Dear Campus Community,
UC Berkeley is only 14 months away from our Zero Waste by 2020 goal to divert 90% or more of campus waste from the landfill by the end of next year. We invite you to join us in this important and collective effort, and would like to share some simple and impactful actions that you can take to help our campus meet this goal:
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Put your waste into the right bin. Waste audits show that 75-80% of what is being put into our landfill bins can be composted or recycled. Be sure to get all compostable waste (food, paper products, and plant based plastic marked #7 PLA) into the green compost bin and all recyclable waste (metal, glass, plastic marked #1 and #2) into the blue cans and bottles recycling bin.
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Reduce single-use plastics. Say no to items and packaging made out of plastics, as most have to be sent to the landfill and negatively impact both the environment and public health.
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Use reusables. Bring a refillable water bottle or mug, set of utensils, and reusable bag with you to campus and everywhere you go. Be sure to utilize refill stations across campus and take advantage of discounts offered by many food service businesses when using your own reusables.
Both the Berkeley administration and our broader campus community are committed to diverting campus waste. Recently, the ASUC unanimously passed a resolution officially recognizing the month of October as Zero Waste October. Throughout the month, the student-led Zero Waste Coalition and its member organizations held events, led educational campaigns, and encouraged members of our community to sign a zero waste pledge. Many of these efforts continue beyond October. At the campus level, we’re taking extra steps to add bin infrastructure to every building and outside areas to help ensure compostable and recyclable material can be diverted.
To learn more and join the movement to eliminate waste, please take a moment to:
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Find resources on the Office of Sustainability website
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Refer to Cal Zero Waste’s helpful FAQs
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Engage with the Zero Waste Coalition on Facebook
We look forward to working together as a campus community, to lead by example, and to reach our Zero Waste by 2020 goal.
Sincerely,
Carol Christ
Chancellor
Marc Fisher
Vice Chancellor, Administration
Kira Stoll
Director of Sustainability
Nicole Haynes & Julia Sherman
Zero Waste Coalition
If you are a manager who supervises UC Berkeley employees without email access, please circulate this information to all.
