Environmental Club introduces composting program
by Bella Barocas '19
This article appears courtesy of The Peabody Press, the High School newspaper.
This article appears courtesy of The Peabody Press, the High School newspaper.
In partnership with Compost Nashville, USN Club is bringing compost to the Sperling Cafeteria.
As a school, we will significantly reduce the waste we produce that eventually goes to the landfill. As you may have noticed, the utensils, napkins, plates, and cups in the cafeteria are compostable, but we don't compost them. Essentially, these compostable disposables are only compostable in industrial compost systems, due to the humidity and temperature of the compost, and otherwise, they behave as regular plastics or disposables.
We hope that this is another step in the right direction for the USN community with regards to being more conscious about the footprint we leave behind. It is imperative that students and teachers are mindful of what they throw in the compost bin, because one mistake could ruin a whole bin of compost! All leftover food, even meat or oily food, can be composted in the industrial compost. In addition, all of the disposables in the cafeteria, besides wrappers from packaged items and plastic straws, are compostable. There are signs around the school and a sign on the bin to clarify.
The E Club is working on instituting more changes in the school to make USN a more sustainable place. If you have a question about what belongs in the compost or ideas for reducing USN's impact, please don't hesitate to ask Bella Barocas, Ellie Hollahan, or Mia Pretorius.
More USN News
List of 3 news stories.
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1st Class of 2026 college signing takes place
Maeve Stevenson '26 will play volleyball for Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.Read More -
Senior named Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar
Congratulations to Lin Zheng ’26 for her recent accomplishment. The Regeneron Science Talent Search is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. This honor places Lin among the top 300 STEM students in the United States.Read More -
Summer Camps registration opens January 17
Read MoreDue to technical issues with our website vendor, registration has been postponed to open 5 p.m. Saturday, January 17, 2026 at usn.org/summer.
Click here to preview the camps USN will offer in 2026 and plan for warmer days. Led by USN faculty and coaches as well as local professionals, flexible morning and afternoon sessions allow either whole or half-day experiences. Opt into lunch, after care, and bus service from West Nashville and East Nashville to our Edgehill Campus.
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.