SUSTAINABILITY
A sustainability initiative, dubbed the Towers Reduction Project, ef- fectively reduced food waste on campus at Wayne State University, in Michigan, over a series of eight weeks, by 20%. The project was led by a team of volunteers who hosted four tabling events, con- ducted surveys, highlighted food waste facts and hosted activities. “The initiative really demonstrates that we can make a difference, even in a short amount of time,” said Mohamed Dabaja, a graduate fellow who helped lead the project. Wayne State University has taken a focus on food waste and other sustaina- ble dining efforts as of late. In 2023, the university along with the University of Windsor were designated as a United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise (UNRCE) on education for sustainable development in the Detroit-Windsor area. The two universities focus on the United Nations sustainable develop- ment goals while also working on ad- dressing climate change, economic and health disparities and social inequity. “Many stakeholders in Detroit have reached out to us to help address spe-
cific sustainability problems in the com - munity,” said Donna Kashian, director of UNRCE Detroit and Wayne State’s envi- ronmental science program. One partnership is with Make Not Waste, a nonprofit focused on reducing food waste. Moving forward, Wayne State Uni- versity will continue to address sus- tainability challenges on campus and in the larger community and RCE De- troit-Windsor is planning on taking on more projects.
A Hybrid Student- Faculty Team at Wayne State University is Making Strides in Reducing Food Waste Wayne State University and University of Windsor are reaching for United Nations sustainable development goals while also working on addressing climate change, economic and health disparities and social inequity.
BY REYNA ESTRADA
QUARTERLY | Q1
39
PHOTOS: WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY/ENVATO
Powered by FlippingBook