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Poster Sessions

Catalytic Strategies for Efficient Chemical Recycling of Waste Plastics

Plastic waste accumulation is a major environmental issue threatening land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Traditional recycling methods have proven insufficient in addressing this growing problem due to their inability to enable circularity for synthetic polymers. Chemical recycling and upcycling of waste plastics offer a promising alternative, enabling the conversion of waste plastics into molecular intermediates suitable for remanufacture into new products. This promising process involves the use of heterogeneous catalysts to lower the activation energy required for the depolymerization of plastics under moderate reaction conditions. However, several barriers hinder the implementation of these processes, such as the high-cost of catalytic systems and low selectivity towards narrow distributions of high-value products. This project examines the efficacy of ruthenium nanoparticles supported on carbon (Ru/C), a rare and expensive metal, in enhancing plastic waste depolymerization. Depolymerization of polyethylene, a common plastic, using Ru/C as a catalyst produces many valuable products and a significant amount of methane, an unwanted greenhouse gas. The investigation explores how variations in reaction time, pressure, and temperature influence product selectivity. The experiments involved using ~70 mg of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as the substrate and ~10 mg of the catalyst in a 10 mL Parr batch under controlled conditions at 10 bar of H₂, at 265°C over a duration of 3-24 hours. The products were analyzed through gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The data were compared to a previous reaction using 25 mg of Ru/C, and 700 mg of substrate for 3.5 hours at 250°C and 20 bar of H₂. The results indicate lower temperature and reduced time can reduce the catalyst's activity. This lowers methane production while maintaining a higher selectivity towards liquid products. Identifying optimal conditions for individual catalysts is crucial for maximizing the efficiency of the plastic waste upcycling process. Although much work remains, the findings outlined here represent a step towards advancing heterogeneous catalytic systems for plastic depolymerization.

Construction of Zero-Waste Garments for a Basic Sewing Class

In a lower-level basic sewing class students sew two zero-waste garments to tackle the textile waste problem in the classroom: an apron and a pair of shorts. These projects aimed to introduce students to sustainable strategies in the apparel industry while they are learning to sew. The class provided an ideal setting for a hands-on, experiential approach to creating solutions to urgent industry problems. The fashion/textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world, generating tremendous amounts of pre-consumer and post-consumer waste. Waste accumulates in developing nations, perpetuating racial and environmental inequalities through waste colonialism. The apparel industry needs to consider waste in the product’s design stage, given that approximately 25% of textiles are discarded in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, synthetic fibers from fossil fuels account for 69% of all textiles used, taking hundreds of years to biodegrade and generating 35% of global microplastic pollution in the oceans. These projects incorporate new, sustainable approaches to apparel manufacturing while providing solutions to real industry problems. Besides garment construction and application of a variety of sewing techniques, students learned: (a) to minimize fabric waste through zero-waste design; (b) to use more sustainable materials such as organic cotton and recycled fabric (from natural materials); and (c) to decrease the environmental impact of a product at the end-of-life stage through biodegradability.

Cultivating Communities through University Natural Areas

The Office of Sustainability at the University of Oregon spearheaded the creation of their first Natural Areas Program in 2024. Using their three-pronged mission of Restoration, Engagement and Research hear about lessons learned through the story of building community and capacity quickly to make positive change on the UO's natural areas.

Developing a Pollinator Garden at the Wildcat Farm

Pollinators are crucial to life on Earth. They play a vital role in the food web, helping to feed larger predators and facilitating healthy plant communities. Along with the environment, pollinators supply humans with a large percentage of our food supply. Native pollinators in Washington state include several species of bees, moths, butterflies, beetles, and birds. Unfortunately, native pollinator populations are declining due to decreasing habitat, disease, and pesticides. In response to the problem of declining pollinator populations, an additional garden was developed and implemented near the CWU Wildcat Farm to support local pollinators at the farm. Eleven species of plants were selected based on bloom time, color, and size, as well as their benefit to pollinators. The species were planted in the garden in the form of clusters to further create an accessible resource to the pollinators.

Developing a Sustainable Open Education Resource (OER) on Social Justice

This poster will review the process of developing a sustainable higher education focused OER on social justice and diversity through community engagement and best publication practices. The poster will review the stages of development of the OER , accessing funding for development, turning the OER into online modules so they are sustainably accessible, and the publication process. By creating a double peer reviewed OER on social justice, we are offering an equitable resource for higher education students to access.

Expanding CWU Sustainability Education Through the Student Sustainability Ambassadors Program

Sustainable education, especially on university campuses, is crucial in the 21st century as sustainable issues worsen with climate change, war, and consumer consumption. Higher education builds the foundation for younger generations to passionately carry on sustainable practices into the future, thus highlighting the importance of wider spread information revolving around sustainable concepts involving the environment, society, and the economy. A solution to address these contentious sustainable issues includes the creation of a peer-to-peer education program at Central Washington University called the Student Sustainability Ambassadors Program (SSAP)..

Hands-on Learning with Hemp and Co-Housing

The Northwest Living and Learning Community Collaborative (NWLLCC) seeks to restore BIPOC communities through an innovative Hemp Community Land Trust (HCLT) model. This model focuses on building affordable, sustainable homes using hemp materials, creating jobs, and establishing educational spaces dedicated to land stewardship and community building. The initiative operates in Bellingham, Washington, while also maintaining a regional and international network of educators and learners in housing, permaculture, and sustainability. NWLLCC emphasizes hands-on learning opportunities for all participants, involving them in the processes of building hemp houses and engaging with cohousing and land trust models.

