The Ohio Union is Going Zero Waste!

The Ohio Union Is Going Zero Waste!

Thanks to funding from Coca-Cola Consolidated and the Sustainability Institute, Ohio State is proud to annouce that the Ohio Union is increasing our zero waste efforts! While we have recycled at the Union since it opened, and we have always composted our back-of-house food waste, we are increasing the availability of front-of-house composting throughout the Union based on student demand.

Why is this important?

In October 2025, a waste characterization study was conducted, again with help from Coca-Cola, where all trash was collected from buildings around campus. In the Ohio Union, we saw that 61 percent of items that were collected from the trash bins could have been either recycled or composted. Because most of the food containers at the Union are either compostable or recyclable, we knew we could do much better! Remember that when organic material breaks down in the landfill, it creates methane gas, which is more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.

What's different?

Guests at the Ohio Union will soon see additional compost containers througout the facility that are consistent with containers located across campus. We conducted a pilot program spring semester 2026 inside Woody's at the Union and saw that students were happy to compost when they knew it was an option. In addition to wider availability throughout the facility, we are developing plans to replace some of our built-in trash/recycling cabinets with ones that will allow the three-stream sorting for trash, recycling and composting. In the near future, all events that feature food and/or drink will also be zero waste, where the events will also have sorting stations for guests to use. Finally, we have made some back-of-house changes to help facilitate even more diversion efforts.

What's that mean for me?

We need the help of every Ohio State student, faculty and staff in order for this program to be successful! People should learn what's compostable and what's recycleable, and they should sort their waste accordingly. Most of our students have a good understanding of the rules for recycling and compost, but the bigger challenge is actually taking a moment to recognize what trash goes where. So as you throw your trash away, stop and think: what goes where? We are looking at ways to improve signage at the Union, but everyone needs to play their part! Another thing you can do is to help each other out. The rules for recycling vary based on the municipality, and since we have folks from all over the world at Ohio State, confusion is understandable. So if you see someone who's about to make a mistake, show them how to do it better!

How can I get involved?

The Green Buckeyes will schedule sessions for students to help educate people as they are throwing their waste out--we call it "Talkin' Trash!" If you are interested in volunteering for our program, please register. If you are in a student organization who wants to perform community service, email us at greenbuckeyes@osu.edu, and we'll make that happen! The good news is that if you are unsure of the rules, that's not a problem! We'll train you. All you need to do is to dress for comfort and be ready to talk to other people about zero waste.