The College of Charleston continued its commitment to sustainability by starting the fall semester with another zero waste event. The Office of Sustainability, Institutional Events, Dining Services, and Physical Plant collaborated to make the annual Welcome Back Picnic for faculty and staff zero waste.
RELATED: Find more information on recycling, composting, and zero waste efforts on campus.
The industry standard for zero waste requires that at least 90 percent of total waste is diverted from the landfill. A total of 489.5 gallons of materials were generated at August’s Welcome Back Picnic and of that total, 459.5 gallons (93 percent) was either composted (434.5 gal) or recycled (25 gallons).
“We have been composting in catering for a year now. It’s been exciting to join forces with the Office of Sustainability to put together these large on campus zero waste events,” notes Jen Gallagher, catering director for Dining Services. “It was really interesting to overhear the conversations at the waste stations regarding what could go where. Education is the key!”
The Welcome Back Picnic is the third largest zero waste event held by the College, with the largest zero waste event–A Charleston Affair–held earlier this year. This month, the Office of Student Life, Dining Services, and the Office of Sustainability will collaborate to make Family Weekend’s Bluegrass and Brunch event zero waste; this will be for the second year in a row.
Related: First Zero Waste Event at the College of Charleston.
Jen Jones, facilities coordinator for the College of Charleston, states, “This is another big step toward making our campus a zero waste institution. This picnic is highly attended by campus community members and it’s our chance to engage with them about our initiatives.”
