The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: zero waste

  • Green Campus Team shares resources on fun sustainability

    by Oden Taylor

    For Amber Chung, sustainability is everything. As an environmental science management major and the student leader of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Green Campus Team, Chung says she has been in love with the environment since she was a kid. 

    She said watching and reading “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss opened her eyes as a child to the need for sustainability.  

    “I really saw for the first time like wow, like what we do literally does matter. It can change the whole environment like it did there,” Chung said. “Now that I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that sustainability is such a wide concept, it has to be in everything for everything else to work. If you don’t center sustainability, you’re not really going to get anywhere with anything else, because it’s not going to last long term.”

    As a branch of the Office of Sustainability, the Green Campus Team is an organization that consists of five student employees and one staff advisor. Their goal is to encourage everyone on campus to center sustainability in everything they do.

    The team provides educational materials and advice for groups on campus on how to be as sustainable as possible while still having fun. In the coming months the team will hold a “Trashion” show where students can create outfits out of trash or other items that were about to be thrown away and a “Weigh the Waste” event to educate the campus community about the effects of food waste.

    This semester the Green Campus Team will also relaunch the Green Workplace Assessment Program, including a new sub-program called the Peer To Peer Education Program. Advocates will talk to campus departments and educate them on sustainable practices so they can properly educate their peers. 

    They will also launch a student version of this program called Equal Reps, recruiting students that live on campus to educate others about living green. 

    “It would be great if students, before doing any sort of action, just considered the question and the idea of ‘how can what I’m doing be more sustainable?’” Chung said. “How can I do this in a different way?”

    Chung said this could mean many different things and will look different for everyone.  

    “It could mean completely changing what you’re doing. It could be evaluating if you have the capacity to do more sustainable actions because sometimes there just simply isn’t a possibility with other things you have going on,” Chung said.

    The Waste Reduction and Resource Awareness Program has brought back the paper towel composting project this semester. WRRAP also gives out composting buckets for on-campus residents, as well as finished compost to anyone who wants it. 

    “Students should keep an eye out for signs in the restrooms marking which bin is for paper towels and which is for other waste,” WRRAP said in an email to the Lumberjack. “This is a great help when we go to do our final sorting before placing the paper towels in the on-campus industrial composter.”

    Chung explained that when planning events the campus should account for sustainability rather than making adjustments later. Chung suggested that the administration should foster an open dialogue with the Office of Sustainability to ensure that they are making the best decisions for the school long-term.  

    “I think continuing to make sure that [the administration is] keeping sustainability at a forefront rather than an afterthought would be really important for the school,” Chung said. “Especially as we’re making so many big decisions with the new Cal Poly change.” 

    The Green Campus Team has compiled the Zero Waste Event Certification Checklist of different things to keep in mind when planning an event on campus. The checklist includes helpful sustainability tips, like serving food buffet style in reusable containers and ensuring promotional or advertising materials and decorations are reusable, recyclable or compostable. 

    The Green Campus Team is currently looking for another student employee as well as experiential interns and volunteers. To learn more follow the Green Campus Team on Instagram @greencampus_humboldt.

  • HSU’s 4th Annual Zero Waste Conference Recap

    HSU’s 4th Annual Zero Waste Conference Recap

    Waste Reduction & Resource Awareness Program hosts environmental event and educates community

    The Humboldt State Zero Waste Conference, hosted by the campus’ Waste Reduction Resource Awareness Program, taught students and community members how to reduce the amount of waste they produce in their daily lives. The week ended in a city proclamation that Nov. 15 would forever be Zero Waste Day.

    “WRAPP is all about serving students and providing students resources to make lifestyle changes,” Program Manager Amanda McDonald said. “It’s a slow and gradual process where it’s not like you can get rid of every plastic thing in your house at once, but you have to be committed to doing this over time.”

