Delta College
ER-2: Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign

The student outreach campaigns, ‘Plant it for the Planet’and 'Snack, Then Give Back' yielded positive, measureable results in advancing sustainability. The goal of the combined projects, which took place in early October, was to increase the collection of campus-generated snack bags, successfully conduct a science research project, and create a closed-loop process. In June, students had registered with the TerraCycle Snack Bag return program. Also, when Frito Lay introduced the100% compostable chip bag, Science students elected to conduct their semester-long research project studying its biodegradability. They would use the SunChip bag to study, demonstrate, and evaluate decomposition dependent on varied elements in a variety of other campus locations. The new snack bag was made available in Food Services and vending machines. Collection of snack bags throughout the summer months, though, was minimal. The expectation was that participation would pick up in the Fall; however, when numbers were still down in September, an outreach campaign was launched. Additional collection containers were placed near vending machines. A walk-in display case, table tents, posters, and an outreach table were installed to announce both the science project and the general bag collection. On the day of the promotion, students were offered free SunChip samples and information about diverting waste stream materials, the benefits of recycling, composting, and closed-loop practices. The student body and the general campus community were encouraged to enjoy a favorite snack and drop the bag into a collection box. Eco Reps would later deliver the SunChip bags to the college greenhouse for the small scale science research project and return the remaining bags to TerraCycle.

By the end of October, collection numbers had increased by 200%, from 81 bags/month to 275. The SunChip bag research project is currently in progress and general snack bags have been returned to Terracycle for recycling. The program continues to grow. The loop closed when students purchased recycled products (purses and carrier bags) from TerraCycle as prizes for a Sustainability Scavenger Hunt.

Other measureable outcomes for student outreach include such campaigns as and annual trash analysis and beverage container collection for student clubs and organization.