About Campus Race to Zero Waste
Campus Race to Zero Waste is an eight-week friendly competition and benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to promote waste reduction across campuses. During the course of the competition, Endicott College will be tracking and reporting the amount of recycling, organics (food waste), and trash collected each week. We’ll be ranked against other colleges and universities across the country to see which campus can divert the most waste from going to the landfill. The competition runs from February 1 to March 28, and there’s no shortage of ways to get involved!
Endicott College took the top spot in the 2025 Campus Race to Zero Waste (CR2ZW), earning first place nationally in the Food Organics category among medium-sized institutions as well as across all colleges and universities participating in North America.
Let’s see how much Endicott can reduce, reuse, and recycle over the next two months. Follow @SustainableEndicott to get involved and check back to this site often for updated event information.
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Preseason
Hungry Hungry Recyclers: Wednesday, January 28 | 5:30 p.m. | Post Center
Cheer on the men’s basketball team versus Wentworth and take a shot at Hungry Hungry Recyclers! During halftime, two groups will compete for a zero waste prize by “eating” the recycling on the court. -
Week 1
Show the Waste: Wednesday, February 4 | 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. | Callahan Dining Hall
How much food is wasted during lunch in Callahan? Join the Office of Sustainability in Callahan to watch as the waste piles up. Guess how many pounds of food will be left at the end of lunch for a chance to win a sustainable goodie bag! -
Week 2
Freecycle Thrift Store: Wednesday, February 11 | 3–5 p.m. | Lower Callahan
Visit the Freecycle Thrift Store in Lower Callahan! Shop donated items from the Endicott community, including men’s and women’s shirts, coats, shoes, jeans, and skirts. Everything is completely free, with an encouraged donation of $5 to support Beverly Bootstraps. -
Week 3
Reusable Business Card Printing: Friday, February 20 | 11 a.m.–noon | Makerspace (JSC 405)
Impress employers at the Career Fair and prevent waste by creating your own reusable QR code business card! Scanning the card will link to your LinkedIn account, online portfolio, or other contact method. Registration required. -
Week 4
Endicott Eats Sustainably: Thursday, February 26 | 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. | Callahan Dining Hall
Did you know eating a plant based diet is the single best way to reduce your environmental impact? Experimenting with plant based foods at Callahan will be easier than ever, with a full spread of highlights like tofu, legumes, leafy greens, and sweet potatoes for all future flexitarians to sample! -
Week 5
Zero Waste Trivia: Tuesday, March 3 | 8–9 p.m. | Gully's
Are you a recycling whiz? Bring your A-game to trivia at Gully’s for a zero waste category. The winning team’s prize includes coupons, tote bags, stickers, and surprise sustainable goodies! -
Week 6
Trail Clean Up: Monday, March 9 | 4–5 p.m. | Meet outside of the Bookstore
Join us in cleaning up Endicott’s beautiful forest! If you’ve never explored our 3+ miles of trails, now is the perfect time to lend a helping hand to our ecosystem as we prepare the trails for springtime. -
Week 7
Sustainable Student Instagram Takeover: Monday, March 16 - Friday, March 20
How does the Office of Sustainability student staff spend their spring break? Watch a day in their lives at @SustainableEndicott on Instagram to see how you can take sustainability home with you, even when you leave the Nest! -
Week 8
Sustainability Networking & Career Fair: Tuesday, March 24 | 4–5 p.m. | Judge Science Center lobby
Join Sustainable Endicott in welcoming a wide variety of environmental employers looking to hire Endicott students and soon-to-be graduates. Resumés optional, but a love for zero waste and the outdoors is encouraged!