Case Study: Waste Management and Arizona State University
Contact: Paul Pistono, Vice President of Public Sector Solutions, ppistono@wm.com
Download the PDF
Where the Nation’s First School of Sustainability Turns for Environmental Solutions
When Arizona State University created the nation’s first School of Sustainability, they didn’t have to look far for a strategic partner. ASU was already working with Waste Management to help them reach their long-term sustainability goals while lowering their waste-related costs. The rest is environmental, and financial, history.
Beginning in 2007, we began a comprehensive recycling plan that would help ASU divert more material from landfills and recover value through recycling. At the time, the University was sorting their own recyclables, at a cost to them. Within six months, we installed a single-stream program that changed the way the school recycled. That was only the beginning.
Since 2007, ASU and Waste Management have:
- Increased diversion rates to 25% toward a goal of zero-waste by 2015.
- Implemented 10 solar-powered compactors on campus to reduce collection-related emissions and costs.
- Instituted the Executive Sustainability Forum, bringing together business leaders with global sustainability experts and academics.
- Partnered with a local farm to create compost for food and organic material.
- Saved 32% in overall waste-service costs.
