Learn From Your Peers

2023 Case Studies are due June 26, 2023 - Learn more

Read the 2022 Campus Race to Zero Waste Case Studies blog.

Read the 2022 Campus Race to Zero Waste Case Study National Press Release.

Winners of the 2022 Campus Race to Zero Waste Case Study Competition:

Waste Minimization Winner: Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University’s Fix-it Fair Mending Workshop repairs items and teaches attendees how to mend clothing, resulting in reducing waste by keeping these items out of the landfill.  

Food Waste Reduction Winner: Chapman University, California

Chapman University increases awareness about post-consumer waste by collecting all the uneaten food from Randall Dining Commons for a lunch period and weighing it.

Education and Awareness Winner: University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh hosts the Zero Waste Period program to advance menstrual equity on campus, sharing information about the physical and environmental health aspects of period products. 

Summary of Waste Reduction Efforts Winner: University of Nebraska, Lincoln

University of Nebraska Lincoln designs and implements a pilot project focused on standardizing recycling efforts on campus to reduce waste and improve recycling. 

 

Browse all case studies below. 

Waste Minimization Case Studies

Dallas College

2022 - Focuses on three areas for the 2022 Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition: Student and Public Education, Zero Waste Infrastructure, and E-Waste Events.

Macalester College

2020 - SustainaCup is a student-led program that seeks to minimize waste and improve the sustainability of menstrual periods economically and environmentally while also promoting wellness and social justice.

Rider University

2019 - Using weekly themes and events, we used the RecycleMania competition as a platform to educate the campus community about waste minimization and landfill diversion opportunities.

Food Waste Reduction Case Studies

Clemson University

2022 - Organics Recovery program began as a student initiative and has expanded into a multi-departmental effort to capture organic waste from dining halls, sports arenas, academic buildings, and student housing.

Rider University

2020 - Working with Gourmet Dining, uses the RecycleMania competition as a platform to educate the campus community about food and water waste reduction as well as landfill diversion opportunities.

Knox College

2019 - Repurposing food waste to address food insecurity with the three-fold focus of promoting sustainability, social justice, and health in our community.

Education and Awareness Case Studies

Edmonds College

2021 - Hosts series promoting waste stream management education and provides resources regarding environmental justice and access to responsible waste management resources based on students' needs.

Macalester College

2021 - Educates incoming first years on the environmental justice implications of waste, promote refusing waste to halt the cycle of production and consumption, and teach basic logistics of waste sorting on campus.

Bard College

2019 - Teaching students to recycle properly while also demonstrating how to put on a carnival without creating any waste, and giving out reusable prizes

Bard College

2019 - Spreading awareness of items sold on campus that seem recyclable but are not, and give an example as to how they can be repurposed.

Bard College

2019 - Teaching students that water provided on campus from the tap and the filter are safe and tasty to drink. They do not need to use single use water bottles.

Bard College

2018 - Our office did weekly tabling in our campus center to educate our students about waste on campus and give them resources to reduce their waste.

Rider University

2018 - Using weekly themes and events, we used the RecycleMania competition as a platform to educate the campus community about waste minimization and landfill diversion opportunities.