Written By: Zara Khemlani 

On the Rye Country Day School campus, a new anaerobic digester, nicknamed ZEUS, will help turn student and faculty food waste into a fertilizer called “Soil Sauce.” ZEUS stands for Zero Emission Upcycling System, and the school is partnering with Ecotone Renewables, an agriculture service based in Pennsylvania, to maintain the composter. The company’s initiative is to “Empower Sustainable Communities” and they will perform this maintenance weekly. The “Soil Sauce” they collect, will be used around campus gardens and landscaping, helping to further this sustainable initiative. In addition, the composter has a rainwater collection system and it generates renewable energy. 

The composter itself is housed in a twenty foot repurposed shipping container, which is located in the area behind the dining hall along Boston Post Road. Rye Country Day School’s Upper School Enviro Club, has been working hard to share information about the new composter in community meetings across multiple divisions. Ms. Linderoth, the Director of Sustainability and an Upper School Science teacher, has also shared the details of the composter during a recent professional development day. Ms. Linderoth shared her enthusiasm for this project and stated, “We are very excited about the new ZEUS anaerobic digester on campus, which will process up to 500 pounds of food waste per week, including all the food waste from our dining hall.” Ms. Linderoth explained how “this system helps reduce our environmental impact by converting organic waste into useful byproducts, including renewable energy and liquid fertilizer, which supports our ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible waste management.”

In the coming months, a member from Ecotone Renewables will be coming to campus to share more about the composter, and they will also be hosting tours of the system! As for student involvement, the sustainability team is planning to work with members of the RCDS community to paint a mural on the sides of the composter. Ms. Linderoth encourages students and teachers to get involved with the digester and to reach out to her with any questions. 

Go green!