MarthaEngel

From 7 a.m. through the end of second lunch, four colorful bins sit in the lunchrooms as students stream to the bucket with their leftovers in hand. 

Plastic with the recycle symbol and numbers one, two, three and five go to the blue recycling bin. Plastic utensils and plastic wrap get tossed into the orange bin. Food, napkins and paper plates are thrown into the green compost bin. Finally, the last of the trash goes to the landfill. Much more goes to be recycled and composted than to the landfill— in fact, only 9% of all trash in the lunchroom goes to the landfill. But what does that mean?

It means that Marian’s cafeteria is officially Zero Waste. 

As of Oct. 31, 91% of the waste generated throughout the school lunches is diverted from the landfill into three different categories: compost, Omaha recycling and the Hefty ReNew (orange) recycling bin. 

This is big news for the Marian Sustainability Club which has been working towards this goal for several years, but it’s not the end of their efforts. 

Senior Emmy Hoyt, a member of the Sustainability Club Board and a lunchtime compost manager, said, “Being zero waste matters because it’s not only another step in making Marian a more sustainable place, but it’s proving to other schools and institutions that it’s possible to be zero waste.” Through the dedicated work of the Sustainability Board and the education they have extended to the community, Marian was able to achieve this accomplishment. 

Sophomore Hannah Taylor, a junior member of the Sustainability Board, explained that “sustainability matters because our planet supports and provides us with everything, and if we want future generations to enjoy the world like we do, we need to drastically reduce our waste now rather than later.” 

In order to work towards a healthier planet, small steps must be taken first. Becoming zero waste is just one part of a bigger puzzle that leads Marian to a more sustainable place.

In order to implement new plans, ideas have to be brainstormed first. “We often come up with new ideas through the Sustainability Board meetings or Sustainability Club meetings in general,” Hoyt said, such as early morning meetings or CAB club times. 

At these meetings, “by just communicating and talking through what our current problems are now, we often find solutions we had not even considered,” Hoyt said. Collaborative ideas led to many of the plans for the future of sustainability at Marian. 

The Sustainability Club held a Coat Drive throughout the month of November, collecting warm clothes for the cold weather from students who no longer need their old coats. After the donations were collected in boxes at the end of each hall, the clothing was donated to the Stephen Center. 

Next, the club will work towards making Field Day more sustainable through recycling, composting, thrifting and education. They also have many more ideas that are yet to be implemented. 

But right now, being zero waste is an important benchmark. “My favorite aspect of the job is being able to see that I am making a difference in the Marian community and sharing that feeling with the other people on the board,” Hoyt said, which is truly what makes sustainability special. It’s part of the bigger world.