In 2011, UCSB’s AS Recycling crew set out to become one of the first universities in the US to introduce compost receptacles on campus. In early 2012, a student run group called the Compost Pilot Project (CPP) was successful in making this a reality. The small group of committed CPP composters turned into the Zero Waste Committee the following Fall, with the purpose of doing campus outreach and creating projects to get UCSB to zero waste by 2020.
In June 2004 UCSB set forth a goal of becoming more zero waste by diverting waste from landfills as stated in the UC Office of the President’s Sustainable Practices Policy. UCSB met this goal of diverting 50% of its municipal solid waste from the landfill before June 2008, with a whopping 62%, and nearly obtained its goal of 75% diversion by June 2012.
