College of Charleston's Food Waste Diversion Program Sets Standard

The school's decade-long initiative has composted over 1.5 million pounds of food and compostable waste.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 10:04pm

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A bold, colorful silkscreen print featuring a repeating pattern of a stylized compost bin icon in vibrant shades of green, blue, and orange, conceptually representing the college's successful food waste diversion efforts.The College of Charleston's innovative food waste recycling program has diverted over 1.5 million pounds of waste into nutrient-rich compost since 2015.Charleston Today

The College of Charleston has built one of the top food waste diversion programs in the country, composting over 400,000 pounds of food and compostable waste in 2025 alone through a partnership with Denali, a national organic food waste recycling program. The college's Center for Sustainable Development started the initiative over a decade ago, and it has grown to include residential compost drop-off sites and composting from dining halls and major events.

Why it matters

Food waste is a major environmental issue, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in landfills. The College of Charleston's program demonstrates how institutions can take a leadership role in diverting food waste from landfills and turning it into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to improve campus grounds.

The details

The College of Charleston's food waste diversion program works by collecting food scraps from dining halls, a public drop-off site, and major events. Denali, the college's partner, picks up the bins and transports the waste to the Bees Ferry Composting Facility, where it undergoes a half-year processing period to turn it into compost. Much of this compost is then brought back to the college to use on its grounds, completing the cycle.

  • The food waste diversion program started in 2015 with a student initiative.
  • In 2025, over 400,000 pounds of food and compostable waste were composted.
  • Between 2019 and 2025, a total of 1.5 million pounds have been composted.

The players

College of Charleston

A public university located in Charleston, South Carolina, that has built one of the top food waste diversion programs in the country.

Center for Sustainable Development

The department at the College of Charleston that has been leading the food waste diversion program for over a decade.

Denali

A national organic food waste recycling program that partners with the College of Charleston to collect and process the school's food waste.

Bees Ferry Composting Facility

The composting facility where the College of Charleston's food waste is transported and processed into nutrient-rich compost.

Katie Doherty

The manager for Zero Waste at the College of Charleston, overseeing the food waste diversion program.

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What they’re saying

“It's amazing what the College of Charleston is doing around food recycling. They are setting the standard.”

— Thomas McQuillan, Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Sustainability, Denali

“So in 2015, that was started by a student initiative to get composting in the dining halls. Then to this day, the residential compost drop-off spot, we had students put in for a grant to get the funding to start this program, and then students help put this program in place, get all that infrastructure and logistics together.”

— Katie Doherty, Manager for Zero Waste, College of Charleston

“Well, the food isn't waste. The food has to be used; if we're not going to eat that food, we have to find another use for that food. In some instances, the food is appropriate for animal feed. In all instances, if we're not going to eat or feed it to animals, we should be making compost out of it. Compost becomes the most single important ingredient to build a soil system.”

— Thomas McQuillan, Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Sustainability, Denali

What’s next

Zero Waste at the College of Charleston is expected to host several events in the coming months to raise awareness and garner more support for the food waste diversion program.

The takeaway

The College of Charleston's comprehensive food waste diversion program, which has composted over 1.5 million pounds of waste in just a few years, demonstrates how institutions can take a leadership role in addressing the environmental impact of food waste. Their model of student-led initiatives, community partnerships, and closing the loop by using the compost on campus grounds is an inspiring example for other colleges and universities to follow.