Lunch at Garfield Elementary School in Corvallis was unsurprisingly chaotic Friday, with dozens of kids picking up hot lunches, eating and talking.

But in the center of the room was an island of order as a small team of students and an adult volunteer helped kids sort their compostable items and trash into the appropriate bins. The composting program, which was started in 2015, has significantly reduced the amount of trash the school produces during lunch.

Over 32,000 used milk cartons were thrown away each year at Silverton Middle School, the equivalent of 25 cubic yards of trash.

At Scotts Mills School, about 477 gallons of milk were poured down the drain each year.

By replacing milk cartons with milk dispensers and washable cups, the schools in the Silverton School District produce a fraction of the trash they once did. 

With a $76,000 grant, Marion County will roll out similar waste reduction programs at schools throughout the county over the next two years