Contact: Dan Omasta, 303-847-9903 BOULDER, Colo. - In 2008, the University of Colorado received national attention for establishing the first ‘zero-waste’ BCS football stadium in the country. This year, the Athletics department has spread the waste reduction goals to all of its major sporting events; but they are not the only ones determined to reduce their footprint. As part of its ‘Green Office Certification’, the University of Colorado Student Union (UCSU) recently committed to becoming the first zero-waste student government in the country. “Zero waste is an important priority,” said Dan Omasta, the student government’s sustainability director, “as an organization we have to take responsibility for the effects generated by our trash once it leaves this campus!” UCSU has partnered with the CU Environmental Center, who has also gone zero-waste, in an effort to pilot a program that has the potential to be spread campus wide and reduce significant amounts of waste. “Going green and reducing waste not only helps the environment – it also helps students save money,” said Daniel Ramos, a Tri-Executive for the student government. The cost for EcoCycle to pick up compost on campus is only thirty-five dollars, versus a trash pick-up which can cost over three times as much. “By holding ourselves to a zero-waste standard, we are effectively taking direct action to reduce the amount of fees students pay for building operations,” Ramos said. Becoming zero-waste is only a small part of UCSU’s sustainability goals for the year. “In September, Sierra Magazine recognized our University as the ‘greenest school’ in the country,” stated Omasta, “it’s important that we continue to craft programs that reduce our ecological footprint.” Becoming ‘green office certified’ is just another way that UCSU and students are working alongside CU administration, faculty, and staff to meet Governor Ritter’s Greening Government Executive Order and the goals outlined in the University’s Carbon Neutrality Plan. “Students on this campus have an impressive record when it comes to protecting the environment and improving social justice,” Ramos said. “It is important that their student government follow suit and take serious action to reduce its own ecological impact.” In the next few months UCSU will be setting strong goals to improve resource conservation and reduce waste in the University Memorial Center (UMC), Wardenburg Health Center , and the Recreation Center. Over the past six months, the UMC has already replaced all of its Styrofoam containers with compostable materials, as well as implemented composting in the bathrooms and dining area. The next big step for the Student Union is going to be working with independent vendors in the UMC and Recreation Center, such as Jamba Juice, to help them achieve the zero-waste standard UCSU will be putting in place for all of its buildings. “By working alongside our vendors and finding feasible alternatives to wasteful containers, students can directly impact the way business is done in this country,” stated Omasta. By increasing purchasing standards on upstream and downstream waste, UCSU plans to divert significant amounts of waste from the landfill and reduce petroleum use from shipping and excess packaging. “As students, we have the opportunity to affect positive social and environmental change through the products we choose to buy every day,” Omasta said.