    A week of influential guest speakers, engaging activities and exciting happenings kept students active and engaged in reducing waste. These included a moving speech by Tedd Ward, the authority on Del Norte solid waste, Tinkertime on the quad and the extravagant Green Campus Trashion Show.

    The clothing industry is so detrimental. Fast fashion, in my opinion, is one of the worst industries for the environment. It not only deteriorates sense of commitment, but it also withholds your own sense of style. It’s good to upcycle clothes for a new purpose instead of sending them straight to the landfill.

    The Zero Waste Conference began with a banquet which set the tone for the rest of the week. A keynote speech by Alec Cooley shared the story about the origins of the Humboldt Campus Recycling Program, following closely by the Trashion Show.

    Eight students built magnificent costumes out of household waste. There was a Rob-box, sword wielding cardboard centurion, and the CD bikini-rocking Julian Palmisano. They each strut their stuff across the stage to show off what they made.

    “I think my grandma would be proud,” Palmisano said. “I did it for fun. It’s kind of a joke, really, and it’s a way to bring attention to the unprecedented degree of waste that is in this world.”

    In pursuit of constructive solutions, the following day was Tinker Time. WRRAP, CCAT and Green Campus showed students how to reduce their waste by upcycling recyclable items. Upcycling is the “reuse” part of the reduce, reuse, recycle phrase.

    During Tinker Time, WRRAP showed students how to upcycle their clothes into mason jar coozies and grocery bags. The Campus Center for Appropriate Technologies upcycled wood waste and oyster shells into wind chimes. At the coozie table, WRAPP Compost Site Intern Krissi Fiebig taught students how to cut up old clothes and sew them together for a more beneficial use.

    “The clothing industry is so detrimental,” Fiebig said. “Fast fashion, in my opinion, is one of the worst industries for the environment. It not only deteriorates sense of commitment, but it also withholds your own sense of style. It’s good to upcycle clothes for a new purpose instead of sending them straight to the landfill.”

    In 1964 the first plastic bag was made, and it was the beginning of this. One half of all of all plastic produced has been produced in the last thirteen years. Recycling is ineffective… It was not our decision which led to this. It was fractional distillation and oil refining.

    Finally, Ted Ward’s speech was a somber reminder of the modern state of the world. He said he felt as though he had failed as a waste manager. He reminisced about the day the first plastic bag was created and commented on how we ought to rename our modern era the “Plastocene,” cynically addressing the volume of plastic waste we produce.

    “We should coin this era the Plastocene instead of the Holocene because that is our legacy,” Ward said. “In 1964 the first plastic bag was made, and it was the beginning of this. One half of all of all plastic produced has been produced in the last thirteen years. Recycling is ineffective… It was not our decision which led to this. It was fractional distillation and oil refining.”

    The Zero Waste Conference finished up with Humboldt officially declaring Nov. 15 Zero Waste Day. The official proclamation reflects Humboldt County, the City of Arcata and our local community’s progress towards zero waste.

    “Now be it resolved that the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors joins Humboldt cities and business groups to recognize November 15, 2019 as Zero Waste Day,” the proclamation said. “A day each year we acknowledge the County’s waste reduction progress and urge residents to recommit efforts toward Zero Waste.”

  • HSU’s 4th Annual Zero Waste Conference

    HSU’s 4th Annual Zero Waste Conference

    WRAPP hosts full week of speakers, activities and essential waste-reduction knowledge

    This week kicked off Humboldt State’s Waste Reduction & Resource Awareness Program’s Zero Waste Conference. The banquet was the first event of the conference and was held in the Kate Buchanan Room Tuesday evening.

    The banquet began with keynote speaker and former HSU student Alec Cooley, who recounted the history of the Humboldt State Campus Recycling, which he helped found. The evening climaxed with the Trashion Show which displayed upcycled waste products artfully crafted into snazzy fashion statements.

    Tuesday’s event was just the beginning of an action packed conference. The 4th Annual Zero Waste Conference includes events like Tinker Time, a workshopping and tabling event at the UC quad, two clothing swaps and a whole slough of keynote speakers.

