Author: Facilities Communication

Multiple waste audits and a campus clean-up conducted at George Mason University by Mason Facilities, Student Government, and University Sustainability contributed an estimated 1,555 single-use plastic items, weighing 58.4 pounds to Celia Ledón’s The Shape of Water installation, visible at the Reach (Welcome Pavilion) in the Kennedy Center from March 22 – April 23, 2023. Ledón’s installation was “created from plastic waste, draw[ing] inspiration from the female figure as a personification of mythological deities associated with water,” according to the official page on the Kennedy Center’s website. 

You may have contributed to Ledon’s installation if you disposed of a single-use plastic item at the Fairfax Campus any time before March 14! Students and staff members collected single-use plastics during a Maintain Mason campus clean-up event and three separate waste audits. All items were collected, sorted, and bagged for Ledón to use in the creation of her installation.  

The Maintain Mason campus clean-up event was hosted by Student Government on March 3, 2023. During this event, Colin McAulay, Chair of University Services for Student Government, led volunteers who collected a total of 65 pounds of litter outside of the Johnson Center, the HUB, and the Student Union Building I on the Fairfax Campus. Volunteers contributed 30 single-use plastic items to the installation. 

Three volunteer waste audits were organized by Mason Facilites and University Sustainability to check waste streams for appropriate disposal of items on March 3, 10, and 14. During a waste audit, each waste stream – trash, compost, and recycling – is sorted item-by-item to verify correct disposal. If the compost or one of the recycling streams is too contaminated – as low as an 11% contamination rate – then the entire load is rejected and disposed of in the trash! Mason Patriots can help the university on its zero waste journey by appropriately disposing of their waste using this guidance.  

The three audits contributed more than 1,500 single-use plastic items Ledón’s installation. Audits provide valuable data to inform and support ongoing waste bin standardization efforts. The audits highlighted the importance of standard messaging at the bin and the need to co-locate trash, recycling, and compost waste streams to improve access.  

The results of the compost waste stream audit of the Bigbelly and Max-R zero waste station pilots in partnership with Mason Dining at the Northern Neck Starbucks location were impressive – a very low volume of single-use plastics contamination. The hard work of Starbucks Northern Neck and Mason Dining staff was reflected in the very high percentage of appropriate disposal, more than 90%!  

Once all the single-use plastics were sorted and bagged, a Mason alum James Clark (Biology ‘14), currently a master's student at George Washington University, picked up the single-use plastics and transported them to the Kennedy Center where they were made available for Ledón to use.  

The single-use plastics collected at George Mason University are now incorporated into Ledón’s The Shape of Water installation, visible at the Reach (Welcome Pavilion) in the Kennedy Center from March 22 – April 23, 2023.  

None of the single-use plastics would be featured in Ledón’s installation without the commitment and support of Kevin Brim, Supervisor for Recycle/Waste Management, Facilities. Brim provided expert guidance about the complexities of Mason’s waste system, efficiently navigated administrative processes, and created opportunities for participation from students and staff while ensuring safety. He ensured all volunteers and staff had appropriate equipment to safely complete the waste audits.  

“I enjoy supporting the zero waste goals of the university by working collaboratively with students and staff to host educational and impactful waste audits and campus clean-ups,” said Brim. 

Mason Facilities and University Sustainability continue to lead efforts to advance Mason towards the goal of becoming a zero waste university. Ongoing efforts from the Mason Sustainability Council’s Circular Economy and Zero Waste Task Force, co-led by Amber Saxton, University Sustainability, and Pascal Petter, Operations and Business Services, include the multi-year phase out and replacement of all single-use plastics and polystyrene with more sustainable alternatives, the ‘buy less, buy better’ initiative, improvements to Mason’s waste system, and alignment with Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 17.   

Colleen Regan, Zero Waste Specialist with University Sustainability, led the three audits and is actively engaged in ongoing efforts to make Mason a zero waste university as a member of the Mason Sustainability Council’s Circular Economy and Zero Waste Task Force. To become a zero waste university, Mason will need to divert at least 90% of all waste generated away from the trash by reusing, repurposing, composting, or recycling.  

“Contributing to Ledón’s installation highlights Mason's ongoing single-use plastics and polystyrene elimination," said Regan. “Waste audits are hands-on, educational, and provide us with crucial information to make data-driven decisions to improve our university waste system." 

University Sustainability is a proud member of the DC Coalition of Higher Education for the Environment, Resilience, and Sustainability (DC CHEERS). DC CHEERS members who contributed to Ledón’s installation, including Mason, are featured on this StoryMap. DC CHEERS is a network of representatives from DC area universities guided by a shared vision of a sustainable and inclusive future that share knowledge and resources to advance institutional sustainability while collaborating and partnering on events, initiatives, and collaborations that harness the diverse expertise of its members.   
 
The efforts of the following individuals who are not featured in this article were also essential to this successful initiative: Kwame Adomako, recycling worker, Facilities Waste Management and Recycling; Shawn Andrews, recycling worker, Facilities Waste Management and Recycling; Ben Auger, sustainability engagement coordinator, University Sustainability; Josh Pittman, recycling worker, Facilities Waste Management and Recycling; Ky Tran, a current Environment and Sustainability Studies student; Nakki Watanabe, a current Environment and Sustainability Studies student, completing a joint internship with University Sustainability and Facilities Waste and Recycling department; and Student Government’s Colin McAulay and Sebastian Silvestro as well as all the Maintain Mason volunteers.  

