糖心vlog

As hundreds of students returned to campus during August鈥檚 Week of Welcome, volunteers with University of the 笔补肠颈蹿颈肠鈥檚 Green Team worked to reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills from catered events and student move-in, which can generate a lot of waste from boxes and other items.

鈥淥ur main task was to let people know about the separate bins for landfill, recycling and compostables, so we had stations everywhere with volunteers,鈥� said student Ayesha Bibi 鈥�23.聽

Through the efforts, 90% of waste generated during the week鈥檚 catered events, such as the new student luncheon on Knoles Lawn, was kept out of landfills by being composted or recycled.

Green Team was created in 2014 to improve landfill diversion rates by monitoring waste stations at major events. The university closely tracks its numbers with a goal of eventually reaching zero waste.

鈥淲eek of Welcome shows what we can do when we put the pieces together with clear signage and people helping at the bins,鈥� said Sustainability Director Jessica Bilecki.

It鈥檚 one of many steps the university has taken to divert material from landfills and reduce food waste, part of the university鈥檚 overall sustainability initiative. In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly designated Sept. 29 as International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste.

According to the USDA, more than one-third of available food in the United States goes uneaten through loss or waste and is the largest category of material placed in landfills.

鈥淲hen food waste and organic matter is in a landfill, it produces methane, which is a very potent greenhouse gas. It's about 26 times more potent than carbon dioxide emissions,鈥� Bilecki said. 鈥淚f you are keeping organics out of the landfill, you are not creating those greenhouse gases.鈥�

Pacific has launched initiatives to further its efforts. Food waste bins were recently added to residential living areas on the Sacramento Campus and Bon Appetit, the university鈥檚 long-time food service provider, is getting a new system to weigh compostable material collected from the DeRosa University Center Marketplace, the main dining area.聽

鈥淚t means we can control production waste. Any food that is thrown away is going to be weighed so the cook knows, 鈥榦kay, I made 200 pounds of mac and cheese. I only need 150,鈥欌�� explained Sia Mohsenzadegan, food service director for Bon Appetit.

Excess food is donated every Friday to St. Mary鈥檚 Dining Room, a Stockton nonprofit that provides meals to people in need.

To prevent waste at the Chris and Robb Garden on the Stockton Campus, produce is available at no cost for students Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and later in the week at the university鈥檚 food pantry located in Room 98 of Wendell Phillips Center.聽

The university cuts down on single-use plastics with compostable utensils and to-go containers and by offering reusable containers through the . Students, faculty and staff can purchase an eco-clam for $5 from the Marketplace, which can be exchanged later for a clean container or token to save for future uses.聽

The initiatives landed Pacific in the top ten for sustainable food and dining practices on college campuses in 2021.

鈥淲e want to be good leaders and educators,鈥� Bilecki said. 鈥淚f we're educating people to go out into the world, it's important that we demonstrate practices that contribute to our health instead of taking away from it.鈥�

笔补肠颈蹿颈肠鈥檚 has tips for reducing waste and to help monitor waste separation bins at on-campus events. Anyone interested in helping the Green Team can during Homecoming and Family Weekend Oct. 14-16.