Project Clearinghouse

Plastic Sucks: Plastic-Waste-Free Campus

Sustainability Problem and Proposed Solution: 

UCSC is not on target to meet its Zero Waste goal in 2020. Plastic waste is arguably the most difficult and most important component to eliminate from the waste stream. Plastic Sucks: For a Plastic-Waste-Free Campus aims to remove plastic from UCSC wherever possible. The first and most important step is to stop as much plastic waste (much of it in the form of plastic packaging) from coming onto the campus in the first place.

Jump to: Contact | Project Description | Funding Sources | Metrics for Success | Results
Project Categories: 
Business & Economics
Land, Habitat, Watershed
Energy & Climate
Food
Awareness, Education & Engagement
Purchasing
Social Justice
Waste & Recycling
Water
Project Status: 
Proposed
Project End Date: 
12/31/2020
(estimated)
Affiliated Department, Unit or College: 
Division of Graduate Studies
Project Location: 
On campus



Stakeholder Contacts: 
Contact NameEmail AddressContact NumberDepartment
Sonya Newlyn
snewlyn@ucsc.edu
8314593136
DIvision of Graduate Studies
Funding Sources: 
Don't have any, and don't have an organization to help, yet.

Project Description: 

Plastic Sucks: For a Plastic-Waste-Free Campus aims to help UCSC meet its Zero Waste goal by the end of 2020 by eliminating, as much as possible, plastic waste from UCSC's waste stream. The project will seek top administrative support by urging a top-down change in purchasing policy and vendor policy. The project will seek to have top administration implement policy to prohibit the sale of plastic-bottled beverages and plastic-packaged food on campus. WHere possible, purchasing policy will prohibit the purchase of plastic-packaged goods when non-plastic-packaged alternatives are available and not exhorbitantly more expensive. The project will seek to have the Bay Tree Bookstore stop using plastic bags. The project will also seek to engage in a massive campus-wide educational campaign about the evils of plastic waste.

Metrics for Success: 

We will tick off each item listed above as we accomplish those goals. We will ask UCSC's recycling and trash sorting unit to report reduction of plastic waste in UCSC's waste stream as an indicator of our progress toward zero waste.

Next Steps: 
Get existing sustainability organizations behind the project. Start by contacting all vendors on campus currently bringing plastic-packaged and mostly plastic products onto campus for sale and advocating that they stop. Advocate to top administration to change vendor policies to prohibit sale of plastic-packaged food and beverages on campus.
Result Categories: 
Behavior Change
Policy
Education/Outreach
Data Collection & Analysis
Results: 

Purchasing policy and vendor policy will be changed by top administration. All food vendors on campus will no longer sell plastic-bottled beverages or plastic-packaged food. The Bay Tree Bookstore will no longer use plastic bags and will reduce as much as possible plastic-packaged goods. UCSC Catering will eliminate the use of plastic film wrap and other single-use plastic containers (such as hot beverage sacks in cardboard to-go boxes), replacing with reusable containers. An educational campaign will urge the campus population not to bring plastic waste-packaged products onto campus or to purchase them.