The poster will visually and interactively highlight these key aspects, focusing on the role of hands-on experiences in deepening the understanding of sustainability. It will illustrate the impact of hemp-based construction and the HCLT model in creating long-term affordable housing solutions and fostering sustainable communities.

Contribution to Campus Sustainability:

The project contributes to the overall sustainability of the campus by showcasing the practical applications of sustainable building materials and co-housing models. Through partnerships with universities and community organizations, NWLLCC provides students and educators opportunities to participate in projects that explore renewable resources like hemp, as well as inclusive, cooperative housing models. This hands-on engagement promotes long-term thinking around sustainability, particularly in terms of ecological resilience, housing equity, and environmental stewardship.

Increasing the number of All-Gender Restrooms and Signage, Reducing Restroom Inequality

There is a large population of transgender, non-binary, or disabled students at Central Washington University (CWU) who use all-gender restrooms. CWU has taken steps in making these individuals more comfortable. They have included all-gender restrooms around campus (Figure 1), both single and multi-stall, however they are difficult to find. The all-gender restrooms are often located at the back of buildings, and some buildings don't have all-gender restrooms at all.

Reduce Food Waste Within CWU Catering by Performing a Waste Audit and Developing a Framework for the Implementation of Large-Scale Composting

Food waste is a huge problem in the United States, with 133 billion pounds of food wasted in 2010. A majority of the food that goes uneaten is sent to landfills, where it decomposes into methane due to a lack of oxygen. Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and it is much more powerful than Carbon Dioxide. When food waste is composted, constant mixing incorporates oxygen allowing food to decompose into a nutrient-rich black soil while producing less harmful gas. CWU is a large contributor to the waste made in Kittitas County. The campus kitchens alone produce thousands of pounds of pre-consumer waste every month. For this project, an audit of pre-consumer and post[1]consumer food waste was conducted in 1891 Catering. This has allowed staff to understand the scale of the food waste created and the need for waste reduction strategies.

Reducing Energy Use on CWU's Campus by Increasing Roof Reflectivity

Often our cities experience temperature increases that are not experienced by surrounding rural areas. This is referred to as a heat island, where cities can be 2-5 degrees Celsius hotter than the more rural areas around them (Lawrence Berkeley...). Large buildings often have flat open roofs that are made with dark materials such as asphalt sheets. Heat islands are created when air passes over hot solar absorbent surfaces such as pavement or dark roofs and absorbs the heat from these surfaces. Many cities across the US have historical housing policies that put persons most at risk in areas where the heat island effect can be felt the strongest (Hoffman et al, 2020). Extreme heat is the leading cause of summertime morbidity and has been the most hazardous weather in the US for decades (Hoffman et al, 2020). The easiest way to reduce the effect of heat islands caused by solar radiation absorption is to replace dark surfaces with lighter more reflective surfaces (Lawrence Berkeley...). There are 12 buildings on CWU's campus that have been identified with flat dark roofs that could contribute to the heat island effect. The buildings with the highest priority for cool roofing are buildings with a high Energy Use Index like Science, and that have full time university staff in them all year like Jongward, Naneum, and Mitchell. Changes to CWU building and maintenance policy are being pursued to require old roofing to be replaced with new cool roofing.

Striving for Sustainability at CWU by Divesting from Fossil Fuels

Climate change is happening at a record pace due to human activities. The biggest contributor is the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and almost 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. People and corporations invest money into these fossil fuel companies, with a hope for them to succeed to receive interest or dividends. Withdrawing those investments reduces financial support of the fossil fuel companies and can encourage a move to renewables. Fossil fuel divestment movements exist at a large number universities, and many universities have already divested from fossil fuels. This project aims to get CWU to divest from fossil fuels, and to increase investment transparency.

Student-Funded and Run: Organizing a Campus Sustainability Fund Committee for Long-Lasting Impact

The Campus Sustainability Fund is structured to maximize student voice and influence, within our organization and the UW Seattle Campus. Learn about how the UW-Seattle Campus Sustainability Fund has organized their student-run Committee.

The Committee is approached as a model for collaborative governance and participatory democracy. Serving as the governance body for the CSF, the Committee determines funding allocations for grant applications, shapes the CSF's long-term strategy, and participates in an annual participatory budgeting process. The 8 voting members are appointed from six different campus partners (the Ethnic Cultural Center, graduate and undergraduate student governments, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity's Student Advisory Board, Wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual House, the Environmental Stewardship Committee, and Sustainability Department). Over their 14-year history, the CSF Committee has voted to adjust its composition to better promote diversity in thought and experience within the group entrusted with stewarding these student funds. With a mix of undergraduate and graduate students across degree programs, varying introductions to sustainability, and visions for what sustainability could be, the Committee promotes accountability to the diverse needs of the UW Seattle student body. Further, it seeks to signal who is welcome in the sustainability movement and broaden the meaning of what "sustainability" entails. Learn specifics of how Committee members are recruited, compensated, and serve; maintaining student engagement; the process for grant review that promotes justice-centered solutions; usage of subcommittees; modelling participatory budgeting with student funds; and how to create an adaptive system that lasts long-term.

"As trustees of student money, we have chosen to make the CSF accountable to the student body at every level -- from the all-student Student Activities Fees committee that can choose to establish the CSF, to the all-student CSF committee that will allocate the funds, to the student priorities that will guide the allocation."
- The Campus Sustainability Fund Working Group, 11 February 2010