Theme: Waste Diversion & Reduction

These projects focus on how to reduce the amount of waste produced on campus, encourage behavior changes that reduce waste production, or explore avenues of recycling/compost/reuse that allow us to lower our campus's waste footprint. 

Connie and Kevin Chou Hall Zero Waste Certification

Project Description

In 2017, Haas unveiled its newest building, the Connie & Kevin Chou Hall, an 80,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility dedicated to student learning. The building embodies Haas’s defining principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. Designed for LEED Platinum and WELL certifications, Connie & Kevin Chou Hall will also be the first business school building registered to attain Zero Waste certification by Summer 2018. The building will serve as a model for environmental sustainability...

Healing the Pavement on Campus

Project Description

Recycling concrete offers a sustainable path for pavement maintenance. Massive concrete wastes are generated in the civil and environmental engineering (CEE) structural laboratory every year because of undergraduate education and scientific research demand. The existing waste concrete disposal such as “landfill” is expensive ($400/ton) and unsustainable. This project aims at wasted concrete recycling for campus infrastructure repairing, mainly focusing on the maintenance of cracked pavements, to fulfill a win-win situation for both the CEE department and Berkeley...

Mercury Vapor Detection Equipment

Project Description

Purchase of new technology for detecting mercury during EH&S clean-ups.

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Waste Reduction in the Cal Greeks Community

Project Description

This project aims to reduce the volume of solid waste generated by the Cal Greek community through composting, recycling, and the ReUSE program.

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Bring Your Own Mug (BYOM)

Project Description

Reduce purchase and disposal of single-use coffee cups on campus through the use of a campaign titled “Bring Your Own Mug” (BYOM).

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Compost Alliance - Bringing Compost to Campus Buildings

Project Description

The Compost Alliance designs and implements campus building composting systems in collaboration with Physical Plant-Campus Services, which oversees both Custodial Services and Campus Recycling & Refuse Services. This system was piloted in 10 campus buildings and includes service, set-up, equipment, and educational outreach.

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Mobilizing Sustainability at Berkeley - The Greening Operations (GO!) Team

Project Description

Fund a group of students to provide building audits and green event outreach on a case-by-case basis.

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Recycling at Cal Program

Project Description

Increase can/bottle recycling by installing new outdoor recycling containers.

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No More Down the Drain

Project Description

Install a sand and sediment trap to reduce and recycle clay and glazes.

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FoodWare at Haas

Project Description

Catered events at UC Berkeley lead to unnecessary waste and carbon emissions from disposable packaging. Approximately 100-1000 single-use items are discarded at each event. After connecting with the sustainability team at the Haas School of Business and realizing the school shares the same sentiment, we are taking action and launching a pilot in cooperation with Haas with the hope of expanding to the rest of campus. Our project aims to fully replace single-use food packaging for catered events by introducing a reusables service driven by a sustainability...