Jasmine Brown
Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy of PaulClark
While many students are preparing for the Halloween weekend, the University of California Santa Barbara Zero Waste Committee is gearing up for the first Zero Waste Weekend to be held during the mens’ soccer games Oct. 26 through 28 at Harder Stadium.
For the first Zero Waste Weekend, committee members plan on continuing UCSB’s efforts in sustainable measures by educating and involving soccer game attendees. Those who plan on attending the weekend games will have an active role in discarding any recyclable or compostable materials in the bins that will be placed in the stadium.
“In order for us to reach the goal to have zero waste by the year 2020, we have to turn our attention to big events like soccer games where much waste is generated,” said Clayton Beaver, Zero Waste Weekend volunteer organizer and fourth-year accounting major.
Other on-campus groups, Associated Students Recycling and the Plastic Pollution Coalition are partnering up with the Zero Waste Committee for this on-site composting and recycling project during Friday and Sunday games.
Ce Ce Osborn, third-year psychology major and Environmental Affairs Board Liaison provides a microscopic lens behind the purpose and importance of sustainable projects, and its target to operate suitable waste supervision procedures on campus.
“Sustainability focuses on the implementation of lasting systems that leaves little impact on the environment,” said Osborn. “We [Zero Waste Committee] are a small dedicated working group focused on reaching the UC System wide goal of zero waste by 2020.”
The Zero Waste Committee is one of UCSB’s many student-generated groups that commits to implementing projects and programs, in hopes of expanding and maintaining a sustainable waste management operated campus.
By teaming up with the UCSB men’s soccer team for the first Zero Waste Weekend, UCSB can possibly divert an enormous amount of compostable materials that will be eventually used in local industrial markets.
The first Zero Waste Weekend sporting event is a small portion of a campus-wide sustainability project. Cheyenne Smith, a second-year economics and accounting major, shared her thoughts on UCSB “going green.”
“I love the presence of sustainability on this campus,” Smith said. “I learned that in some vending machines the lights automatically turn off when they are not being used.”
These sustainable projects on campus are on a micro-scale of what is being done globally. Those interested in becoming a part of the zero waste movement at UCSB are welcome to join the Zero Waste Committee at their weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in the Student Resource Building room 1103.
Comments are closed.