Tagged: Goals - Achieve Zero Waste

Campus Race to Zero Waste has officially started! For the next eight weeks, Ohio State will be competing against other universities across the country to determine who has the highest landfill diversion rate! Students, faculty and staff are asked to participate by recycling more, recycling right and composting.

America Recycles Day (November 15) is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. It is an opportunity to promote environmental citizenship and take action to increase and improve recycling in America.

Mary Leciejewski, Facilities Operations and Development zero waste manager, was recently recognized by the University Staff Advisory Committee (USAC) in their October staff spotlight feature. The feature recognizes Ohio State staff who exemplify what it means to be a Buckeye. In particular, Mary was highlighted for her dedication to spurring growth in the culture of sustainability at the university.

Read Mary's Staff Spotlight.

The Lantern recently highlighted the unviersity's compost program expansion to students living in residence Halls. Molly Kathleen, zero waste coordinator in Facilities Operations and Development discussed the zero waste goal and ways that composting helps create a more sustainable campus.

"Composting will definitely make a big difference on campus and making progress toward the waste diversion goal of zero waste," Kathleen said.

Read Full Article.

The expansion of the university composting program was recently spotlighted by Ohio State News. “Ohio State is leading the region on this,” said FOD’s Mary Leciejewski. More than 1,000 Buckeyes have signed up to participate in a new program that has already diverted more than 114 tons of food waste from landfills since July and sparked new ideas from students in the classroom.

Read Full Article.

A new collaboration between Ohio State and Rumpke Waste and Recycling will support advances in circular economy research, teaching and practices at a time when population growth in central Ohio is expected to bring new challenges to managing waste.

Ohio State is enhancing recycling infrastructure on campus, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and $25,000 from the Office of Administration and Planning. 

A portion of the funding was used to conduct a waste characterization study, which helped determine the top three recycling opportunities in the medical center: cardboard, specialty plastics and commingled recycling. 

You might want to think twice before throwing away your food waste after your meal. Facilities Operations and Development (FOD) is urging you to participate in its Compost Drop-Off Program.

Molly Kathleen, FOD’s zero waste coordinator, says they have passed out 100 compost bins so far at five locations across the Columbus Campus.

When we throw food in the landfill, we waste not only food, but also the resources used to produce and transport it. Once in the landfill, food waste decomposes slowly and creates an enormous amount of methane gas that enters the atmosphere and increases global warming. Thanks to a grant from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, Ohio State is launching a food composting program for employees this spring. Learn more at the Food Waste and You webinar on April 19, featuring FOD's Molly Kathleen.

The Wexner Medical Center is committed to being a responsible steward of resources through efficient operations, innovative research and ideas and to “first, do no harm.”