Spring 2013 - University Honors College - University at Buffalo

HonorsCollegeGoesCory NealonUB ReporterWaste FreeThe task seemed implausible: feed 175 students withoutproducing an ounce of trash. Yet, that’s exactly what UB’sHonors College did this fall as it welcomed back studentsfrom summer vacation. The meal, dubbed a “zero wasteevent,” took place September 6, 2012 in the Don SchackStudent Lounge inside the Honors College in Capen Hall.Elizabeth Colucci, Senior Assistant Director announcedat 11:30 a.m. that lunch was served. While free, there wasa catch: Leftover food must be placed in compost buckets,while paper plates and cups go into biodegradable bagsto be recycled later, she said. Students complied withoutfuss. It was, after all, a free meal of sandwiches, potatochips and cookies, said Haley Arnold, a sophomore HonorsScholar majoring in chemistry, “I don’t think I would goto something just because it’s a zero-waste event,” she said.“But I’m happy that the Honors College is doing it.”In addition to composting and recycling paper goods,Colucci said the Honors College would recycle plastic sodabottles and condiment tubs, and reuse the plastic sandwichtrays. It was the second trash-free lunch served since Augustby the Honors College, which teamed up with the Office ofSustainability and Campus Dining & Shops to organize theevents. The idea, according to Erin Moscati, sustainabilityeducation manager in the Office of Sustainability, is to showstudents, faculty and staff another way to make UB a moresustainable and eco-friendly institution.UB composts food from its dining centers, has a750-kilowatt solar power installation, and is committed tobuilding energy-efficient facilities such as the new WilliamR. Greiner Residence Hall. But there is always more that canbe done, said Moscati, whose office advocates everythingfrom car-pooling and recycling to renewable energy andzero-waste events. “We want to demonstrate to the UBcommunity that there is a different, more environmentallysustainable way to do things,” she said.The message is being heeded by Campus Dining & Shops,Wellness Education Services and the Honors College, allof which compost food scraps, she said. It’s also reflectedin UB’s eco-friendly building projects, which, in additionto Greiner Hall, include Barbara and Jack Davis Hall onNorth Campus, designed for gold certification under theU.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED) rating system.The zero-waste events were aided by Johnston Paper,Auburn, which provided cups and plates at discountedrates, Moscati said. In addition to not generating waste,the events help reduce UB’s environmental footprint andlimit garbage collection costs. “We try to encourage theUB community to think about creative ways to reducetheir individual environmental impacts. This project was asuccess because of the Honors College leadership and theircommitment to sustainability,” she said.14u n i v e r s i t y a t B U F F A L o