The University of Missouri’s Sustain Mizzou held Zero Waste Week Nov. 1-8 in a campus-wide effort to raise awareness about waste reduction and promote environmental conservation.
“Zero Waste Week is all about bringing attention to the waste that’s produced on campus and all over,” said Makayla Mayhew, student co-director of Sustain Mizzou.
Sustain Mizzou values Zero Waste Week as a time to promote environmental education. During the week, the group hosted daily events such as a campus cleanup, a field trip to the City of Columbia Solid Waste Utility facility, a screening of “The Story of Plastic” and a clothing swap to teach the community how they can make a positive impact on campus and beyond.
“We’re just trying to create a more sustainable community here on Mizzou’s campus,” said Davis Sallee, co-lead of Sustain Mizzou’s composting program. “We take every opportunity we can to do events like this, like the Clothing Swap and Zero Waste Audit and all that good stuff to bring education and sustainability efforts to the campus.”
Sustain Mizzou strives to connect people through environmental well-being, a goal that co-director Allison Garvey said depends on fostering inclusivity and community engagement.
“It impacts everyone, whether you realize it or not,” Garvey said.
Sustain Mizzou is founded on three pillars: education, collaboration and local action. The group incorporates these morals into their events.
“[Zero Waste Week] is about educating people … and giving them opportunities to take action,” Mayhew said.
Though the week has ended, Sustain Mizzou continues to advocate for waste reduction. Members are dedicated to promoting solutions and getting others involved in the fight for environmental conservation through a variety of events during the school year.
“We all live on the same planet,” Mayhew said. “You know, if we keep using and overusing materials, then there’s only so many of those materials, and we’ll eventually run out.”
