Composting Our Way to Sustainability

Date: September 15, 2026
Time: 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Ballroom C

As California institutions work to meet SB 1383 requirements and achieve sustainability goals, organics recovery programs offer opportunities to reduce waste, lower operational costs, and create environmental benefits. Sacramento State will share its experience developing a campus-wide organics recovery program that combines waste reduction strategies, stakeholder engagement, grant-funded infrastructure, and the use of the campus as a living laboratory for learning and research. This session will highlight how the university leveraged state funding opportunities to support organics collection, employee training, and centralized waste systems while increasing diversion and reducing landfill disposal. Attendees will learn how students, faculty, and staff collaborated to advance operational improvements, applied research, and hands-on learning opportunities that support sustainability outcomes. The presentation will cover performance metrics, including waste reduction, contamination reduction, greenhouse gas emissions avoided, and financial savings. Participants will leave with practical strategies to secure funding, engage campus communities, and sustain successful organics recovery programs.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify key strategies for developing and implementing a campus-wide organics recovery program that supports SB 1383 compliance and institutional sustainability goals.
• Evaluate funding opportunities and grant programs available through state agencies and other sources to support organics infrastructure, education, and waste reduction initiatives.
• Apply best practices for engaging campus stakeholders, including facilities, custodial services, dining operations, faculty, students, and administrators, in organics recovery efforts.
• Measure and communicate program outcomes using metrics such as waste diversion, contamination reduction, greenhouse gas emissions avoided, financial savings, and return on investment.
• Develop approaches for using campus operations as a living laboratory to support student learning, faculty research, experiential education, and interdisciplinary sustainability projects.
• Assess opportunities to integrate organics recovery programs into broader institutional sustainability frameworks, including climate action plans, zero waste goals, STARS reporting, and the Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability.
  Implement operational strategies that reduce landfill disposal costs and improve resource recovery, creating both environmental and financial benefits for institutions.
• Create a roadmap for scaling organic recovery initiatives through partnerships, data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, and long-term funding strategies.

Speaker:
Laura Gonzalez, Waste & Sustainability Analyst, California State University Sacramento / Office of Sustainability