Campus Zero Waste Week 2021

We’re celebrating Zero Waste Week with virtual events happening from February 22-26, 2021

What is Zero Waste Week?

Join us for the University of Pittsburgh’s Campus Zero Waste Week (CZWW). Each day will feature zero waste programming including the Face Your Waste Challenge, Ask a Professor, Zero Waste Period Giveaway, maker workshops with the University of Thriftsburgh, Contamination Examination with the Pitt Eco-Reps, a recycling workshop with the Pennsylvania Resources Council, and tips and tricks on how to live Zero Waste on and off-campus!

We are celebrating Zero Waste Week through virtual events and competitions. Join us each day as we Face, Trace, Replace, Erase, and Embrace our waste!

Zero Waste Week 2021 Schedule

Sunday, February 21: Kickoff

1pm: What is a Circular Economy? Ask a Professor!

Join @pittmcsi on Instagram to learn from Dr. Melissa Bilec and Dr. Eric Beckman from the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation. They’ll be explaining the Circular Economy and sharing about their work at Pitt! You can send us any questions you have about Circular Economy research, and we’ll respond to them throughout Campus Zero Waste Week!

5 pm: Waste Challenge Kickoff!

Join us at 5 pm on Sunday to learn how you can participate in the individual waste challenge.  The challenge is open to students, faculty and staff.  You can “face” your waste on one day during Zero Waste Week OR monitor multiple days.  Zero Waste prizes will be awarded!

Learn how to participate in the Face Your Waste Challenge in the video below!

Monday, February 22: Face Your Waste

3:30 pm: Contamination Examination with Pitt Eco-Rep

Are you a Pitt student living in a Residence Hall? The Pitt Eco-Reps invite you to join us to learn about the proper way to recycle and avoid contamination in your recycling and composting bins. We will do our own examination of bins and answer questions!

Register here!

Ongoing: Face Your Waste Challenge! 

Join the campus waste challenge!  FACE your waste by tracking what items you use each day that end up in the landfill!  You can track your waste for one day or multiple days. The deadline to submit your answers is 10pm Thursday, February 25th. There will be one grand prize winner from those who submit their amounts for all four days, one student grand prize winner, one staff/faculty prize winner and one winner for those who submit multiple days, one winner from those who submit for only one day, and 3 random winners.  

Tuesday, February 23: Trace your Waste 

Ongoing: Face Your Waste Challenge!

Join the campus waste challenge! FACE your waste by tracking what items you use each day that end up in the landfill! You can track your waste for one day or multiple days. The deadline to submit your answers is 10 pm Thursday, February 25th. There will be one grand prize winner from those who submit their amounts for all four days, one student grand prize winner, one staff/faculty prize winner and one winner for those who submit multiple days, one winner for those who submit for only one day, and 3 random winners.

Wednesday, February 24: Replace your Waste

11am and 4pm: Zero Waste Period Giveaway

Pitt Planned Parenthood and the Student Office of Sustainability present a zero-waste period product give away! Register here to pick up a DotCup or LunaPad! 

Product Pick-Up Schedule: 

  • Wednesday: 11:00AM to 1:00PM 
  • Wednesday: 4:00PM to 6:00PM 

Pickup Location: Schenley Quad – Tables Located Between Amos and McCormick Halls 

Ongoing: Face Your Waste Challenge!

Join the campus waste challenge! FACE your waste by tracking what items you use each day that end up in the landfill! You can track your waste for one day or multiple days. The deadline to submit your answers is 10pm Thursday, February 25th. There will be one grand prize winner from those who submit their amounts for all four days, one student grand prize winner, one staff/faculty prize winner and one winner for those who submit multiple days, one winner from those who submit for only one day, and 3 random winners.

Thursday, February 25: Erase your Waste

12 pm: Recycling and Waste Reductions Seminar with the PA Resources Council

City of Pittsburgh residents are invited to join us as we get answers to common questions surrounding residential, curbside recycling in Pittsburgh such as:

Lids on? Lids off? Rinse? Wash? Labels on? Labels off? Which plastics are acceptable? What about a window? Broken plastic toys? Electronics? Tires? Plastic bags? Polystyrene? Appliances? What materials are accepted curbside? What about hard-to-recycle items such as electronics and household hazardous waste? Organic debris?

Also, we’ll have information to share on the City’s Blue Bin Roll-out and the plan for Pittsburgh to be Bag-Free by 2023!

Register here! 

3:30pm: Contamination Examination with Pitt Eco-Reps

Are you a Pitt student living in a Residence Hall? The Pitt Eco-Reps invite you to join us to learn about the proper way to recycle and avoid contamination in your recycling and composting bins. We will do our own examination of bins and answer questions! 

Register here!

Ongoing: Face Your Waste Challenge!

Join the campus waste challenge! FACE your waste by tracking what items you use each day that end up in the landfill! You can track your waste for one day or multiple days. The deadline to submit your answers is 10pm Thursday, February 25th. There will be one grand prize winner from those who submit their amounts for all four days, one student grand prize winner, one staff/faculty prize winner and one winner for those who submit multiple days, one winner from those who submit for only one day, and 3 random winners.

Friday February 26: Embrace Zero Waste

11am: What is a Circular Economy? Ask a Professor!

Join @pittmcsi on Instagram to learn from Dr. Melissa Bilec and Dr. Eric Beckman from the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation as they respond to your questions about the Circular Economy! 

1pm: Zero Waste Period Giveaway Part 2

Pitt Planned Parenthood and the Student Office of Sustainability present a zero-waste period product give away! Register here to pick up a DotCup or LunaPad! 

Product Pick-Up Day 2 Schedule: 

  • Friday: 1:00PM to 3:00PM  

Pickup Location: Schenley Quad – Tables Located Between Amos and McCormick Halls

5pm: Face Your Waste Challenge Winners Announced!

We will be announcing the winners via social media and via email. If you have any questions, please email Jules at jgc39@pitt.edu.

  • Two grand prize winners 4 days (staff and student)
  • Multi-day submission (staff and student)
  • Single day prize (staff and student)
  • 3 random winners (all participants)

6:30pm: Toys and Tanks

Thriftsburgh and the Student Civic Engagement Council bring you the Toys and Tanks collab. Join us on Friday night as we craft toys for our furry friends and create DIY no sew tank top. You can upcycle your own t-shirt OR we can provide you with the  supplies! Register to pick up a t-shirt here and register below to attend the free virtual workshop.

Register here! 

Have questions about waste diversion on the University of Pittsburgh campus and in general? Answers here!

Other Sources of Information

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