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Appalachian State University aims to reach a 90 percent waste diversion rate in 10 years as part of a goal adopted this semester, officials from the Office of Sustainability said.
The new policy will divert waste from traditional to greener means of disposal as part of the policy.
“This initiative encourages you to think big,” University Sustainability Director Ged Moody said. “We’re looking to be transformational.”
The 10-year plan, which is being developed by the Office of Sustainability and endorsed by the sustainability council, is currently in the first of three phases.
“We’ve plateaued over the past couple of years by reaching a 30 to 40 percent diversion rate,” University Special Program Specialist Jennifer Maxwell said. “That’s with our current waste management system in place.”
The policy is part of a larger sustainable initiative, launched by the UNC system in 2009, which recommends that universities develop policies and programs that work toward achieving zero waste.
The university must conduct a campus-wide waste audit before the policy can take affect.
“We have to determine what the remaining 60 percent of our waste stream is made up of, and then that gives us a starting point to begin a step-wise plan toward zero waste,” Maxwell said.
The audit will monitor waste produced by 39 buildings across campus, which Maxwell said was a representation of the different buildings on Appalachian’s campus.
The audit will also account for special wastes like the chemicals used by the science departments.
The zero-waste policy encompasses not just what is thrown away, but also what is purchased.
“The biggest development of zero waste will be the development of [an] environmentally preferable purchasing program (EPP),” Maxwell said. “So once we know what it is that we’re throwing away, we can take a look at what it is we’re bringing into the university to begin with and what kind of changes we can make in order for those products to be able to be reused, recycled and composted. If we’re throwing something away then we shouldn’t be buying it.”
Ultimately, supporters said it will take students’ support and cooperation for this policy to reach its goal.
“If the students aren’t supporting it, it’s not going to happen,” said Linda Toth, a graduate appropriate technology major and sustainability department employee. “If we’re pushing forward while the students are pushing back, then this policy is going to do the opposite of what it’s supposed to.”
Story: CATHERINE HAITHCOCK, Senior News Reporter |
