{"id":31111,"date":"2026-03-13T15:37:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/160-news\/?p=31111"},"modified":"2026-03-13T21:35:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:35:38","slug":"chasing-zero-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/chasing-zero-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"Chasing Zero Waste"},"content":{"rendered":"
In the corner of the Sustainability Office\u2019s kitchen stands a small box full of powerful little friends\u2014wriggling earthworms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe love the worms,\u201d Megan Butler, the director of sustainability at Mac, says fondly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The soft-bodied invertebrates, mini compost creators, are small but mighty contributors to Mac\u2019s commitment to zero waste. Fed food scraps from staff lunches and dinner events, the worms enjoy a nearly endless buffet, delicacies that their human neighbors intentionally saved from the waste bin. Eventually the Sustainability Office hopes to find the little composters additional homes in staff and dorm kitchenettes around campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe want to make sure that when people are at Mac, they recognize that sustainability is part of the culture here\u2014this is really important, and a part of who we are,\u201d Butler says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s all part of Macalester\u2019s work to advance a lofty\u2014but definitely attainable\u2014goal: to become the first campus in the US to achieve zero waste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zero waste, as defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance, means regularly diverting 90 percent of all waste from landfills, incinerators, or other disposal mechanisms, through reuse, repair, recycling, or composting\u2014anything that promotes maximum use of an item or material. Macalester has been reaching for this goal since 2011. Current diversion rates sit around 73 percent\u2014and while progress has not always been steady or linear, it\u2019s an astronomical improvement since the college recorded a rate of 19 percent in 2007. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
No institution in the US has reached the magic number yet, but Macalester leads the pack among peer colleges. The college has earned first place in the national Campus Race to Zero Waste and maintained a 70+ percent diversion rate for the past three years. It fell only four points short of becoming the first small campus to earn a platinum ranking in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). The self-reporting framework is offered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for institutions to measure sustainability efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To hit this benchmark, Macalester has been busy. Each year, the community saves thousands of pounds of food from the trash, mends countless outfits, rehomes mini fridges, and repairs dozens of bicycles in the campus bike shop. The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTom\u00e1s Prendergast \u201927 learns how to fix a bicycle in the campus bike shop, which offers free repairs and bike education to students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Building a zero-waste culture<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Guiding the work is the new 2025 Zero Waste Action Plan (ZWAP), developed in partnership with the nonprofit Post-Landfill Action Network. The culmination of three years and more than 700 hours of work from five student fellows and Sustainability Office staff, the plan has three areas of focus: infrastructure, behavior, and policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The college has made significant investments in infrastructure in recent years\u2014it boasts compost and recycling facilities in every residence hall, a reusable to-go food container system called Reuzzi for students, and all-compostable catering supplies from Bon App\u00e9tit. Together, these efforts make zero waste measures easy to access and easy to internalize, which supports the second focus area, behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Atlas fellows Abby White \u201926 and Lorenna Graham \u201926, who helped develop the new ZWAP, both note that even perfect infrastructure and policy proposals will fall short without behavioral change. \u201cA huge part is education and making it as easy as possible,\u201d Graham says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUsing language that makes it feel possible helps,\u201d adds White. \u201cSome people might not know exactly what \u2018zero waste\u2019 means. So creating fun events and promoting free resources on campus helps students understand what it actually is\u2014we\u2019re not saying you can never throw anything away again. We\u2019re not the garbage police!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While working on developing the ZWAP, the two fellows contributed to a financial assessment of infrastructure, logistical planning for new programs, and helped create new training videos and activities for students who take the Sustainable Scots first-year workshop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re working on creating a culture of sustainability and zero waste\u2014we want it to be one of the pillars of Macalester,\u201d Graham says. \u201cIt\u2019s like, you come to this school, and you\u2019re gonna do your homework: we\u2019re academically rigorous. And we\u2019re stewards of our community: we\u2019re going to be sustainable.