North Carolina State University
OP-23: Waste Diversion

The Pizza Box Composting Project was started in February 2014 with just 2 dumpsters. Before the Fall 2014 semester, 4 additional compost dumpster were added. The project has diverted more than 12,000 pizza boxes from the landfill and won the 2015 Outstanding College/University Award from the Carolina Recycling Association. A special pumpkin/gourd collection was available around Halloween and Thanksgiving 2014 and 2015 for students, faculty and staff. The pizza box composting dumpsters were utilized for this special collection. The Inter-Residence Council also hosted a punkin' chunkin' stress reliever event after Halloween 2014 and all of the pumpkins were composted. In an additional composting effort, two post-consumer compost stations were introduced to the Talley Student Union. Cease the Grease, a program to recycle used cooking oil/grease to turn it into biodiesel fuel was introduced to two university apartment complexes on campus in January 2014. This program is an expansion of the cooking oil/grease recycling done in university dining facilities. The program has since been expanded to all on campus apartment complexes with full kitchens. Waste Reduction takes place at large and small events. Recycling and composting options were made available at the Kay Yow Spring Football Games in 2014 and 2015. Then starting in the fall 2015 football season, composting was added to the existing recycling program on the concourse at every home football game. Waste Reduction and Recycling also provides educational support and resources in assistance with major events to reduce waste, including: the Krispy Kreme Challenge, Rec Fest, America Recycles Day, Earth Day, Service Raleigh, Rubbage Ride, Move-in and Move-out. NC State also has several recycling campaigns and programs throughout the year. The Annual Recycling Drive was held over Spring Break in both 2014 and 2015. In 2014 materials collected included paper, electronics and rigid plastics. In 2015 collections were expanded to textiles, CFL bulbs and plastic bags. NC State participated in the 2015 RecycleMania Competition as well as the 3R Actions Social Media Challenge portion of the competition where students could text, tweet or use a mobile app to show how they were reducing, reusing and recycling. During move out 2014 and 2015 plastic bags were distributed to students for clothing, shoes and bedding. This helped educate students about the program as well as keep the pack rat storage containers better organized. Waste Reduction and Recycling partnered with Feed the Pack Food Pantry and Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA) for the 2015 Wolf Pack N Give Move Out Program.

An NC State chapter of the Food Recovery Network started fall semester 2015 and began collecting prepared food for donation from campus dining facilities. Another food donation program is Feed the Pack. Feed the Pack is a community-based initiative sustained by the greater NC State community to combat the food insecurity experienced by members of the Wolf Pack family.

In 2010, Waste Reduction and Recycling conducted a waste audit of Fountain Dining Hall and found that 70% of the waste generated was compostable. This led University Dining in partnership with Waste Reduction and Recycling to begin a food waste compost program at 3 eat-in dining facilities: Case, Fountain and Clark. These 3 dining facilities were the first on campus to begin pre-consumer composting. All pre-consumer food waste from trimming, over production and expired food was composted by dining staff as well as any uneaten food and napkins left on student’s plates! In addition to composting in the campus dining halls, many food service locations including On the Oval, the clubhouse at Lonnie Poole Golf Course and the restaurants in the Talley Student Union compost food items while preparing food behind the scenes.

The first opportunity for students to actively participate in the University’s composting efforts began in March 2014 with the Pizza Box Composting Project. This program allows students to compost pizza boxes, napkins, paper plates and any leftover pizza slices/crust in special dumpsters located near select residence hall waste stations. In addition to the Pizza Box Composting Project, Talley Student Union also offers two post-consumer compost stations for students, faculty and staff to utilize after they have finished eating. Post consumer composting also began in 2015 at Carter-Finley Stadium during NC State football games. Compost bins are located together with recycling and waste containers along the concourse. Composting is also available by request for special events.

C&D, Pizza Box Composting, Stadium Waste and Recycling