Mary Leciejewski - Transforming Ohio State into a Zero Waste University

Mary Leciejewski, Associate Director of Environmental Sustainability at Ohio State University, shares how she and her team are tackling the enormous task of creating a zero-waste system for a campus. She details the university's comprehensive approach to facility management, emphasizing the importance of waste characterization studies, stakeholder engagement, and solutions like the reusable container program, which has eliminated 250,000 single-use containers. Mary highlights the significant progress made in increasing the university's diversion rate, exceeding the typical plateau for most cities. She also discusses the critical role of student involvement and efforts to reduce food waste through programs like the Student Food Recovery Network.

Episode in a glance

• Mary's Role and Experience
• Ohio State's Zero Waste Initiatives
• Expanding Composting at OSU
• Student Advocacy for Composting
• The Impact of Zero Waste Initiatives
• The Reusable Container Program

About Mary Leciejewski

Mary Leciejewski is a passionate advocate for zero waste with a diverse background in public service, environmental studies, and facilities management. As the Associate Director of Environmental Sustainability at Ohio State University, she leads efforts to reduce waste, increase recycling and composting, and promote new practices across the university's vast campus. Mary's commitment to data-driven strategies and her ability to engage diverse stakeholders have been instrumental in advancing Ohio State's progress toward its zero-waste goals.

Connect with Mary Leciejewski and her work at Ohio State

• FOD at Ohio State → https://fod.osu.edu/sustainability
• Recycle at OSU Email: recycle@osu.edu

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