February 21, 2025
SIU Zero Waste Station at International Food Festival spotlights campus sustainability initiatives
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Office of Sustainability is promoting sustainability and green initiatives of all kinds across campus and its latest promotion, a Zero Waste Station at the university’s International Food Festival, was a huge success.
The goal was to adhere to zero-waste principles by reducing landfill waste and maximizing recycling and composting during the Feb. 5 event.
Recycling and composting ramped up
The office began by providing fully compostable serving ware for all diners, including 1,500 plates, 1,200 napkins, 800 cups, 3,500 cutlery sets and 200 to-go boxes.
“By ensuring all serving ware was compostable, we minimized non-recyclable waste and made it easier and more convenient for those attending the event to sort the refuse after they ate,” said Aimee Lemrise, director of sustainability.
Office personnel and volunteers also placed three types of waste bins throughout the venue, accompanied by signage to ensure visitors used them properly:
- Mixed recycling bins for plastic cups, paper, aluminum trays etc.
- Compost bins for food scraps and compostable serving ware.
- Landfill bins for waste that was non-recyclable and non-compostable.
Efforts led to a significant 85.6% reduction in landfill waste compared to 2024. Just 50 pounds of trash was sent to the landfill compared to 348.26 pounds last year. In addition, the mixed recycling collection increased 87.9%, from 76.66 pounds to 144 pounds, while the compost collection gathered 168.5 pounds this year compared to 120 pounds in 2024, a 40.4% improvement. Also new this year, all of the aluminum pans the Registered Student Organizations used to serve food were collected separately for recycling, contributing an additional 106 pounds to bring the total amount of mixed recycling to 350 pounds.
“The Zero Waste Station initiative was a huge success, diverting the majority of the waste away from landfills and proving that planning and proper waste management, awareness and participation can make a difference,” Lemrise said. “This is a great example of everyone – students, faculty, staff, sustainability advocates and the community – coming together to make SIU a greener and more sustainable place. We appreciate the volunteers who contributed their time and energy and everyone who participated, showing that zero-waste events are achievable. We look forward to continuing our efforts to create a green, more sustainable SIU.”
Lemrise noted that the Student Sustainable Farm and Rachel Miller, its manager, collaborated with her office for the Zero Waste Station and played a crucial role in its success by ensuring compostable materials were processed efficiently to benefit the farm and campus.
Lemrise and her team have completed a case study detailing the event’s sustainability accomplishments and plan to enter the “Campus Race to Zero Waste” national competition, showcasing the university’s commitment to sustainable event planning and also encouraging future events to adopt waste reduction strategies.
Learn more
Find out more about sustainability and the numerous initiatives and activities happening at SIU by visiting the website, emailing sustainability@siu.edu or calling 618-453-2846.