September 5, 2017

Zero Waste Ambassadors Charge, 2017-2018

Background: Emory’s vision is to be a model of transformative practices and sustainable choices at

every level. Given Emory University’s 2025 Sustainability Vision and commitment to divert 95% of its
waste from municipal landfills and to make all events zero-municipal landfill waste by 2020, a proposed
University-wide policy is circulating to define infrastructure and behavioral changes necessary to achieve
these goals. Education, outreach and engagement are critical to making these efforts successful and to
showing national leadership in protecting our neighborhoods from the negative social, economic and
environmental impacts of landfills.

Mission: To empower students, faculty and staff with the knowledge and resources to actualize the
Sustainability Vision waste goals. It is critical to foster a community that recognizes the value of waste
management as it intersects with environmental justice, conservation, and social impacts. Zero Waste
Ambassadors will serve as peer-to-peer educators in residence halls, in offices and labs and during
events to educate about proper waste management at Emory and to facilitate the adoption and
implementation of sustainable event planning throughout all major campus events.

Vision: To form a motivated group of Emory community members who are actively promoting a culture
at Emory that prioritizes reducing and diverting waste in all decisions that we make as individuals and as
a community and helping to guide Emory to a post-landfill future that is accountable to our surrounding
communities and to future generations.

Structure/Expectations:
The Zero Waste Ambassador team will:
 Attend an initial training session with the Office of Sustainability Initiatives staff to become
familiarized with the changes to the waste management and behavior change systems.
 Contribute to any of the following activities:
o Lead peer-to-peer outreach in education in respective offices, labs and residence halls
to inform the community members about the waste management changes and about
sustainable event certification.
o Participate in zero-landfill waste events, including but not limited to Homecoming, Taste
of Emory, Commencement and orientation events.
o Recruit volunteers to participate in zero-landfill waste events.
o Attend monthly meetings or calls to stay informed about updates to the waste policy
adoption and implementation.
o Feel comfortable being identified as a campus resource for waste management
information and engagement through the OSI communications and through Zero Waste
Ambassador t-shirts or pins at campus events.
o Collect and share feedback from community members about adoption and
implementation of the waste policy to continue to improve the system.