Recent Headlines
Sue Fassler weighs compost during ESF's trash audit.
ESF's Trash Audit Reveals Progress in Sustainability Efforts
By Dana Fries
SYRACUSE, NY – Nov. 1, 2023 - People often throw something away and never think about it again. The annual trash audit at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is an opportunity to consider what we throw away as garbage and what can find a second life as compost or recyclable materials. The Oct. 17 event took place under the guidance of the Office of Sustainability.
“We conduct these trash audits to see how well we are sorting our trash into recyclables and compost,” said Susan Fassler, executive director of Sustainability.
Students and staff sorted and weighed a day's worth of trash from ESF’s Syracuse campus. The results showed 38 percent of the trash produced on campus should have been recycled or composted. This is an improvement from the October 2022 audit, in which 59 percent of trash belonged in the recycling or compost bins.
“Progress is being made but there is still much room for improvement,” said Fassler. The most commonly missorted items were:
- Stackable dairy tubs (should be recycled)
- Aluminum foil (should be balled up and recycled)
- Food (all food should be composted)
The data collected during the audit helps the Sustainability team see how that change affected trash generated on campus. The Office of Sustainability will compare this data to past years’ results to help show progression and determine the community's education needs.
“For instance, in the past, 40 percent of trash was food,” said Fassler. This shows a need to educate about compost, leading to the "food is compost" slogan at the center of the office's latest waste campaign.
The audit is essential to the Office of Sustainability and takes around two hours with help from student volunteers. The volunteers label the waste from each campus building, lay tarps on the ground to weigh it, and then sort it into trash, compost, and recyclables. The trash pile is weighed a final time to see how much of what is thrown away as trash can be diverted to more sustainable waste streams.
Fassler’s passion for sustainability is apparent as she talks about the avoidable food waste she sees on campus. She hopes the “food is compost” campaign will help ESF combat this waste.
The Sustainability Office is exploring other ways to repurpose waste. They are collaborating with Oakie’s Green Team and OAC to turn trash into art during an upcycled art workshop Friday, Nov. 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in 24 Marshall Hall.
These initiatives will help ESF when the College again competes in the national Campus Race to Zero Waste beginning in January. Last year, the College placed 20th overall and first in New York state.
“Taking the time to ‘know before you throw‘ and properly sort trash, recycling, and compost will help ESF score, but more importantly will help ensure materials are recycled or returned to the earth,” said Fassler.
Information about how to sort materials is detailed on the bin signage around campus. People can also email the Sustainability Office at sustainability@esf.edu.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.
Dana Fries is a writing intern in ESF’s Office of Communications and Marketing. She is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies with a focus on communication.