WCC continues to reduce its reliance on single use plastic products by launching ZERO WASTE events for Faculty and Staff. Building on the success of the elimination of single-use plastic water bottles from on-campus retail outlets and vending machines, this new initiative targets disposable plastic tableware, such as plates, utensils, napkins, cups etc.
The Recycle Operations Department have partnered with Creative Dining to provide events with supplies and services that facilitate the composting of consumables and the elimination of single use plastic. BPI certified compostable tableware will be supplied upon request to any events Monday-Friday with 30 or fewer attendees. The Recycle Department will provide a compost bin and collect it after the event. By removing all single use plastic tableware from such events all waste generated should be either recycled or composted. This change will further reduce WCC’s plastic waste to landfill.
If your event is being catered by an outside vendor the Recycle Department can still support ZERO WASTE services. Contact the Recycle Department for provision of compostable tableware and advice on how to keep single use plastic out of the event.
In March 2025 the introduction of expanded food waste composting at the Morris Lawrence Building diverted an additional 800lbs of food waste for composting in the first month of service. The WCC Recycle Operations Department will be working with the same service provider My Green Michigan to compost the tableware from the ZERO WASTE events.
The first Zero Waste Event will be held on Thursday April 17.
Contact Becky Andrews WCC’s Resource Recovery Manager at rjandrews@wccnet.edu for more information.
Tags: Recycling, Sustainability