Waste Management and Diversion
As a result of Georgia Tech’s participation in STARS data collection, several waste management streams have been developed. Efforts to minimize waste on campus include composting, Game Day Recycling, Earth Day, Tech Treasure, and the AWARE Program.
Recycling is an essential component of sustainable operations at Georgia Tech. With services available in campus buildings, residence halls, outdoor spaces, and at special events, this is an area in which everyone is encouraged to make a contribution.
Composting at Georgia Tech
50% of what we send to the landfill could be recycled or composted. This is a problem we can solve! West Village will be the first location on campus to offer composting for all users of the building. Learn more here.
Residential Composting
The Graduate Living Center, ,North Avenue Apartments, and several other residence halls on East and West campus offer composting services for residents.
Georgia Tech Dining Services
Georgia Tech Dining Services sponsors a campus composting program. Unavoidable food waste is composted which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and can also be used to amend soil thereby increasing drought tolerance, improving soil structure and health, and reducing the need for water and fertilizers. Used cooking oils are also manufactured into biodiesel. In 2016, Georgia Tech Dining Services composted over 295,575 pounds of waste.
Georgia Tech Waste Audit
The Office of Campus Sustainability and the Office of Solid Waste Management & Recycling were awarded a Serve-Learn-Sustain Challenge Grant to perform an analysis of a building’s or campus’ waste stream. The project evaluated trash and recycling from two campus locations - East Campus Residence Halls and Clough Commons - where waste was sorted, identified, and tallied. The results from the audit are being used to design a more efficient waste disposal program, save costs, and increase the amount of waste diverted from the landfill. Learn more from the Waste Audit Report.
Game Day Recycling
Our award-winning Game Day Recycling Program has achieved truly impressive results. It broke a previous record during the 2014 football season, diverting 25 tons of glass, aluminum, cardboard, plastic, and other recyclables away from landfills. That amounted to recycling 27 percent of the waste created during the team’s six home games.
AWARE Program
The AWARE Program (Actively Working to Achieve Resource Efficiency) is an innovative waste minimization program that has been im in several campus buildings. The program aims to make the Georgia Tech community aware of the critical role they play in waste minimization. We hope to encourage members to make environmentally responsible choices regarding the waste they generate.
Waste Audit Report