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University of Michigan

Join Us for Zero Waste Week

March 17th-23th

This campus-wide challenge will teach you, step-by-step, how to produce less waste and support the circular economy in Ann Arbor! Sign up for a chance to win prizes including a bike, gift certificates & more!

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Join the Challenge

Upcoming Events


Orientation: Introduction to Zero Waste

Sunday, March 17th, 2 pm

Join us for a Zoom session on to learn about zero waste and how to get ready for your zero waste week.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for chance to win a dozen mini bundt cakes

Clothing Swap
& Repair Day

Monday, March 18th, 11 – 3 pm

Bring clothing to swap, repair or screenprint and
pick up some free stuff from others! You don’t need to bring anything to attend.

RSVP HERE
Attend this event for chance to win a $25 gift certificate to The Getup

Cooking Demo

Tuesday, March 19th, 7 pm

Learn how to cook a meal from
zero waste ingredients.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win three weeks of produce from Argus Farm Stop

Zero Waste Business Roundtable

Wednesday, March 20th, 6:00 pm

Join us to discuss the role of the business community in bringing about a circular economy and zero waste.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win two tickets to a Zingerman’s food tasting event ($100 value), and a $100 gift certificate to JOOB Activewear

Waste Justice Panel

Thursday, March 21st, 6:30 pm

Hear from local activist and academics about the intersection of waste practices and broader social justice issues.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Detroit Street Filling Station and a 5-class-pack to aUM Yoga

Fjällräven Community Cleanup

Saturday, March 23rd, 11 – 12 pm

Join us for a nice stroll around downtown Ann Arbor and campus while helping with our community trash cleanup efforts!

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win a Fjällräven trekking backpack ($325 value)

Celebration

Saturday, March 23rd, 12 – 2 pm

Come celebrate and reflect the end of the challenge with us!
Win prizes, free food and tons of fun.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win a bike from Common Cycle ($250 value)


Upcoming Events

Assorted Clothes

Clothing Swap
& Repair Day

Monday, March 18th, 11 – 3 pm

Bring clothing to swap, repair or screenprint and
pick up some free stuff from others! You don’t need to bring anything to attend.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for chance to win a $25 gift certificate to The Getup

pexels engin akyurt 1435904 photo

Cooking demo


Tuesday, March 19th 7pm

Learn how to cook a meal from
zero waste ingredients.



RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win three weeks of produce from Argus Farm Stop

Photo Of People Doing Handshakes

Zero waste business round table

Wednesday, March 20th 6pm

Join us to discuss the role of the business community in bringing about a circular economy and zero waste.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win two tickets to a Zingerman’s food tasting event ($100 value), and a $100 gift certificate to JOOB Activewear

Group of People on Conference room

Panel: Reuse and Rescue for Social Restoration


Thursday, March 21st, 6:30 pm

Hear from local organizations like Food Gatherers and House N2 Home about the intersection of reuse, rescue and social restoration.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Detroit Street Filling Station and a 5-class pack to aUM Yoga

Assorted Plastic Bottles

Fjällräven Community Cleanup

Saturday, March 23rd, 11 – 12 pm

Join us for a nice stroll around downtown Ann Arbor and campus while helping with our community trash cleanup efforts!

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win a Fjällräven trekking backpack ($325 value)

Colorful Balloons with Confetti

Celebration

Saturday, March 23rd, 12 – 2 pm

Come celebrate and reflect the end of the challenge with us!
Win prizes, free food and tons of fun.

RSVP HERE

Attend this event for a chance to win a bike from Common Cycle ($250 value)


Join the challenge to win a prize!

How it works

Do your best to avoid trash and recycling for one week and collect any waste you do create to review at the end of the week.

What counts as waste?

Any new thing you acquire during the week including wrappers, bags, containers, receipts, and food scraps (if you don’t have access to a compost). 

Exceptions

Waste from your work and waste associated with medications etc. don’t count. Keep yourself healthy and continue taking any medication you need to feel your best, without worrying about the trash.

1

Sign Up

Sign up

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2

Get Resources

learn from resources

LOREM IPSUM
3

Build Momentum

etcetera

LOREM IPSUM
Why zero waste?

Learn how to take concrete action on waste and climate issues

Waste isn’t just about trash. From extraction to disposal, our materials economy sits at the root of climate change and environmental breakdown. Learn what you can do in your own life to reduce waste and build momentum for a zero waste future at the university and in Ann Arbor.

  • 5 Resource Packed Emails with tips to get you started
  • Zero waste events throughout the week
  • Led by U of M alums with 8+ Years of zero waste experience
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45%
of GHG emissions come from the production of stuff we consume
32 lbs
of waste are created upstream for every pound of trash we throw out

Frequently asked questions

At the end of the week you’ll be able to see very clearly what kinds of waste you personally tend to create. Awareness is half the battle! After your trash audit this week, you’ll be fully equipped to reduce the waste you generate moving forward.

We generally say to use up perishable food and keep any associated waste. Anything you already have that won’t go bad, try to go without!

Our focus with this challenge on the “upstream” waste that is produced even before stuff gets to you. Unfortunately, even recyclable items still produce a lot of upstream waste, so for this week our “3 R’s” are to try to reduce, reuse, and rot (rather than recycle).

Check out our interactive map and find a restaurant that does zero waste take out!

Our Zero Waste City Guide for Ann Arbor is the best place to find alternatives (or supplements) to your normal shopping routine.

While pet waste is important to consider, you don’t need to keep your pet-related waste for this week. But take this opportunity to start thinking about ways you could work towards having a zero waste pet!

That’s ok! Do the best you can, and you might be surprised what they pick up on after the week.

Any waste you produce as part of your job doesn’t count for the purposes of this challenge.

Continue taking any medication you need to feel your best, and don’t worry about the trash.

Going zero waste is going to be a little hard, because most of our systems are built for disposability! But not to worry: there is no “failing”. Even if all you do is collect a week’s worth of trash and recycling, you’ll have learned a lot and you’ll have tools to make more sustainable choices going forward.

Still have questions?

If you cannot find an answer to your question in our FAQ, you can always contact us
and we will answer as soon as we can.

Meet the U-M Team!

Ashley Tasmaan edited photo
Ashley Tasmaan

Project Manager

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Philip Hadiwidjaja

Technology Officer

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Lily Stidham

Outreach Coordinator

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David Berrea

Team Member

Zippy Memon edited scaled photo
Zippy Memon

Team Member

Darin Noronha edited scaled photo
Darin Noronha

Team Member


Challenge Host:

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EcoUM

In Collaboration with:

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