Story Credit: Benjamin Auger and Colleen Regan
Photo Credit: Cristian Torres

On Thursday, April 6, 2023 Mason celebrates Mason Vision Day – an opportunity for the Mason community to come together each year to identify and support a deserving initiative on campus. This year’s efforts address campus food insecurity, supporting Mason students who have limited access to sufficient or quality food. Food insecurity on college campuses is a rising, problematic trend that Mason is committed to combating. 

George Mason University Sustainability and the Greenhouse and Gardens Program are contributing to these efforts, promoting healthy eating and helping Mason Patriots achieve food security. One way this team is enhancing food security on campus is through the recent installation of a new aquaponic food system located at the Presidents Park Greenhouse (PPG) on the Fairfax campus. The PPG is an on-campus site for year-round food production that grows approximately 1,000 lbs. of fresh produce annually. To support this new initiative, the PPG received generous contributions from Mason Facilities, the Patriot Green Fund, and the Auxiliary Enterprise Management Council. Donielle Nolan, Greenhouse and Garden’s Program Manager, is spearheading this sustainable effort!  

Mason Facilities leadership is proud of the Greenhouse and Gardens program, and its contributions to campus food security and education. "Our greenhouse is an incredible asset to the campus community,” said Greg Farley, Director of University Sustainability. “It is very unusual for a university to grow, and serve, fresh produce to a campus. We work hard to contribute to student food security, and to teach Patriots of all ages how to grow and prepare fresh, nutritious foods. That makes Mason unique!”  

Nolan’s newest staff members include fifteen goldfish that grow plants organically, without the use of soil, creating a fertilized environment for many of University Sustainability’s greens. In the aquaponic system, the fish produce waste that nitrifying bacteria then convert into nutrients for the plants. The plant roots absorb these nutrients, and in doing so filter the water so it can be safely recirculated back to the fish. The aquaponics system includes a 200-gallon fish tank and three grow beds for the plants – producing harvestable, donation-ready items including vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs. To learn more about this new system, check out our aquaponics video above! 

The Greenhouse and Gardens Program partners with the Patriot Pantry – a university program that provides food-insecure students access to non-perishable food and hygiene items and raises awareness about food insecurity within the Mason student population. The pantry is housed under the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) in the Division of University Life. The Patriot Pantry serves hundreds of students every semester, and partners with the Greenhouse & Gardens program to fill the gap of providing perishable and fresh foods. The Greenhouse and Garden’s Program donates the food produced from the aquaponics system to those in need! Donations include, but are not limited to: tomatoes, lettuce, kale, bok choy, and soon strawberries.

The PPG partnership with the Patriot Pantry offers free fresh produce for those who are food insecure via the Greenhouse and Gardens Program online portal. 

In order to grow and harvest the produce, the PPG relies heavily on its volunteers. Anyone can gain hands-on experience with both hydroponic and aquaponic systems while volunteering. Inside the greenhouse, participants can learn how to compost indoors with worms, harvest crops, sow and transplant seedlings, solve pest issues using natural organic methods, and support a thriving farm-to-table sustainable food operation. Another perk of volunteering is the chance to try the produce grown and take some home, as there is usually a surplus!

“Most of the produce goes to donations for the Patriot Pantry, and when students volunteer, they get to take home harvest-ready produce and herbs,” said Nolan. "We are always seeking ways to connect fresh food sources to those in need on campus.”  

Another way University Sustainability and the Greenhouse and Gardens Program is addressing food insecurity on Mason’s campus through educating students on healthy, sustainable food preparation in the form of on-campus cooking events.  

“Our program educates students about healthy eating to promote overall well-being and sustainability. Many students are hesitant to request or accept healthy, sustainable donations due to limited knowledge regarding preparation and cooking with fresh ingredients,” said Nolan. “In addition, many students do not have access to a kitchen in their dorm rooms or do not have the time due to academic course load or employment obligations.”  

In November 2022, the program hosted its first cooking event, “Earthsgiving,” yielding a large turnout of volunteers and students. Two free, sustainable, cooking events are being held in Spring 2023. One in March and one in April to celebrate Earth Month. The March 2023 cooking event is a partnership with the Patriot Pantry, Housing and Recreation, as well as Mason Dining, to focus on education in preparing inexpensive meals, using commonly featured items from the Patriot Pantry. The cooking event in April 2023 has an international food theme! Keep an eye out on the earth month website for details regarding upcoming events. 

“There are so many opportunities to combine the sustainable aspects of food as well as the food security efforts that are gaining popularity amongst our students,” said Nolan. “These events help build community and educate and inspire students to eat more plant-based and home prepared meals which both promote environmentally conscious lifestyles as well as an increase in well-being!” 

The Greenhouse and Gardens Program also maintains two outdoor sites that produce vegetables and fruit organically for donation, such as figs and passionfruit. They offer tours and educational activities for groups of all ages.  To get involved, check out green.gmu.edu.

Learn more about how you can support Mason Vision Day and volunteer with University Sustainability! To volunteer, sign-up using our online platform – which can help you track your service hours for classes, and more!