College of the Atlantic Eliminates All Disposable Plasticware
The college's new reusable to-go program includes stainless steel containers, mugs and sporks, replacing an estimated 50,000 pieces of disposable plastic. The college signed Post-Landfill Action Network's Break Free From Plastics pledge in 2019. The program is supported by grant funding from the Marine Debris Foundation.
Loyola U Chicago Conducts Multi-Campus Waste Audit
In advance of a waste reduction and diversion planning effort, Loyola University Chicago contracted a vendor, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, to conduct a multi-campus waste characterization audit. In total over 4,000 lbs of materials across 10 activity zones was categorized into one of 33 categories. This effort helps identify areas for improvement but also set a baseline and inform potential reduction and diversion targets.
Johns Hopkins Publishes Climate Action & Sustainability Plan
The newly minted Climate Action and Sustainability Plan, developed over the past two years with input from thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni and Baltimore residents, commits to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040; purchasing all electricity from renewable sources by 2030; deploying a fully electric vehicle fleet by 2026; ensuring that all light-duty and passenger vehicles purchased by the university are all-electric by 2030; increasing the diversion of all waste to 50 percent; and expanding the impact of research and teaching to develop global solutions and train future leaders.
Two HEIs Receive Plastics Reduction Bronze Certification
The National Wildlife Federation, in partnership with the Campus Race to Zero Waste Program, has awarded Bard College and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt a Plastics Reduction Partner Bronze level certification. This program recognizes higher education institutions (HEIs) for taking action to reduce the purchase and use of single-use plastics on campus.
SUNY Adopts Policy to Phase Out Single Use Plastics
The recently adopted policy details a staged elimination of single-use plastics across all SUNY campuses. Items covered in the policy include bags, beverage bottles, food service products, utensils, plastic wrap and packaging films. Additionally, the university system is partnering with a public service platform to create a plastics-free solutions hub.
U College Cork to Go Plastic Free
In 2023, the university will eliminate all single-use plastic in its operation throughout campus dining, shops and vending machines.
