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(Jacob Goldberg / Beacon Staff)
Emerson Sustainability has led an event series throughout the spring semester to raise awareness about waste reduction. Last month, the team, composed of faculty, staff, and student fellows, launched the WasteNot Emerson initiative, which aims to reinforce waste diversion practices already in place on campus.
“WasteNot Emerson is a great opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to learn more about the impact waste has on the environment and people, as well as to find innovative ways to reduce and divert waste from landfills and incinerators on campus and beyond,” said Jacqui Moy, Emerson College’s Sustainability Coordinator.
According to Moy, the initiative, which is running from Feb. 1 to March 29, invites “friendly competition” into the Emerson community. As part of the Campus Race to Zero Waste (CR2ZW), an annual eight-week competition against 96 other colleges and universities, the initiative works to identify which universities are excelling in waste diversion. Emerson has participated in the competition since 2012, taking a leave of absence from 2019 to 2022.
The competition also extends beyond which school is the most sustainable. Students also have the chance to win prizes. For example, during spring break, students could post a photo of themselves committing a sustainable action on their Instagram Stories as part of the WasteNot Emerson Instagram Challenge. During the challenge, the sustainability team posts a variety of tasks for participants to complete to earn points. Points will be tallied until March 29, and the top scorers will win ECCash. First place will win $150 in EC cash; second place will win $100; and third place will win $50.
Hazel Fitzpatrick, a junior communication major and Emerson Sustainability communications fellow, said that she feels initiatives like WasteNot remind students about the importance of sustainability.
“What I’ve noticed most during my time as a student employee at Emerson Sustainability is the lack of awareness about sustainable practices on campus,” said Fitzpatrick. “WasteNot helps Emerson students have a better understanding of what we’re doing on campus, but also what they can do to help Emerson be a more sustainable college, because there is always an opportunity to improve and grow.”
Students can also submit to the WasteNot Art Competition by March 24. Any art medium can be submitted, as long as it conveys a sustainability-related theme. The grand prize is $150 in ECCash. 2nd place wins $100 in ECCash, and 3rd place receives $50 in ECCash. Additionally, Emerson students can sign a pledge by March 29 to commit to properly recycling and composting on campus. The pledge earns students one point in the WasteNot Challenge.
Alongside the ongoing competition, the sustainability team has held a series of events throughout February and March.
One such event was Weigh the Waste in the Dining Center. Participants sorted and weighed dinner-time waste. The waste was sorted into inedible compost, edible food waste, trash, and liquid. The purpose of the event is to measure how much waste the Emerson community produces during a single meal, with the hope that waste decreases according to the Sustainable Emerson Blog.
In collaboration with Healing & Advocacy, WasteNot Emerson hosted “Low-Waste Art for Healing: Yarn Bowls” in February, where students created yarn bowls from donated yarn. Other activities featured a sustainability film screening in the Lion’s Den and another craft event in partnership with Healing & Advocacy, where students decorated wood frames.
This week, there is an Office Recycling Competition to encourage staff and faculty to get involved. To participate, members of the Emerson community can sign up to compete against other department offices for the highest diversion rate. Diversion rates measure the percentage of waste properly diverted and the amount diverted from landfills. The winning office will be rewarded with a pizza party.
On Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the second Weigh the Waste event will take place in the Dining Center. The results will be posted on the sustainability mural at Center Stage shortly after.
Moy said that the different events are meant to spark conversion, raise awareness within the Emerson community, and uplift low-waste practices.
Henry Weber, a sophomore School of Film major, said that while there is signage in the dining hall, it can be easy to forget about sustainability amid the chaos of everyday life. He said he felt the waste-diversion signs were particularly effective at reminding students of different ways to be sustainable.
“I think the waste diversion signs with specific pictures for each bin are helpful and easy to follow,” said Weber.
Practicing sustainability boils down to “simple but intentional choices you make in your day-to-day life, such as composting your DH to-go cup instead of throwing it in the trash,” said Fitzpatrick.
After WasteNot concludes, posters detailing proper waste-diversion practices will remain featured throughout campus. This signage was created in 2024 to direct students to sustainable waste management practices.
Moving forward, Weber said that he feels the college is doing a good job with their waste, but still encourages more to be done.
“I feel like Emerson does a decent job in getting students to dispose of waste properly, but I’m sure that we can always do more,” said Weber.