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though progress can be challenging at times, they both say that the Macalester community is still on board. \u201cIt feels very easy to participate in sustainability and zero waste here,\u201d White says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sustainability Office has other ways to subtly encourage people to get involved in zero waste efforts, too. Learn-to-mend and repair workshops happen frequently in the Idea Lab, and the office has partnered with clubs across campus to encourage more people to participate in environmental and outdoors activities\u2014putting on a learn-to-bike workshop with the Biking Club and a Camping 101 program with the Outdoors Club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe idea is to get more people outside, hoping that that will lead to more of an appreciation,\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Butler says. \u201cIf somebody has a good experience with camping, maybe they\u2019re also going to recycle and compost more because they\u2019ve had that positive interaction with sustainability in other ways.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nMila Petit \u201927, Sophie Moeller \u201927, and Charlie Gee \u201926 host weekly mending hours to help students learn how to fix, adjust, or bedazzle their clothing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nLaurice Jimu \u201927 checks out a shirt in the campus reuse center. The center rehomes thousands of donated items every year.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Student-driven change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Other projects the students are working on include setting up an internal digital asset management system to redistribute hard-to-recycle items like furniture throughout campus, maintaining the Reuzzi takeout container infrastructure, participating in weekly food recovery and delivery, piloting an app that alerts students within MacNav (Mac\u2019s student-facing app) when there\u2019s leftover food from events, running reuse\/repair workshops, piloting projects like appointing a \u201cgreen representative\u201d for each sports team, and partnering with community and student organizations on environmental justice initiatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most visible efforts on campus is MacShare, a student-run food co-op that brings local, sustainable, and cheaper produce to campus. Student volunteers purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and other staples like tofu and eggs from local co-ops and then sell them at cost out of the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMacShare was initially conceived as a justice-focused mutual-aid organization,\u201d explains Nurain Jiwani \u201926, who has been involved since his first year and also co-leads food recovery efforts across campus. \u201cLiving up to that vision is both a great goal and a great challenge. MacShare distributes free food to students who need it via free vouchers, which are funded by the Open Pantry. We do what we do because we believe everyone should have access to affordable and healthy food.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Free Swap Outlet\/Garage is one of the Sustainability Office\u2019s top points of pride, and a major cornerstone of the \u2018infrastructure\u2019 bucket of the ZWAP. The free item exchanges, one located on Summit Avenue and another in the garage in the Sustainability Office\u2019s backyard, are open to students, staff, faculty, and community members. Also contributing are local organizations that distribute clothes, appliances, and other items to folks in need around the Twin Cities. It\u2019s a big win for both reaching diversion goals and supporting the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt really serves an important purpose and has a big impact,\u201d Butler says. \u201cAnd the sheer scale of it is impressive. It\u2019s a crazy quantity of things we\u2019re processing. It\u2019s unheard of for such a small campus.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Environmental impacts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Environmental justice, community engagement, and mutual aid are northstars of the ZWAP. Initiatives like food recovery work toward zero waste goals but, more importantly, help reduce food insecurity on and off campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sustainability Office partners with Loaves and Fishes, a Minneapolis non-profit that provides healthy meals to food-insecure Minnesotans. Students, volunteers, and Bon App\u00e9tit staff recover food from Caf\u00e9 Mac each week. Recovered food\u2014anything that is untouched, unopened, and safe to eat\u2014is then driven by students to Loaves and Fishes\u2019 distribution centers. Any food classified as waste is sent first to a nearby pig farm, or to composting.<\/p>\n\n\n\nConsuela Espinoza, a cook with Bon App\u00e9tit, works to separate trimmings during meal preparation. The trimmings will be sent to Barthold Farms as part of Mac\u2019s food to hogs program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Most of the waste produced on campus is food-related. At the same time, food insecurity <\/p>\n\n\n\n