    “This is the direction of the future that we’re moving towards, it’s zero waste,” WRRAP Student Director Amanda McDonald said. “It’s becoming more and more evident that we cannot keep mass producing waste and being wasteful with how we consume. It’s not going to sustain us into the future.”

    Full list of WRAPP’s Zero Waste Conference 2019 Event:

    Zero Waste Conference 2019 schedule of events: 

    Tuesday | November 12
    Zero Waste Presentation: Big Oil and Plastics, 5-6 p.m., Founders Hall Room 125. Tedd Ward, Director of the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, will discuss the social, economic, and environmental drivers moving communities toward zero waste, the role manufacturer’s responsibility must take to curb plastic pollution, and the action we can all take to avoid the waste we don’t want.

    Zero Waste Banquet, Keynote and Trashion Show 6-8 p.m., Kate Buchanan Room. Join us for a free zero waste meal. Vegetarian and vegan options will be available. Keynote presentation by HSUAlum and waste reduction expert Alec Cooley. Stay to watch the Trashion Show, hosted by Green Campus.

    Wednesday | November 13
    Clothing Swap, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kate Buchanan Room. All clothes are free. Although encouraged, you do not need to bring clothes to take clothes! 

    Tinker Time, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., UC Quad. A series of hands-on, interactive, DIY, and zero waste activities all day on the UC Quad, hosted by The Sanctuary, the BLC, CCAT, Botany Club, and more! 

    Sustainable Travel Workshop, 3:30-4:15 p.m., Library Room 209 – Fishbowl. Join students from REC 435 Sustainable Tourism class in a discussion on best practices for minimizing your footprint when travelling locally, nationally, and internationally.

    Oh SNAP! Zero Waste Cooking Class, 6-7:30 p.m., Rec & Wellness Center Room 122. Learn techniques and recipes to make delicious zero waste meals!

    The Climate Crisis and Solutions: A frank discussion on what each of us can do, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Founders Hall Room 118. Dr. Kate Lancaster is a trained Climate Reality Leader through Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Project. Dr. Lancaster will share her Climate Reality presentation, offering a clear picture of what is happening to the planet and the actions we can all take to change course. 

    Thursday | November 14
    Zero Waste Heroes Workshop, 10-11 a.m., Library Room 209-Fishbowl. Tired of being a part of the problem? Join the WRRAP team to learn about simple, low-cost and fun practices with big waste reduction implications. This workshop is part of the Leadership Conference, taking place between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. today in the Library.

    Clothing Swap, 12-4 p.m., Recreation and Wellness Center Room 126. All clothes are free. Although encouraged, you do not need to bring clothes to take clothes! 

    Zero Waste Thinkshop, 1-2 p.m., CCAT. Take a deep dive into zero waste philosophy, discuss with practitioners and gain DIY skills to reduce your personal impact.

    The Amazing World of Fungi: Mycoremediation, Biomaterials, & Mushroom Cultivation, 5 – 6 p.m., Founders Hall Room 206. Levon Durr is Owner of Fungaia Farm, a company that offers mushroom cultivation kits, workshops, and ecological restoration services. In this exciting presentation, Levon will discuss the critical role mushrooms can play in neutralizing toxins, restoring ecosystems, creating zero waste packaging, and building human health. 

    Calculating the Air Quality & Climate Impacts of Using Forest Residues to Generate Electricity, 5:30 – 7 p.m., Founders Hall Room 118. Dr. Kevin Fingerman and Senior Research Engineer Jerome Carman will present their research on the net environmental impacts of using residues from forest management activities for bioenergy. This talk is part of the Sustainable Futures Speaker Series, sponsored by the Schatz Center and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. 

    Ocean Night, 6 – 9 p.m., Arcata Theater Lounge, 1036 G Street, Arcata. Come to the ATL to see films about the ocean, plastic pollution, impacts to marine biodiversity and surfing. All ages, $5 suggested donation. Sponsored by Humboldt Surfrider. More info about films at the Arcata Theater Lounge website.

