Sowams Elementary School

Kellie Brown, Benjamin Eastman, Andrew Samela,

Shannon Mora, and Caroline Salvaneschi

School Background

Barrington Public School System

K-3, 251 students
Lunchroom Program in place for 7 years
Progressed from recycling to composting
Use of plastic lunch trays instead of
styrofoam was the first step in the
program
Food waste sent to Hampden Meadows
composting system a mile away

Site Visits
Site Visit 1

Met with Principal Jim Callahan and

watched two student lunch periods
Existing lunchroom system has 4 bins at
2 stations
A Green Team is established from 3rd
grade volunteers to run the lunchroom
food waste program
We interviewed students and asked
what they liked or disliked about the
program
Barriers were lack of involvement from
younger students and poorly designed
posters

Site Visit 2

Met with Principal Callahan to discuss

our first site visit
Learned there is currently no
budget or one planned for the
near future
Discussed where we could go with the
project:
Students should understand
environmental benefits of
composting
Younger students could have more
involvement outside the
lunchroom

Pictures from First Site Visit

Lunchroom Bin System

Green Team Sign

Recycling Poster

Cost-Benefit Analysis: its purpose

The role of a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is to help social decision making and make
the decisions more rational and easier to see which one is more cost effective
Our CBA analyzes if Sowams should stick with their current lunchroom system or
consider alternative scenarios
Our two scenarios are install a small composting system and add vermiculture bins
to the classrooms

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Alternative Scenarios

Small Composting System

Vermiculture Bins in Classrooms

Work with Sowams to develop program

New unit developed by teachers

incorporating a backyard system

Located in the classrooms for easy

Goal of involving students outside of the

transition into the school day

lunchroom

Hands-on activities for young students

Students would learn about what

Students would learn what composting

composting is and its benefits

is and its benefits

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Key Parameters

Small Composting System

Vermiculture in Classrooms

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Results

Status Quo

Small Composting System

Vermiculture in Classrooms

The Role of Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economics explains how we make decisions other than the rational choice
theory

Focuses on how society, psychological heuristics and the media can shape our decisions

Does not believe humans are rational, and makes decisions based on utility

Focused on nudging people in the right direction

We can use behavioral economics to nudge the principal and staff towards accepting
alternative scenarios other than their current lunchroom system

Help us understand their behavior and find the best ways to suggest new environmental
programs given their budget and school environment

How we used Behavioral Economics

Status quo bias- principal stated he liked to take new projects slow to avoid
chaos, and that a lot of teachers resist new programs

Loss aversion- chaos while implementing a new system would be seen more as a
loss than a gain, and there could be more opposition than support

Parents were the ones who started the lunch system and called the school to buy a
new dishwasher for plastic trays

We created new Earth Week activities to increase parent involvement, decrease the
chaos with the goal of permanent environmental programs in the near future

Our Recommendations

Remain at the status quo

Keep the green team in place as is

Maintain hauling process that is free of charge
Continue the same amount of waste collection

Implement educational activities within the schools Earth Week

celebration

Increase scientific knowledge behind composting among faculty, students, and parents
Hold poster competitions to improve signs in cafeteria and involve younger students
Include art projects to make the program more engaging
Show an educational video narrated by children