is increasing across the Twin Cities. \u201cIt feels wrong to have both,\u201d Butler says. \u201cI think it inspires us to keep investing time and effort into making sure food is accessible that would have otherwise been wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMarginalized communities bear responsibility for waste they didn\u2019t produce,\u201d says Jiwani. \u201cMacalester is a community in and of itself, and it can be easy to forget about the larger community we live in. If our neighbors need the food we don\u2019t want anymore, the least we can do is to share it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Food recovery is just one part of environmental justice work, though. Butler emphasizes that historically disadvantaged communities already bear a disproportionate burden of waste\u2019s environmental impacts\u2014pollution, hazards, and toxic emissions. The less Mac can throw away, the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWaste doesn\u2019t just go away,\u201d she says. \u201cAt Macalester, we send our waste to landfills and incinerators in Red Wing and Mankato\u2014it\u2019s the same story, with a disproportionately burdened community bearing the brunt. It\u2019s just not in our backyard anymore. We need to do our part to reduce and eliminate these impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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“Waste doesn\u2019t just go away. At Macalester, we send our waste to landfills and incinerators in Red Wing and Mankato\u2014it\u2019s the same story, with a disproportionately burdened community bearing the brunt. It\u2019s just not in our backyard anymore.\u201d<\/blockquote>\n Megan Butler<\/cite>\n \tDirector of Sustainability<\/cite>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
Finding joy in the work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The enthusiasm found within Facilities Services and the Sustainability Office is infectious\u2014an attitude that Butler intentionally takes, knowing the emotional toll this work can require. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know climate anxiety around environmental issues can really shut folks down,\u201d she says, \u201cso I really focus on what can be done, and the empowering components of everyday actions\u2014which is something I need, as an inherently impatient person. On this scale, I can see the impact of my work every day, and getting to interact with people\u2014it\u2019s rejuvenating.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
White echoes this. \u201cIt can feel so daunting, but there\u2019s so many ways on campus, almost entirely student-led, to help make a difference,\u201d she says. \u201cWe might not be stopping climate change, but we\u2019re helping provide people with things they need and finding solutions to other sustainability problems so that they don\u2019t negatively affect others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jiwani sees this firsthand during MacShare hours, too. \u201cIt\u2019s more than an on-campus market\u2014it\u2019s a community space. Every Friday, a line starts to form before we open, abuzz with energy. I love to chat with everybody and help them pick out their produce. My favorite part is when a new customer gets to the end of the line and I can see their surprise at the low total. It\u2019s a great feeling knowing that we are helping increase food access on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know we\u2019re not going to end all waste by implementing all these initiatives,\u201d says Graham, \u201cbut it\u2019s so important to remember that doing what you can is better than doing nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond Zero Waste<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As an institution, Macalester is committed to advancing sustainability goals of all kinds\u2014not just zero waste. Reducing emissions and energy consumption is a central facet of the college\u2019s strategic plan. And one of the biggest examples of that commitment will soon be found underneath the college\u2019s new residence hall and welcome center, which is currently under construction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crews are installing a geothermal pump system under the new building, a rare feature for colleges in urban and northern climates. Aquifer-based geothermal systems are a newer technology that taps into the thermal energy stored in groundwater. Underground temperatures are steady year-round, creating opportunities for thermal exchange. During summer months, the naturally cool groundwater provides a head start on air conditioning, and in winter, the same water is significantly warmer than the air outside, requiring less heating to meet indoor temperature needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, the college plans to expand the energy-efficient system across campus. \u201cThe geothermal technology being integrated into the building provides urban campuses with a viable pathway for moving away from fossil fuels,\u201d says Nathan Lief, associate vice president for facilities services. \u201cAs the system is expanded to include other buildings, it will be a game changer in lowering emissions and reducing costs for the college.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To help create a culture of sustainability around these issues, the Sustainability Office regularly promotes opportunities to get a better sense of how bigger-picture infrastructure works at the college. Boiler plant and steam tunnel tours, along with a solar panel tour of campus rooftops, are community favorites.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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