Green Team leads Edmonds College’s efforts during 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste competition

The Edmonds College Green Team (L to R: Takumi Yamamoto, Wilfridus Kusnadi, Emily Hall, Ember Rice-Narusch, Khan-Erkhes Tseden-Ochir, AmeriCorps member Connor Oswold), led efforts that kept 36,000 pounds of recyclables, compostables, and refurbishable electronics out of landfills during the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition. (photo courtesy of Stewart Sinning/Edmonds College)

The Edmonds College Green Team, working together with the campus community, was able to divert the equivalent of 30 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of landfills during the eight-week-long 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste competition.

Edmonds joined more than 3.4 million college students and staff nationwide in a competition organized by the National Wildlife Federation to reduce the waste footprint on campuses. More than 29.4 million pounds of waste was donated, composted, and recycled during the competition. As a result, more than 200 million single-use plastic containers were kept out of landfills, and the equivalent of 29,108 metric tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere was prevented, which is equal to avoiding the annual emissions from 6,128 cars. 

 “The impact these colleges and universities have on reducing their waste footprint is tremendous and almost hard to comprehend,” said Kristy Jones, director of higher education programs at the National Wildlife Federation. “The collective efforts to minimize waste and reduce stress on natural resources is inspiring and creating a better world for wildlife and the environment.” 

 In total, the Edmonds Green Team led an effort that helped recycle 21,270 pounds, compost 7,782 pounds, and recycle or refurbish 7,061 pounds of electronic waste during the eight-week competition. 

"The Green Team is very grateful for the students and staff that participated in our programs during the winter quarter,” said Green Team member Eric Tseden-Ochir. “It means a lot to us that our fellow peers are sensitive to environmental issues our planet is facing, and that they are willing to put in the time to help protect our environment and spread awareness."

By the end of the competition, Edmonds College earned the following rankings among participating institutions. 

• 7th in electronics recycled per capita
• 43rd in waste diversion
• 59th in food organic composting
• 90th in per capita recycling