NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt University has committed to diverting 90% of its waste from the landfill by the year 2030.
The university already diverts 47% of waste, according to a news release, but on Monday it announced plans to nearly double that number over the next decade.
Proposed actions include ending single-use plastic bottle purchases, except in laboratories by 2025. The school also wants to expand food waste collection to all dining areas and residential halls by 2025.
Other strategies already underway include eliminating plastic straws, lids and bags on campus; transitioning to compostable to-go cups, plates and cutlery in dining facilities; providing free reusable water bottles to all undergraduate students and adding bottle filling stations around dining halls; and using double-sided printing.
The waste reduction initiative is part of the university's overall plan to significantly reduce its environmental footprint. That includes powering its campus entirely through renewable energy, with a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.