The Zero Waste Plan at Swarthmore College is an initiative conducted through the work of the Environmental Services team, Green Advisors (GAs), and Community Composters. This fall, Swarthmore College’s highly public commitment to sustainability is evident across campus, from the “Zero by Thirty-Five” t-shirts being worn to the stacks of reusable meal containers. In fact, the sign displaying “Zero by Thirty-Five” at the entrance of Magill Walk is one of the first sights that greets visitors.
According to an announcement from Elizabeth Drake, director of sustainability, active efforts have made it possible to deliver 72.9 tons of compost and 102.65 tons of recycling from the campus’ indoor tri-waste bins throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.
GAs are located in nearly every residence hall on campus and play an active part in Swarthmore’s commitment to sustainability. They hand sort indoor tri-waste bins to divert as much waste away as possible from the incineration plant in Chester, Pennsylvania. Ryder Maston ’26, a GA, has been engaged in sustainable outreach, management of compost and waste systems on campus, and sustainable archives in McCabe Library. These projects are part of the Office of Sustainability’s efforts to integrate sustainability throughout campus.
“If you are passionate or interested in Zero Waste at Swarthmore, there is a way to get involved regardless of the amount of time you have to invest,” Maston said. The Zero Waste initiatives are organized through the Zero Waste Working Group, which implements strategies outlined in the Zero Waste Plan. This includes the tri-waste bins — which are divided into incinerator trash, recyclables, and compostables — and the new reusable take-out container system.
The general goal of the plan has remained consistent — achieving 90% waste diversion on campus by 2035 and achieving a 25% per capita reduction of waste.
Clare Hyre, Associate Director of Sustainability, discussed her passion for working towards the Zero Waste initiative at Swarthmore, “I have the privilege of working with a dynamic group […] and am constantly inspired by the commitment I see to addressing climate change through academic and operational efforts.”
Despite these positive results, Drake notes that there is still room for improvement.
“We have a potential diversion rate of 78%, which means that 78% of our waste could be diverted away from incineration if it was properly sorted into compost and recycling,”
According to Drake, this highlights the significance of proper waste sorting and consistent efforts for further behavioral change on campus. Embedding a “zero-waste mindset” into campus culture has been another goal for the Zero Waste team. Drake emphasizes the efforts that have been made toward “embedding a zero-waste mindset into campus culture” and “managing the many educational, operational, and policy efforts that are underway on campus to reduce waste.”
Student involvement, thus, has become an integral part of the Zero Waste initiative. Proper waste sorting is one simple yet crucial way of supporting the Zero Waste Plan. Thanks to the work of the Zero Waste Team and dining facilities, all cold cups, hot cups, straws, single-use paper plates, and wooden utensils from campus stores and catering are compostable.
While most containers are recyclable, Drake notes that the other 22% of our current waste stream is neither recyclable nor compostable. She says it is difficult to reduce the amount of waste on campus that is incinerated “given the proliferation of single-use packaging and other materials.”
In response, students have been encouraged to utilize reusable utensil sets that were distributed by the Office of Sustainability during orientation, as well as participating in the reusable take-out container system. Visiting and donating to the Worthmore Free Store, which gives away a variety of used products donated by students, can also be an easy way for students to take steps towards Zero Waste.
Olivia Seo ’28 explained that the college’s normalization of sustainable measures in daily life changed the way she viewed being environmentally mindful. Seo is an active participant in the use of reusable take-out containers. As a result of Swarthmore’s ardent efforts to promote Zero Waste initiatives, Seo explained that people around her are mindful of waste sorting, and that her friends often use the reusable cutlery provided at the beginning of the year.
“After I graduate, I think I would still be proactive in minimizing waste,” she said.
Opportunities for students to contribute to the Zero Waste cause extend to classrooms, dormitories, and even beyond campus.
Maston began to actively engage in sustainability because of his role as an outreach and engagement intern for the Office of Sustainability. This experience ultimately led Maston to apply for an Amplify Grant to model the system with Engineering Department Chair Carr Everbach and, eventually, the Green Advisor Program.
In the classroom, courses in the department of environmental studies such as ENVS 013: Our Trash also offer a chance for students to better understand environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. waste management processes and the science of decomposition.
Zero Waste efforts in the Borough of Swarthmore have also been supported through student programs. Drake noted that in 2022, former GA Nathan Nguyen worked with Visiting Assistant Professor Jennifer Pfluger, the instructor of ENVS 013: Our Trash, to advance Zero Waste policies in the Borough. This work was continued in 2023 by GA William Trone ’26 and is now a President’s Sustainability Research Fellowship project led by Juna Saito ’25.
In addition, Swarthmore is also in the Regional Zero Waste Campus Collaborative with over six other institutions, meeting at least once a semester to discuss campus waste operations. Through events such as Waste Characterization Studies, regularly hosted residential GA events, and Worthmore open hours, the Office of Sustainability continues to seek for more community involvement to further advance in Swarthmore’s efforts towards Zero Waste.
