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Communication March 2, 2026

Dear AU Community,   

Campus Race to Zero Waste is at the halfway mark, and AU is currently ranked 15th out of 35 competing universities. Last week, the AU community kept 37 percent of our waste out of the landfill by donating leftover food, composting food waste, and recycling. If everyone sorts their waste, we could keep more than 75 percent of our waste out of landfills.   

Here’s how you can get involved now to help AU climb in the rankings:  

  • Sort out compostable and recyclable items from trash. Review the sorting guide here.
  • Empty your items before recycling them to keep our bins free of food and liquids.
  • Bring your reusable water bottle, mug, and utensils with you everywhere you go.
  • Tell your friends and colleagues about the Campus Race to Zero Waste and bring them with you to our events.  

Since the start of the competition on February 1, we celebrated sustainability across campus at the annual Sustainability Men’s Basketball Game; crafted Valentines from recycled materials with Office of Sustainability EcoReps; talked about reducing food waste with 800 students in TDR; and audited more than 250 pounds of compost, recycling, and trash from the residence halls.  

In the coming weeks, be sure to join us for more Sustainability-related events:   

  • Thrive AU: Nutrition & Wellness Fair – Today, Monday, March 2, 3 – 5 p.m. Learn about campus wellness efforts, including food waste reduction.   
  • Mini Move Out – Wednesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 5, noon – 5 p.m. Donate clothing, non-perishable food items, and unopened toiletry and cleaning products before spring break (and save time during move-out in May!). 
  • Office Supply Swap – Wednesday and Thursday, March 11 – 12, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Staff and faculty, clean out your office, declutter your space, and pick up new-to-you essentials during spring break. 
  • Remember Your Reusables Week – Sunday, March 22 – Friday, March 27. Celebrate the end of the Campus Race to Zero Waste by scoring $1 off all house-made beverages at The Bridge and the Davenport Coffee Lounge when you use a reusable mug.

Keep up to date with AU’s progress and find event details on the Sustainability webpage and stay posted on upcoming events by following us on Instagram  @thegreenau and @zerowasteau. 

Sincerely,   

Megan Litke Director of Sustainability