UMW Receives Grant to Launch Composting Program, Expand Food Recovery

August 31, 2026

Sarah Hertz Mahoney

a line of composting bins against a brick wall outdoors on UMW's campus — UMW will expand composting efforts across campus with support from a $432,215 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality grant aimed at reducing food waste and promoting sustainable practices on campus and throughout the Fredericksburg region.

The University of Mary Washington was awarded $432,215 from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) to support food waste prevention education, food recovery efforts and the establishment of a campus-wide composting program.

Funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, the award will help UMW expand initiatives designed to divert food waste from landfills while promoting sustainable practices on campus and throughout the Fredericksburg region.

“This project brings together many dedicated partners across campus and in the community who are committed to reducing waste and creating a more sustainable campus,” said Professor of Marketing Kashef Majid, who helped lead the grant proposal effort. “By expanding food recovery efforts, launching large-scale composting and studying attitudes toward food waste, we hope to create lasting changes in behavior while drawing greater attention to the importance of food waste prevention.”

UMW faculty, staff, students and community partners are all playing a role in the effort. Key collaborators include Director of Landscape and Grounds Holly Chichester-Morby, Associate Professor of Psychological Science Dave Kolar, Center for Community Engagement Director Sarah Dewees and representatives from UMW Dining Services and Sodexo.

four people stand outdoors on a sunny day near the food composting bins next to a brick building on UMW's campus — Partners in UMW’s food waste reduction initiative, from left Catherine Carter, co-owner of FXBG Compost; Nicholas Flick, Sodexo director of campus operation at UMW; Holly Chichester-Morby, director of landscape and grounds; and Kashef Majid, professor of marketing.

Community partners will include FXBG Compost, a Fredericksburg-based startup that will help UMW launch large-scale composting for the first time in the University’s history, with the potential to divert hundreds of tons of waste from landfills. The grant will also strengthen support for UMW’s Food Recovery Network, which works to salvage surplus food and distribute it to community organizations serving those in need.

“DEQ is pleased to provide funding and partner with Virginia’s higher education institutions to address food waste,” said Viginia DEQ Director Mike Rolband. “Reducing food waste and encouraging composting provides a range of environmental benefits that will extend beyond these campuses.”

With the VDEQ grant, composting efforts at UMW will vastly increase in scale and are expected to begin with food preparation waste from the Cedric Rucker University Center kitchen, with plans to expand the program in future years. Research at UMW will also study attitudes and behaviors related to food waste and composting to better understand how educational outreach can encourage long-term change.

UMW was one of 12 Virginia institutions of higher education selected to receive funding through the VDEQ program. The department awarded a total of $8 million in grants to colleges and universities across the Commonwealth to support food waste prevention, food rescue and composting initiatives.

See the official Virginia DEQ press release for additional information.

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