A mass of worms are feasting on 650 pounds of waste from the Portland Community College’s Rock Creek cafeteria as part of a new recycling program at the school.

The worms, about 40,000 of them, are creating a nutrient-rich compost that will in turn be used in the campus' Organic Learning Garden. And to complete the circle, the garden produces food for the cafeteria food service program.

“An elegant example of closing the loop,” said PCC spokeswoman Alexis Allan.

The program, called vermicomposting, also serves as an educational tool.

"This program has provided a unique opportunity to educate over a thousand individuals on the benefits of food waste composting. We celebrate the collaborative partnership between DEQ, PCC and Washington County," said Alexis Allan, a Washington County Recycle at Work Program educator.

Allan and student Yvonne Norman, an AmeriCorps member at Portland Community College, developed the system. PCC officials said it has decreased PCC's waste stream while at the same time producing a valuable product for Rock Creek's garden.

“It's also an excellent fit with Rock Creek's culture, which has embraced recycling of its cafeteria food waste as part of a larger effort toward building a sustainable campus,” Allan said. “Portland Community College is a Recycle at Work participant, committed to sustainable business practices.”

The Washington County Solid Waste and Recycling Program partnered with the college's Rock Creek Campus and received an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Grant to begin the vermicomposting program.