Zero Waste Planning Participation

Zero Waste Session BUMC

It’s a team effort to create a Zero Waste Implementation Plan for a large institution. How does participating in BU’s process impact the participants? We collected responses from a few members of the Zero Waste Working Groups:

  • Edward Jacques, Facilities Director, Fenway Campus
  • Colleen McGinty, Assistant Vice President | Annual Capital Projects, Planning, Design & Construction
  • Bob Whitfield, Director, Campus and Clinical Safety
  • Jason Grochowalski, Ed, Associate Director of Residence Life for Administration
  • Hayley Gambone (CAS ’20), Zero Waste Intern, sustainability@BU

Read on to learn their perspectives on participating in the planning process.

How has your involvement in the Zero Waste planning process…

Helped you form new connections?

  • Having the privilege to be part of the task force as well as sit on two committees and co-chair one of the two I’ve met some new faces in other departments I’ve yet to have had the opportunity to engage with.  The experience has been a pleasurable one and allowed me to gain knowledge from those individuals perspective. – Ed
  • Working and interacting with Kaity and the rest to the folks in Sustainability has been great.  I also had the opportunity to sit with a few folks on the MED Campus when we were over there for the faculty/student/staff forum – that was a lot of fun – to meet folks and to understand a bit more about what is happening over there. – Colleen
  • I spend most of my time on the BU Medical Campus and at Boston Medical Center. This provides me the opportunity to meet staff at Dining Services and Sustainability. It also gave me the chance to work with Facilities staff outside of my normal course of work. – Bob
  • The Zero Waste planning process has provided unique and valuable opportunities to work with important colleagues across campus that I don’t typically get to interact with. It not only helped me build these important relationships and connections, but also has even educated me on the different operations and staffing in departments and provided me a better sense of the bigger picture. – Jason
  • I have been involved in the Zero Waste planning process through regular programming as the Zero Waste Intern at sustainability@BU, and as part of the Zero Waste Implementation Task Force that is working to achieve BU’s 2030 Zero Waste goal. The latter experience has connected me to BU community members that I hadn’t worked with before who represent different departments and perspectives on campus. It has been both educational and humbling to hear their experiences, learn their values, and brainstorm ideas together over a common goal. – Hayley

Shifted your thinking about opportunities for BU?

  • The university’s commitment to a Zero Waste mission and my involvement with the task force have allowed me to think differently about how I can assist in fostering objectives of the mission. – Ed
  • Yes—100% – I find myself talking about Zero Waste in the project meetings. I am looking up information to share with my staff and I am motivated to update our standards and guidelines to reflect this new and updated way to look at projects and the way we work at BU. – Colleen
  • For our own departmental opportunities, this project has provided a pathway to partner with Sustainability on future projects. For this institution, it should help recognize BU as a leader in sustainability. – Bob
  • The Zero Waste planning process helped shift my thinking about opportunities at BU by bringing all the departments and key stakeholders together to talk about our unique paths forward during this process. Collectively, it feels as though the University is moving forward step by step and although it’s hard work, we’re demonstrating the tremendous amount of importance and value we’ve placed on the Zero Waste process. It really feels as though the University can take on these monumental challenges, make progress, and lead the way for the city. – Jason
  • In participating on the Zero Waste Implementation Task Force, I am encouraged to look at Zero Waste through different lenses: as a non-student, from an economics or business perspective, as a behavior change model. In this way, I can appreciate the different wants and needs of every BU community member, and hear and value them in the Zero Waste planning process. – Hayley

Helped you recognize how Zero Waste pertains to your work?

  • Being in facilities/planning and operations allows my work to cover a broad spectrum of areas that will be impacted by the Zero Waste mission. – Ed
  • Not only for how we will be planning and designing projects in the future, but how we will direct our contractors and clients, alike to be more thoughtful. – Colleen
  • I first learned of Zero Waste through this process. It reinforces that everyone has a role in sustainability. – Bob
  • It helped illuminate the areas where my office and department need improvement. Our work directly impacts our student communities. It’s important that our students and colleagues observe our dedication and effort to improving our Zero Waste initiatives so that they can be influenced to do the same.  It’s about culture change and a renewed value placed on efforts to ultimately reduce climate change. – Jason

Informed practices in your daily life?

  • It has opened my eyes to what Zero Waste really means and impacted my behavior not only on campus but outside as well. – Ed
  • It has informed – but, I have a long way to go.  For me to be ever more mindful is a big step – now, I need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk! – Colleen
  • Before my involvement in this process, I took some measures to reduce my own waste. Since then, I am more aware of opportunities to reduce waste and I try to do more. – Bob
  • It’s made me more self-aware of my habits and actions. Before it was a once-in-a-while thought, but now sustainability efforts are consistently on my mind throughout the day. Everything from turning off lights, to the food I’m eating, I’m much more aware of my impact on the environment.  – Jason
  • Through outreach and engagement opportunities as the Zero Waste Intern, I have learned how to discuss Zero Waste with people who are not familiar with the concept or who do not value it in the same way I do. This has helped me hold my own discussions with peers, friends, and family about the importance of Zero Waste by working through the communication barrier that often arises in conversations between people with different values. – Hayley

Inspired you?

  • It’s difficult not to be inspired when so many people across campus are passionate about sustainability and making a difference in our world for future generations.  The ability to be a part of this is exceptional! – Ed
  • It really is about what we do and what we say and how we act—because it really does start with self.  – Colleen
  • I look forward to partnering EHS with Sustainability in future projects and initiatives. I am also inspired to do more at home. – Bob
  • I’m inspired because the process has helped show me the importance of the work we’re doing and helped educate me about steps I can take on a daily basis. Knowing that it takes one person at a time, it’s my hope that our individual and collective efforts lead to an improved culture change on campus. I’m also inspired because the University is putting a lot of effort into being a leader for the city and showing how things like Zero Waste and climate change efforts can be done. It’s exciting to be part of it all! – Jason
  • The predicted impacts that BU will have by going Zero Waste inspire me to continue pursuing Zero Waste after graduation. Whether as a career path or through small actions in my personal life, I appreciate and value the significant difference that one individual can make. – Hayley

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