Scope 3 Strategies
• CWU Sustainability facilitates post-food waste diversion trainings in partnership with CWU Dining and other departments. Develop and provide training on waste diversion and sorting to ensure limited contamination of recycling and compost receptacles. • Student and new employee orientation includes information and resources regarding waste diversion and proper waste disposal. • CWU Student Ambassadors (peer-to-peer educators) collaborate with CWU Housing, Residential Hall Association, Wildcat Farm, and the Basic Needs Center to increase education and engagement regarding waste diversion and food recovery. • Collaborate with CWU Dining and food providers on campus to reduce single use plastics and increase capacity to utilize reusable ware. • Institute education and engagement activities to increase knowledge of waste impacts on the environment. • Install standardized waste receptacles that are clearly labeled (e.g., landfill, recycling, and composting) for campus community members. Department Lead(s): CWU Sustainability, Facilities Management, Dining Services, Wildcat Farm, Auxiliary Enterprises, and Surplus
Transportation/ Commuter Emissions
Biodiversity and Water Conservation
Waste Diversion
Sustainable Procurement
Waste Diversion Summary: CWU is the largest generator of waste in Kittitas County and has unique opportunities to significantly divert that waste from the county landfill by advancing recycling and composting initiatives over the next several years. A wide range of campus waste, ranging from food to products purchased and discarded by the campus community is hauled away to the landfill instead of being reused, recycled, or composted, accounting for powerful methane emissions entering into the Earth’s atmosphere. On a global scale, nearly eight billion people currently require 1.75 planet Earths for the resources consumed and waste generated across the world. It is projected that human civilization will use nature two times faster than planet Earth’s biocapacity can regenerate by 2030. It is estimated that if everyone consumed as many resources as the average US citizen, we would need four planet Earths to sustain everyone’s lifestyles around the world. We only have one planet Earth.
After extensive campus community engagement through CWU Sustainability Forums and classroom presentations, students were consistently surveyed on which strategies and focus should be prioritized in the CAP. Waste diversion has been identified as a top 3 priority strategy for the University. CWU Sustainability, Dining Services, Wildcat Farm, Facilities Management, and Auxiliary Enterprises underwent extensive planning efforts to identify the following waste diversion strategies and action steps:
Objective: Reduce and divert 25% of all waste generated on campus by 2030, compared to 2023 levels.
Initial and Ongoing Costs: $300,000 - $1,000,000
Funding Opportunities: WA State Department of Commerce, Washington State Legislature – Capital and Operating Budget Requests, federal and non-federal grants. Phasing Plan: A comprehensive, campus-wide Waste Diversion Plan will be completed no later than 2026. Planning is already underway to design and implement pre-consumer food waste reduction efforts across campus. By late 2025/early 2026, CWU will install an industrial composter at Wildcat Farm to begin accepting pre-consumer food waste. Post-consumer food waste initiatives will commence after pre-consumer food waste is adequately addressed. It is anticipated that a full- scale food waste diversion program will be operational by 2030. Equity Considerations: Implement an equitable planning and implementation process to ensure waste diversion opportunities are affordable, accessible, reliable, and fairly distributed throughout the campus community. Co-Benefits: Reduced landfill costs, increased collaboration with campus and local community, increased education and awareness of waste reduction, energy savings, and natural resource conservation.
Projected GHG Emission Reductions: Medium Impact Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive CWU Waste Diversion Plan in partnership with CWU Facilities Management, Dining, Wildcat Farm, Surplus, and several other departments. Action Steps: • Develop a comprehensive, campus-wide waste tracking and audit checklist. - Identify and quantify primary sources of waste, including pre and post-consumer food waste. - Conduct quarterly pre-consumer and bi-annual post-consumer food waste audits. • Invest in and install a 30’ x 10’ industrial composter at the CWU Wildcat Farm, which will enable the University to divert up to 1,000 lbs. of food waste from the landfill on a daily basis. - Hire an equipment operator to maintain and manage the composter at the Wildcat Farm and institute pickups of pre-consumer food waste from the SURC kitchen, Panda Express, Tunstall Commons, and Student Village no later than 2026. • Increase donations and engagement at CWU Surplus.
28 | CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | 29
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