Waste

The University of San Diego promotes a Zero Waste goal for the campus by focusing on various campus initiatives. USD has incorporated single-stream recycling across campus to make recycling easier. To help divert waste from paper cups, Dining Services promotes their Sustain-A-Bottle, a reusable water bottle for refills. Dining areas contain pre-consumer composting sections, while community composting takes place at USD’s Crossroads Garden and SOLES. By using DocuSign instead of paper, USD has reduced solid waste by 2,046 pounds. Throughout the school-year, USD promotes and hosts various Zero Waste programming that educates the community on mindful consumption.

 

USD Waste Reduction

Zero Waste Event Guide

Learn about USD's commitment to zero waste, why it is important, and how to plan a zero waste event to help USD become a more sustainable campus. This zero waste event guide provides useful tips and tricks on marketing, planning, and hosting events in a sustainable manner.

 

Sustainable Procurement Guide

The University of San Diego provides a purchasing guide for all campus offices and departments to ensure that they are in compliance with the University's sustainability goals.  These guidelines can be found here.

Campus Dining

BioHiTech Food Digester in SLC Food Digester In 2009, USD became the first college campus to install a BioHiTech Digester in the Student Life Pavilion. It uses a highly refined formula of micro-organisms and water to transform 3,200 pounds of food waste into liquid each week, allowing the liquid to return to the ecosystem as grey water. According to BioHiTech America, operating the company’s 1200 model at full capacity for 1-year will reduce emissions of 470,000 pounds of CO2 and 58 MTCE of greenhouse gases.
Sustain-A-Bottle image with directions on how it works Sustain-A-Bottle USD Dining is the first campus on the west coast to offer a Sustain-A-Bottle Freestyle program (2016). This reusable "smart" bottle has a unique RFID chip that allows you to purchase a semester's worth of refreshment at one time. With the the Sustain-A-Bottle, you can skip the line and get your refills from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines while keeping disposable cups, lids and straws out of the landfill. Bottle is stainless steel and vacuum insulated with a new custom graphic. BPA free, and it keeps cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours.
Students at aromas cafe with reusable bottles Plastic Straw Ban USD’s campus does not use plastic straws. As of 2018, Disposable straws are made of paper (instead of plastic) at all campus dining units, with reusable stainless steel straw sets are available for purchase in all campus retail units. In accordance with local and state laws – no straws are given out at La Gran Terraza restaurant. Paper straws are only available upon request by the customer.
A student looking at a text on her cell phone Food Recovery Program Students can register online to receive text alerts when leftover food is available. They are then able to bring their own clean, reusable containers and utensils to University Center 280. The food recovery program is free for all students, who must present their ID and sign a waiver at the door. Additionally, USD’s dining menus are Our menus are thoughtfully planned to cross-utilize ingredients in recipes. Unprocessed leftover food is minimal, but when available, it is offered as a donation to San Diego Rescue Mission.

Campus Donation Bins for Disabled American Veterans

In an effort to divert material from the landfill and assist those in need, USD partners with Disabled American Veterans (DAV) for our donation program.  USD community members can place gently used clothing, linens, housewares, electronics, books, toiletries, etc.  in any of the nine collection bins located around campus.  These items will be donated to local veterans.  Non-perishable food items should be donated to one of the USD food pantries on campus.  
 
Collection bins are located at the Tram Stops, SOLES, Maher, the Student Life Pavilion, Presido Terrace Apartments, University Terrace Apartments, Bosley's Cafe, Manchester Hall, and the Vistas (Palomar). 
 
Between May and November of 2019, students and community members have donated 41,100 pounds of goods. 
a donation bin inside SOLES

National Sword Effect

In January of 2018, China enacted their "National Sword Policy" and stopped accepting plastic waste. Up until that point, China had imported almost half of the world's recyclable waste.  This decision completely disrupted the recycling economy, as other nations had heavily relied on China to be the dumping grounds for plastic waste.  

Before China enacted the National Sword Polic, only 9% pf plastics were being properly recycled.  The majority of plastic waste ended up in landfills, or dumped to inevitably wash into the ocean.  More plastic than ever is now ending up in landfills, incinerators or the ocean, and the without a viable, profitably solution to plastics recycling, the problem is likely to get worse unless nations begin to shift away from single-use plastic use and production.