UW Reduces 96 Percent of Waste from Shepard Symposium

During the University of Wyoming’s recent 20th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice, multiple UW student groups took part in activities regarding social justice.

This included improvements in facility accessibility by the UW Abilities Club and environmental sustainability by the UW Sustainability Club.

Widely attended conferences such as the Shepard Symposium can produce a great deal of waste. Therefore, many conferences, including the Shepard Symposium, aim to be “zero waste” -- the act of diverting at least 90 percent of waste from landfills and/or incinerators.

This year, the Shepard Symposium generated 459 pounds of waste, of which 96 percent was diverted from a landfill through composting and recycling.

“This was largely possible because UW Catering was able to make all meals completely vegan, so that ACRES student farm could compost the leftovers,” says Peggy McCrackin, UW Outreach Credit Programs project coordinator. “The high diversion rate was due to the dedication to ‘zero waste’ and incredibly cooperative and enthusiastic attendees.”

Through education and outreach, the UW Sustainability Club’s goal is to increase knowledge of being “zero waste.”

For more information, contact the UW Sustainability Club at uwyo.sustainability@gmail.com or visit the sustainability section at http://shepardsymposium.org/.