The Sustainability in Business Club was founded in 2023 by a few College of Business students who were passionate about the role that business plays in advancing environmental and social sustainability. Since its inception, the club has continued to provide students of any major with exposure to sustainability topics both in and outside of business practices, leadership and networking opportunities, and connections to sustainability careers, internships, and professionals. One of the club’s greatest accomplishments is starting the first successful student-facing composting initiative in Austin Hall.
Environmental considerations have become more common for students and staff in the College of Business, but starting composting programs can be a challenge due to contamination and cleanliness concerns. In Spring Term 2023, Laura Rees, a management professor, started a department composting program for College of Business staff and faculty. Four compost pails were provided to the college, and they began to collect food scraps in staff break rooms and kitchens in Austin Hall. After the success of the department program, Laura intended to offer composting for students as well. She worked with Campus Recycling to obtain a receptacle that was placed on the second floor of Austin and a pilot period for the program began. While some outreach efforts were made to spread awareness about the newly available composting location, the program did not gain enough traction to outweigh the labor that went into servicing the receptacle.
When the pilot ended unsuccessfully, Laura pitched the idea of starting a student-led, student-facing composting program that would be hosted by the Sustainability in Business Club. After agreeing that the program would benefit the club by providing avenues for outreach, collaboration with departments on campus, and offering a volunteer opportunity for club members, the officers began another compost pilot program. This time, the students worked directly with Campus Recycling and Facilities Services in Austin Hall to get approval, materials, and a servicing schedule. They gathered two small, odor-resistant pails to collect food scraps in, created custom signage, and spread the word about the new compost program via their social media accounts, campus newsletters, and outreach to professors across campus. The pilot began in Fall Term during the 2023-24 academic year and collected over 13 lbs of food scraps over the ten week period.
Not only did the program divert food scraps that would otherwise enter the landfill and produce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, but it served as a way for the club to gain traction and for students across campus to start conversations about advocating for sustainability initiatives. Sustainability in Business Club has nearly doubled in size since the composting program began, and the addition of composting has created a greater sense of responsibility for club members that keeps them coming back to engage in the weekly meetings. Other environmentally-focused groups on campus like the Waste Watchers Sustainability Club have also taken inspiration from the Austin Hall composting programs, starting a similar initiative at the Valley Library that makes student-facing compost even more accessible to students. College of Business students have even come together to advocate for supplementing their curriculum with environmental and social considerations, feeling that sustainability learning is crucial for their success in future careers. Student-facing composting in Austin has been a huge success in the last two years, offering increased sustainability engagement into the College of Business and inspiring change across the university.
CATEGORIES: Uncategorized