May 13, 2024
After a winter hibernation, this spring has been a time of rejuvenation for our work! We mobilized students for Earth Day actions, hosted our first in-person Beyond Waste Student Summit since 2020, shared solutions through campus visits, began a comprehensive re-release of our digital resources, and celebrated wins like the first campus completing all 3 stages of the Atlas Zero Waste Project. As always, our work is not possible with the support and investment of PLAN's network (all of you)! Thank you for supporting us in collectively building a world beyond waste.
In collaboration with EarthDayOrg, PLAN distributed $10,000 in micro-grants to 16 campuses for student-led actions relating to Planet vs. Plastics! Students organized clean-ups in their community, petitioned for their campus to sign the Break Free From Plastic Pledge, created art pieces, contacted local representative, hosted events, and more. Read a breakdown of student actions.
We had multiple rounds of campus visits this semester! We toured 3 campuses in the Southeast, 7 campuses across the West Coast, and 5 campuses in the Northeast. Visits were a chance to connect with student Fellows, tour case studies of zero waste programs, and more! Follow our travels on social media.
PLAN hosted a Beyond Waste Student Summit in February! Students gathered in Huntington, WV following the Break Free From Plastic Convening for a half-day leadership intensive. We went through role-playing exercises to campaign for a plastic-free campus! View photos from the Summit.
Our team has been updating, re-writing, and re-releasing our entire digital resource library! Our resources are best-practice guides full of case studies and deep dives into zero waste programs. This Spring, we launched the new and improved Plastic-Free Campus Manual, Reusable To-Go Manual, and Move-Out Manual.
We had our first campus, University of Wisconsin, Madison, complete all 3 stages of the Atlas Zero Waste Project! Fellows hosted public forums and town halls during Earth Week to present their "Zero Waste Action Plan" proposal to the UW Madison community. The size of our fellowship programs continues to grow in all 3 stages! Check out Fellow profiles from campuses across the US.
This work is made possible by you all. PLAN's Movement Building Fund helps us address financial barriers students face in zero waste work. This fund has provided free attendance to events, reduced membership costs, paid student organizers, and more. There are many ways to support the Student-led Zero Waste Movement, but we deeply appreciate contributions to this fund from those who have the capacity.
