Sustainability Master Plan 2025

WASTE

GOAL: Advance and support sustainable materials management systems by promoting more conscious campus purchasing and increasing recovery operations to move toward a zero-waste campus.

 

STRATEGIES

Progress updates for year 1 are below.

Actions for each strategy have been identified and will be prioritized on an annual basis by the implementation team.

S1 Reduction: Reduce the total waste generated per person on campus by 25% by 2035 compared to a 2024 baseline by advancing a culture of waste reduction and strengthening sustainable procurement systems.

  • The total waste generated per person on campus was 381 lbs. during FY 2026. This is a 6.4% reduction compared to the 2024 baseline of 407 lbs. per person on campus.
6.4%
25%

S2 Diversion: Increase annual landfill diversion to 50% by 2030 and 65% by 2035.

  • Elon’s landfill diversion rate for FY 2026 was 31.5%.
31.5%
65%