New year, new habits: Realistic resolutions from the Office of Sustainability
Big goals – like the resolutions many of us make at the beginning of the year – can feel overwhelming once daily routines take over. When it comes to sustainability, lasting impact often comes from small, realistic choices that fit into everyday life, at work and at home.
To explore ways to build more sustainable habits in the year ahead, Lo Que Pasa spoke with Kenzie Jackson, sustainability outreach coordinator for the Office of Sustainability.
Kenzie Jackson
As we think about New Year's resolutions, what do sustainable habits realistically look like for people with busy schedules?
The important thing to start with is that there's no one right way to be sustainable. Something we say a lot in the Office of Sustainability is to meet people where they are. If there's a sustainability practice that you can't do because of your schedule, that's perfectly okay. It's about asking, 'How can I incorporate sustainability in tiny ways?'
It might be something as small as using a reusable water bottle. Just find one tiny thing you can do to reduce the waste you send to the landfill or the carbon you put into the community.
What's one small change employees can make on campus that has an outsized environmental impact, and what resources can help them get started?
One of the biggest things is transportation—trying to drive less to campus. That could mean, when you can, taking the bus, carpooling with coworkers or friends, or riding a bike. And remember, all public transit rides are free in Tucson.
Another big thing is improving waste practices, like taking a moment to rinse out recyclable containers and reading the signage on bins so trash doesn't end up in the recycling bin. If too much trash ends up in the recycling bins on campus, that entire bin is considered "contaminated" and all the recyclables within it end up going to the landfill.
Kenzie Jackson speaks with a student during the University of Arizona Sustainability and Climate Action Plan kick-off event.
We also have a sustainability resources page. It walks you through programs like FoodCycle at Home, how to ride Cat Tran, and what sustainability looks like in campus housing.
The city of Tucson has a great site called Know Where to Throw that gives tips to help you sort and dispose of waste the best way.
What role do individual employees play in helping the university meet its broader sustainability goals?
Employees are integral to this work. We can make policies at a broad level, but we need buy-in from everyone for sustainability to become part of campus culture. When employees know what resources they have and the best steps to take, sustainability stops being something that's just written down or talked about and starts becoming common practice.
How can people make sustainability a habit and encourage others to do the same without it feeling preachy?
It can be hard at first, but it's about building a routine and making it part of your day. One of my favorite examples is a couple I met who made composting their Saturday ritual. They'd drop off compost and glass, then go get burritos as a reward. Making sustainability fun and part of your routine helps it stick.
Leading by example is huge. We try not to guilt people. Instead, we help them find a sustainability approach that works for them. When it becomes the norm and people see others doing it, it feels more approachable.
Through its collaboration with the university's Compost Cats program, the city-run FoodCycle at Home composting program has already diverted more than 175,000 pounds of household food waste.
How do individual actions add up to real impact, and what's one sustainable practice every employee could try in the new year?
They really do add up. Community-based programming and building a culture of sustainability makes everything go further.
If I could challenge every University of Arizona employee to try one thing in the new year, it would be composting with the city of Tucson's FoodCycle at Home. It's a program that is supported through education and outreach by the Office of Sustainability's Compost Cats.
FoodCycle at Home is one of the easiest things we can all do, and it really brings people together. Plus, it's free. People sign up for a 30-minute training session, learn how composting works, receive a kitchen pail and then they can drop off food waste at sites across the city. It's a simple way to make a real impact.
Are there ways employees can get involved beyond personal habits?
There are a lot of volunteer opportunities that people don't always know about. The U of A Community Garden has workdays that support the Campus Pantry. Tucson Village Farm and Flowers & Bullets have regular workdays, and Tucson Clean & Beautiful hosts neighborhood and river cleanups almost every month.