Dear friends and colleagues,

I hope your Spring 2021 semester is off to a great start! This month, the Office of Sustainability launched a new YouTube channel and with it, two new videos we encourage everyone to check out (more on that, below). Our talented student employees have worked wonders on these! Be sure to subscribe to our channel to stay up to date with us.

In January, Compost Cats and the City of Tucson officially relaunched the commercial compost program, FoodCycle, with the opening of a new Compost Facility at the Los Reales Landfill. We also completed construction on the ENR2 Rooftop PV+ Project and expect research to begin later this Spring.  Looking forward, we will also be laying the groundwork for the University’s first ever Sustainability & Climate Action Plan. Stay tuned for information on how to provide input on this!

Finally, we recognize Black History Month and celebrate the importance of Black lives and Black leaders, both past and present, who have paved the way toward climate justice and a greener, more equitable and sustainable world. This month, we have been highlighting Black activists in sustainability and environmental justice on our social media accounts. Please follow along and let us know which Black sustainability leaders have inspired you!

Trevor Ledbetter

Director of the University of Arizona Office of Sustainability

RecycleMania is a friendly eight-week competition between the top college and university recycling programs in the United States. The competition began at the end of January and lasts through Saturday, March 27th. Join other UArizona students and staff competing nationally by recycling often and recycling right!

Dorm residents can recycle clean, dry, loose glass, paper, plastics #1-7 (check the bottom of the container to see the number), and aluminum/tin in their dorm’s recycling bins to earn points. Cardboard can be recycled in the outdoor cages. Plastic bags are not recyclable on campus but are collected in blue bins near each dorm’s vending machine, for reuse. Items that are not recyclable include hot coffee cups, styrofoam, plastic utensils, foil, bubble-wrap lined envelopes, and anything with food residue on it. Watch this video to learn more about what's recyclable on campus.

The top three dorms with the most points (points are based on recycling volume and quality) win. 1st place receives $500, 2nd place receives $350, and 3rd place receives $200. 

To find out more about RecycleMania, please visit the Campus Race to Zero Waste (RecycleMania).

All art mediums are accepted, but must be in a digital format. The contest will address UArizona students' experiences with water inequity, other problems they have faced in their community, and the solutions they believe are viable.

Upcoming information on the virtual art competition will be available on the Bio/Diversity Project website.

Also throughout April 2021, The Bio/Diversity Project is hosting the 100% online panel series,"Overcoming racial and gender equity roadblocks to diversify leadership in environmental sciences." This panel will feature panelists from different academic departments within the University of Arizona and local Tucson agencies with expertise in their respective fields. Each panel will focus on an important aspect of overcoming roadblocks to diversity in environmental leadership. Find out more information about the panel series and RSVP here!

For more information about these and other events, visit https://biodiversityproject.arizona.edu/events.

City of Tucson Household Hazardous Waste Program Seeks Volunteers
The City of Tucson's Environmental & General Services Department (EGSD) is looking for volunteers for its Household Hazardous Waste Program. Collection events were previously held at only one location, but are now expanding to sites across the city. Collection will occur on the second Saturday of every month from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The full calendar of collection dates and locations is available here.

Residents can drop off household hazardous waste such as batteries, paint products, cleaning chemicals and more (a full list of acceptable materials is viewable here). E-waste and documents for shredding will also be accepted. To ensure the safety of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, EGSD is keeping all collection events fully contactless. Volunteers will assist in removing items directly from residents' vehicles and disposing of them properly. Masks are required to participate.

For questions or to volunteer, please email Chad Dyer at

Planning for the 10th annual AZSEC Conference in the fall has begun, with Northern Arizona University as this year's host for the event. Please check the conference website for further updates: https://energy.arizona.edu/azsec-2021.

City of Tucson Hiring Temporary Recycling Bin Inspectors
The City of Tucson's Environmental & General Services Department is looking to hire temporary Recycling Bin Inspectors. The City received a grant through the Recycling Partnership to start a pilot tagging program to help improve the quality of recycling. The position start date is still being decided, but would likely be mid-March. The job would be 6 hours a day, Monday-Friday, for 8 weeks - plus a week-long training beforehand. Positions are temporary, but the City may consider hiring full time staff members down the road if the pilot goes well. Candidates will:

• Inspect recycling containers at residential households to identify contamination levels;
• Report identified unacceptable material present in recycling containers via phone app (phone will be provided).

Candidates must be comfortable walking for long distances for long periods of time (up to 8 hours consecutively). Candidates must also have technology skills as they will be using a smartphone app. Rate of pay is $15 per hour. Anyone who is interested or has questions should contact Kendra Hall at kendra.hall@tucsonaz.gov.