SUNY ESF has made a pledge to be waste free by 2025, and the changes they've put in place so far have worked like a charm.

The college installed new trash bins with spots for compost and recycling on every floor of every building on campus. Since that installation, trash has been reduced by 35%, and recycling has gone up by 46%. 

Any vending machine on campus won't hold plastic bottles, instead using glass or aluminum which are more easily recycled. 

The college's facilities manager says big projects like the one happening at ESF make a big difference, but if we all try and act a little more responsible, bigger changes can happen. She says all it takes is changing the way you think.

"I always tell people to be gentle with yourself, be understanding. You cannot go from zero to 100 and expect greatness. It's changing the way that you shop, think about do I actually need this item? if you need it, can you get it secondhand?” says Sue Fassler, the sustainable facilities manager at SUNY ESF.

In August of 2019, ESF was getting trash collected five days a week, but with the new efforts in place, they only need pickup three days each week.