Waste Reduction

We are Zero Waste Certified

The Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) has recognized Cal Poly Humboldt with a bronze Zero Waste Certification, placing us third out of the top 10 Zero Waste Campuses of 2023! See this article for details.

This certification is the result of a holistic assessment called Atlas, which analyzed Humboldt's capacity to achieve zero waste, highlighting areas where the campus can improve its materials management infrastructure, policies and communications. See Humboldt's Atlas Scorecard, or download the complete Cal Poly Humboldt Atlas Zero Waste Assessment report. Cal Poly Humboldt has been a member of PLAN since 2022.

What is Zero Waste?

Humboldt is committed to Zero Waste, a strategy that takes a ‘whole systems’ approach to products, services and processes, to eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste, to conserve and recover resources, and to not burn or bury them.  Zero waste encourages the redesign of resource lifecycles, so that all materials can be reused, returned, or recycled. Although recycling and organics diversion are critical components to a campus’ zero waste program, emphasis is placed on source reduction and re-use, as per the Zero Waste Hierarchy.

What are Cal Poly Humboldt's Zero Waste Goals?

• Reduce landfill bound waste to 50 percent of total campus waste by 2030, divert at least 80 percent from landfill by 2040, and move toward zero waste (CSU Sustainability Policy).
• Achieve 50% below 2015 levels by 2030 and 80% below 2015 levels by 2040 for residential and commercial waste [measured in pounds per person per day, or PPD] (Climate Action Plan 2.0).
• Humboldt is a zero waste campus by 2045 (Climate Action Plan 2.0).