September 11, 2013

'Zero Waste' is goal for all-university picnic


Faculty, staff and students are advised to follow signs for composting, recycling and waste during the Sept. 17 outdoor lunch event.

As part of UNL’s ongoing effort to strive towards sustainability, this year’s All-University Picnic will be a “Zero Waste Event.”

The goal is to divert at least 90 percent of materials away from the landfill. Faculty, staff and students are advised to follow signs for composting, recycling and waste during the lunch event, which will take place immediately following Chancellor Harvey Perlman’s State of the University address on Sept. 17 in the Van Brunt Visitors Center.

Ample “zero waste” stations will be monitored by volunteers to make it easy for attendees to participate.

Landscape Services will weigh the bins after the picnic clean-up to see how successful UNL was in approaching Zero Waste and will report the results within a couple of days after the event.

The Chancellor’s Office, Landscape Services and Dining Services have coordinated this event to inspire the campus community to do their part to lessen their impact on planet earth. UNL Recycling Office (recycling@unl.edu) can help plan future campus “zero waste” events.