ATLANTA — Georgia Tech is launching a major step in its sustainability efforts with the debut of a new industrial-scale composting machine; the first of its size on an urban campus in Georgia and one of the few in the Southeast.

Jennifer Chirico, Georgia Tech’s associate vice president of sustainability, says the machine can process up to 1,000 pounds of organic waste per day, or about 175 tons per year. “It turns the food waste into good healthy compost which can be used right here on our campus,” she said.

Chirico notes that the composter will also help cut costs tied to hauling food waste off campus. “We currently pay for a lot of our food waste pickups, now we can do it right on site,” she said.

With multiple dining halls across campus, food waste accounts for roughly 30 to 40 percent of the university’s overall waste stream, and the new system could handle about one-third of that total.

The machine was funded through a 2024 grant from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Full operations are expected soon, with expanded waste collection planned for next spring.

WSB Radio’s Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.