Kent Denver Deploys New Campus Composting System

ZEUS (Zero-waste Ecological Upcycling System) has landed at Kent Denver! This anaerobic biodigester will convert food waste from Schaden Dining Hall into an environmentally-friendly fertilizer for use across campus. We are proud to be the first organization in Colorado to deploy Ecotone Renewables’ state-of-the-art biodigester as part of our ongoing commitment to promoting sustainability.

Kent Denver has been composting 100% of the dining hall’s organic waste since the building opened in 2011; however, our current system requires hauling food waste to an off-campus facility. ZEUS will help eliminate the carbon emissions and costs associated with the current system while reducing the need for manufactured fertilizers on campus. 

ZEUS was approved by the school’s Buildings and Grounds Committee after a compelling presentation by Matthew ’26 and Sustainability and Innovation Specialist Molly Callaway. In the coming months, Ms. Callaway and students in the Sustainability Club will help monitor the biodigester's operations, and student artists will add a painted mural.