – weekly. That would equate to 182,000 tons annually.

“So, students get a really neat opportunity to start their own business and see how it can be economically viable in the future,” Rogers said. “From the end of April through May 2026 is when we’ll really see those operations kick up and running.”

Gabbard asked if the initiative could help support an on-campus food forest. Rogers said USFSP officials have expressed concern about maintenance costs, which a profitable business could alleviate.

“You can actually pay someone out of the composting initiative to maintain the grounds and help feed people,” she added. “And then that goes back into the green workforce development (goals) we have at the city.”

Gabbard said school leadership has discussed implementing an urban agriculture curriculum that could intersect with the St. Pete Youth Farm and help the nonprofit’s youth ambassadors use their experience to launch a related career. “That’s the whole economic driver … that I don’t even think as a city we’ve begun to realize yet.”

Rogers explained that USFSP could charge area restaurants and organizations to collect food waste and the resulting compost. Buyers would save money by foregoing more expensive chemical fertilizers.

Councilmember Corey Givens Jr. called the initiative long overdue and a “win-win for the entire community.” He believes the school district would make an ideal partner.

USFSP stakeholders lauded the initiative and released additional details Monday morning. A rapid industrial composter behind the university’s dining facility could receive and convert 1,000 pounds of waste daily.

Employees will feed food preparation waste and plate scraps into the machine.

The Saturday Morning Market is another potential program partner.

Susan Toler, associate dean of the USFSP College of Arts and Sciences, noted that similar programs at other institutions have proven successful. “There will be opportunities for students to gain real-world experience in the management and operations of a green business, as well as conduct research,” she said in a prepared statement.

USFSP’s Student Green Energy Fund contributed $100,000 to the initiative, and St. Petersburg-based Duke Energy Florida provided a $50,000 gift. Duke President Melissa Seixas, chair of the campus board, said the company “proudly supports student researchers” as they explore solutions to local challenges that will benefit the community “right now and into the future.”

Rogers said the city is happy to assist a program that creates new economic opportunities for residents and students by introducing a new industry. “Innovative efforts such as this will also enhance our region’s environmental sustainability.”