    Friday | November 15
    Zero Waste Day, all day, Arcata. The City of Arcata has proclaimed this day to be Zero Waste Day. Go to the city website to learn more about events in the community.

    Jewelry-Making from Bike Parts, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Bicycle Learning Center. Turn scrap bike parts into coasters and jewelry with the BLC instructors. Bring your bike to get help with maintenance and repairs. 

    Zero Waste Bike Ride, 3 – 4:30 p.m., Harry Griffith Hall Zagster Bike Station/ HGH Room 113. Join the BLC and Office of Sustainability on an all-abilities group ride to check out zero waste activities and businesses. No bike? No problem! Show up to get a FREE promo code to use a Zagster bike!

  • WRRAP goes beyond barriers during the Zero Waste Conference

    WRRAP goes beyond barriers during the Zero Waste Conference

    Humboldt State University’s WRRAP hosted their second annual Zero Waste Conference on Feb. 9 and Feb 10.

    The conference aimed to focus on the way we’re redirecting waste in our community, as well as the barriers that come with it.

    The two-day conference kicked off on Feb. 9 with DIY workshops focusing on waste reduction in the Humboldt community.

    There was also a banquet with keynote speakers followed by a documentary screening of Wasted Away.

    There was an all-day event of panelist discussions, a compost workshop and speakers on Feb. 10.

    One of the speakers was Dr. Melanie McCavour, lecturer for environmental science and management at HSU.

    McCavour’s presentation went over some common definitions and misconceptions of the terms biofuel, biomass and much more.

    “There’s no one answer to the question ‘Are biofuels sustainable?’,” McCavour said. “They’re not always bad and they’re not always sustainable. It depends on the situation.”

    McCavour expected to see more people in attendance. However, she said that one cannot judge success by the amount of people who turned out, and that it’s better judged by how much those learn from it.

    WRRAP education director Shanti Belaustegui believes this conference is an amazing opportunity to have a dialogue in our community about solutions and to get inspired by things that are happening.

    “I personally am leaving feeling very inspired,” Belaustegui said. “The people that did show up left with their minds nourished. That’s all we could’ve asked for, to create dialogue with the community and start this.”

    Ciera Wilbur, zero waste director for WRRAP, hopes that the Zero Waste Conference becomes a permanent event at HSU for people who don’t quite know about sustainability and zero waste.

    “The way I see sustainability is like the capacity to continue to exist,” Wilbur said. “We’re trying to protect our resources for future generations not just our current gratification.”

    Wilbur described zero waste as something that should bring us away from the current idealism, which is convenience and single-use products. She tries to bring forth the idea that what you use can be reused.

    “… we’re looking to create a circle,” Wilbur said.

    When it comes to sustainability and zero waste, there are barriers that people face. Wilbur said our biggest barrier is accessibility.

    “There’s a lack of education and sharing knowledge of how we can be more sustainable in an easy way,” Wilbur said.

  • A wrap-up of WRRAP’s Zero Waste Conference

    A wrap-up of WRRAP’s Zero Waste Conference

    The theme of the Zero Waste Conference held this past weekend on the Humboldt State campus was “beyond barriers.”

    Hosted by the Waste Reduction & Resource Awareness Program, or WRRAP, their goal is to help make sustainability accessible to everyone.

    The event featured different panels during its two-day run.

    Friday started with tinker time, where there was a clothing swap and different stations for students to learn how to sew, make their own deodorant or fix a flat bike tire. Later that night, WRRAP hosted a free vegan banquet for students and the community. It featured two keynote speakers.

    The mayor of Arcata explained her 10-step plan to transition into a zero waste city. The second speaker was André Villaseñor, an environmental protection specialist for the EPA, who spoke about his specialty of reducing food waste. The night finished with a showing of Anthony Bourdain’s film, “Wasted! The Story of Food Waste.”

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