One of Ohio State's most ambitious goals is to achieve zero waste by 2025 by diverting 90% of waste away from landfills. Ohio State aims to achieve Zero Waste through recycling, repurposing and composting materials.
To achieve zero waste, Ohio State is implementing infrastructure improvements, educating the campus community on recycling contamination and influencing behavior changes, reducing waste, expanding compost options, and reusing durable goods when possible.
Goal status and initiatives
Landfill Waste Diversion Rate: 41%
Over 6,000 tons of materials are recycled or reused every year. Standard signage and bin design have been updated reflecting more recyclable materials to encourage students, faculty and staff to recycle correctly.
Ohio State collects food scraps, animal bedding, and compostable containers from across campus for a more beneficial use. For example, Landscape Services reuses spent coffee grounds from campus dining locations in plant beds to improve soil health while minimizing waste.
The university’s Zero Waste team has expanded the collection of food waste for composting in over 120 locations across the Columbus campus, including residence halls and academic buildings with kitchenettes. Additionally, the university hosts compost drop-off locations on the Columbus campus for faculty, staff and students living off-campus. All faculty, staff and students interested in food waste composting are encouraged to sign up for the university's free Compost Mini Bin Program.
The Wexner Medical Center is reducing specialty medical waste through efforts such as a reusable sharps container program and a pilot program to collect and recycle operating room blue sterilization wrap.
Ohio State collaborates with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) and Ohio Penal Industries (OPI), which operate a recycling sorting program and Class II compost facility in London, OH, as a workforce and reentry training program. Our collaboration with ODRC and OPI is focused on sustainability, education, and rehabilitation. Through this collaboration, Ohio State football gameday recycling is sorted and some campus organic waste is composted at the facility, while participants earn a $10.45 per hour wage (with increased overtime wage rates when applicable), learn several trade skills, and can earn composting certifications through the university’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and additional training through Ohio State Extension. In addition, individuals are eligible to earn credit towards early release through their participation.
Resources
Department of Athletics Zero Waste Initiative
Student Event Zero Waste Toolkit Request Form
Environmental Health and Safety: Waste Minimization Program