The University of Oregon Zero Waste Program is responsible for collecting and sorting all solid waste produced by UO facilities, with the goal of reaching 85% zero waste.

The program is responsible for handling all waste thrown away on campus, including cardboard, aluminum, metal cans and compost.

Zero Waste Program Manager Phil Chesbro said that anything thrown away into bins on campus is handled by the program.

“We’re the ones who handle everything that you put into a bin, whether it’s recycling, garbage or composting,” Chesbro said. “We do our best to try to make sure that everything goes to its right place, whether it’s a bottle or it can go into a recycler or whether it’s a piece of food going to our composters.” 

Recycling on campus started in 1989 with the Student Survival Center, now called the Student Sustainability Center. Club members collected newspapers on campus and soon saw a need for a recycling program. The idea for such a program expanded through ASUO funding and the Recycling Program was officially created in 1991, Chesbro said.

The program began collecting more materials over the years and the university saw the need to institutionalize it. Today, the program is under Campus Planning and Facilities Management with a team of around 20 student employees and CPFM employees.

“Over the years as [the program] expanded into recycling, we’ve always wanted to be a leader in how much we divert [and] how engaged we keep our university public in recycling,” Chesbro said. “By 2011, the Recycling Program decided that we wanted to expand into composting, and that was when we rebranded as the Zero Waste Program.”

Chesbro said his goal is to to reduce the amount of waste UO produces by 85%.

Jeff Ziglinski, a Zero Waste Program representative said 100% zero waste is not impossible, and that it becomes more difficult to reduce waste the closer they get to their goal.

“I would say that 85% would mean that we can successfully say that we’ve reached a zero waste number, and especially because our numbers are very authentic,” Chesbro said. “We give the numbers of what reaches the recycling facility.”

Chesbro said students should care about recycling and the program because it helps people take responsibility for their own items. The program will help students do their part in caring for nature.

“We care about our forests, our rivers, our lakes and the beauty of the state is something we all want to preserve,” he said. “Recycling does its part for that, so being able to give the opportunity on campus and let students engage in that at the best level that we can is an important thing.”

Ziglinski agreed, saying that “[The Program] also provides lots of jobs and reduces the amount of material that goes into a landfill which is the dead end for any kind of material.” 

Some students think the Zero Waste Program has a positive impact on the community, and are happy that the university is trying to reduce waste. 

Tristin Bishop, a first-year student, said that having a recycling program at UO was “awesome,” and the program’s 85% waste reduction goal is more realistic than 100% waste reduction.

“You can either focus on that [85%] and make sure that [85%] gets nailed every single time, or you can spend 100 extra hours getting that [15%], striving for that perfection,” he said. “It might not be worth it, to be honest, so I think [85%] is a lofty goal, especially in waste reduction, which I think is a really awesome thing.”

First-year student Brady Pendexter also feels that 85% waste reduction is an achievable goal and supports the program being run by mostly student employees.

“I’ve always been supportive of student-run programs and things of that nature, especially things related to the university,” Pendexter said. “It is good to have student input.”

Students looking to get involved are encouraged to recycle or apply for a job with the Zero Waste Program.