A Vision for Zero Waste

Thursday, August 30, 2018

As part of its mission to support long-range sustainability planning and infrastructure, in 2017 the Office of Sustainability embarked on developing a zero waste plan for the campus. Targeting implementation by 2030, the process has engaged key stakeholders from the departments of Buildings and Grounds Maintenance, Residential and Dining Enterprises, Property Management Office, Sustainability and Energy Management, and Peninsula Sanitary Services Inc., as well as students and faculty, to evaluate historical progress and identify future solutions. The working group is targeting opportunities to achieve 90% diversion or higher. While the plan is now going through third-party peer review, with the May 2018 announcement of the President and Provost's vision to achieve zero waste by 2030, the planning team has laid out a strong foundation for realizing this target. Critical components of the plan include enhancing recycling and composting infrastructure, increasing the prevalence of large-scale re-use opportunities, and implementing a comprehensive sustainable procurement program.