Down to Earth: Campus race to zero waste

Meghan Beery
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:16:26 +0000
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Down to Earth is a monthly environmental column that explores what it means to live sustainably. Credit: Meghan Beery | Senior Lantern Reporter

Down to Earth is a monthly environmental column that explores what it means to live sustainably.

Whether it’s a coffee cup, plastic spoon or chip bag, all the trash thrown away on Ohio State’s Columbus campus makes its way to one location: the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill.

Despite the popular notion that landfills are inexhaustible, they are not an unlimited resource, said Molly Kathleen, the manager of Ohio State’s Zero Waste initiative. In an effort to reduce the amount of waste heading to the Franklin County landfill from campus, the university will participate in its 22nd annual Campus Race to Zero Waste until March 29, according to a Jan. 31 Facilities Operations and Development press release.

The 2025 competition — which includes over 120 colleges and universities across North America — aims to help schools reach zero waste by diverting 90% or more of their waste through recycling, repurposing and composting, according to the competition’s website.?

During the eight-week competition, schools report data on waste and recycling and earn rankings in various categories, such as “least amount of combined trash and recycling” and “best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste.”?

“Any kind of competition or something where we can get the students and faculty and staff involved with recycling and excited about it from a friendly competition aspect, I think those are all really valuable initiatives that we have on campus to help move us towards zero waste,” Kathleen said.

The winning schools in each category receive “an award made out of recyclable materials” and “the right to host that category’s special traveling trophy for the coming year,” according to the competition’s website.

Adopted in 2015, Ohio State’s Zero Waste goal also strives for 90% waste diversion by 2025, according to the university’s Sustainability Institute’s website. Kathleen said in 2024, Ohio State’s main campus — including the Wexner Medical Center — generated almost 23,000 tons of debris.

“Out of that 22,860 tons, about 13,300 tons or 58% of that material was landfilled,” Kathleen said. “That’s about the weight of 2,000 elephants.”

Though the university hasn’t yet hit its goal, initiatives like the Campus Race to Zero Waste help Ohio State educate students, faculty and staff on important recycling and composting initiatives, Kathleen said.?

“A few things that students can do that would really help us with this competition, as well as in the long run with that zero waste goal, would be, first and foremost, just knowing what to recycle,” Kathleen said. “Sometimes, these rules can change from year to year, so [stay] updated on what can be recycled.”

Kathleen said this information can be found on the Zero Waste website. Current recyclables include items like fruit cups, glass jars and shampoo bottles.

Other helpful actions include using reusable products like metal water bottles and taking part in composting and recycling initiatives, Kathleen said.?

“If you live in a residence hall or if you frequent buildings on campus where composting is available, just make sure you’re using those services,” Kathleen said. “And students living off campus can sign up to get a free compost mini-bin, which are available for pickup in the Ohio Union.”

Kathleen said students can also help by regularly engaging with on-campus sustainability organizations — like Students for Sustainable Fashion or Students for Recycling — and spreading further awareness about recycling.

“[Talk] to your friends about recycling and just [encourage] them to be mindful of what they throw away,” Kathleen said.?

Kathleen said recycling and composting, rather than sending waste to landfills, is simply better for the environment.?

“All of the items that we are buying and using, they are made out of raw materials,” Kathleen said. “So, when we’re able to keep those materials in a loop that is cycling through our system instead of a linear system where we’re throwing it in a landfill, then we can conserve those types of raw materials, which helps conserve wildlife space or habitat space.”