Waste minimization continues to be a major focus area for Facilities Management teams. A pan-University working group – led by the Office for Sustainability and involving Facilities Management staff members – was launched in March 2021 to develop a single-use plastics reduction plan to comply with Virginia Executive Order 77.
The order – which required state agencies to stop buying, selling and distributing plastic and polystyrene food service containers, single-use plastic straws and cutlery, disposable plastic bags and single-use plastic water bottles by July 2021, and to phase out single-use plastics by 2025 – closely aligns with the University’s own sustainability goals and work already underway to reduce single-use plastics.
As plastic materials are phased out, alternative materials that are reusable or compostable will be introduced and the University’s composting efforts will be increased. In the spring of 2021, UVA diverted more than 1,200 pounds of compost during pandemic-impacted spring dining operations with compostable dining to-go containers and cutlery. With the help of Zero Waste Ambassadors, students were charged with educating their peers on composting best practices.
Through demonstrations like those at the Zero Waste Station, student Zero Waste Ambassadors promote composting as a sustainable alternative to landfill waste.
UVA’s centralized waste program for academic spaces, which co-locates recycling and landfill containers in central building locations, will continue to expand. This effort – supported by the Educational & General Custodial Services and Recycling teams – will reduce hundreds of thousands of small trash and recycling bag liners that are used annually.
Outreach events like the Green Game emphasize landfill waste reduction and education at events on Grounds.
Student volunteers coordinated by the Office for Sustainability collect recyclables, landfill waste, and compostable materials from The Corner, an area near UVA Grounds.