Be green and stay cool: How to stay zero waste on campus

Known for its passion for sustainability, Arizona State University is committed to becoming a zero-waste institution. The ASU Zero Waste department is focused on creating and implementing programs that support the university's goal of a circular resources system.

ASU is not only building a sustainable future for the over 100,000 current Sun Devils but also for future generations. It’s an ambitious goal, but ASU is known for dreaming big.

Taking the initiative to recycle and compost not only reduces waste sent to landfills but also conserves natural resources and supports a more sustainable and eco-friendly environment at ASU.

The more sustainable people are, the fewer carbon footprints they leave behind, the healthier the earth will be. This results in the lowering of greenhouse gasses. 

Campbell said “we are at about a 42% diversion rate. It's going to take a lot of work across the institution for us to get there. And it's going to require continued supply chain transformation, honestly, upstream and downstream. So the materials that are being brought into the institution through purchases, the things that students, staff, faculty, all bring onto campus. We've got to think about how we're disposing of that,”

He continues saying, “And then the downstream side of it, as things leave the institution, there needs to be more buildup of some of the infrastructure to support some of the things that we're doing. And we really need some support from our partners.”

As an institution, as a whole, we need to be thinking about how everyone can contribute to making this campus more sustainable. Such as things people bring onto this campus, and what the higher ups order. 

“We need to work with our partners outside the organization to think about the packaging materials that are coming into ASU, whether that's beverage containers, whether it's the material,” Campbell said.

“Mark's right on target there,” Alana Levine, Director of University Sustainability Practices, said.  “It's an effort to get not only what is coming into the university. We view the university with a front gate and a back gate. There's the front gate of the university. That's what's coming in. And it's a variety of different ways that things come into the university.

“And then the back gate is how things leave the university,” Levine continues with her metaphor. “There are all the behaviors that people have that contribute to how things leave the university. Our main focus is the university's front gate, monitoring what is being brought onto our campus, both officially and unofficially.”

One of the largest issues between the gates is students recycling their cardboards. An overwhelming amount of students do not recycle their cardboard, causing that build up. Of course, there are come instances where cardboard is unrecyclable, like being contaminated with things such as food or other liquids, but most of the time, cardboard can always be recycled. 

By recycling cardboard, ASU is one step closer to completing their sustainability goals. 

Ways to be greener on campus: 

Recycle properly: Pay attention to recycling labels and make sure to place items in the correct bins.

Compost food waste: Use the compost bins in dining halls and residence halls to dispose of food scraps.

Choose reusables: Bring a reusable water bottle, coffee cup and utensils to avoid using disposable items.

Reduce consumption: Think twice before purchasing items you don’t need, and avoid excessive packaging whenever possible.

And, when parched from the blazing Phoenix sun, go ahead and stop by one of the six Starbucks locations on campus and get a dollar off a purchase with a reusable cup!

Check out more ways to be sustainable on the business schools' zero waste page.