Plastics Reduction Initiative

Promoting sustainable habits

As microplastics are being discovered in uninhabited wilderness areas and even the human brain, Arizona State University is taking action to reduce its plastic footprint. 

The ASU Zero Waste department launched the Plastics Reduction Initiative on the Tempe campus in September 2025 to test new waste management practices in the University Services Building and the Rob and Melani Walton Center for Planetary Health. It aims to reduce single-use plastics and promote sustainable habits university-wide in three often overlooked areas: personal waste bins, waste bin liners and plastic beverage bottles. 

Personal desk bins

Personal desk bins are replaced with larger, communal receptacles in office areas. This allows the Zero Waste department to provide clear signage and education for differentiating landfills from recycling and composting, thus increasing waste diversion. The extra step also encourages employees to be mindful of the waste they create.

Soft plastics like garbage and recycling bags comprise 42% of the university’s plastic waste. To reduce this, personal desk bins have been replaced with larger, communal receptacles in office areas. This allows the Zero Waste department to provide clear signage and education for differentiating landfills from recycling and composting, thus increasing waste diversion. The extra step also encourages employees to be mindful of how much and what type of waste they create.

The Zero Waste department is testing two landfill and recycling bin options: The Walton Center uses compostable liners, and USB uses liner-less bins. 

Compostable liners and liner-less bins

Traditional liners are made of tough-to-recycle plastics that clog recycling centers or linger in landfills for decades. Compostable liners reduce single-use plastics, while liner-less bins eliminate them, though the bins require regular cleaning. The Zero Waste department will evaluate both approaches to see which option is most feasible for university-wide adoption.

Aluminum alternatives

The final and most visible shift is replacing plastic beverage bottles in vending machines with aluminum alternatives. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, safer than polyethylene terephthalate plastics and uses 34% less freshwater in production. When used by all ASU vending machines, this initiative will save more than 917,000 gallons annually, delivering lasting health and sustainability benefits.

Centralizing waste disposal encourages thoughtful sorting and supports ASU’s zero waste goals. Aluminum water bottles are being introduced because they are:

• Infinitely recyclable
• Durable through multiple recycling cycles
• Less harmful to the environment over time

Benefits of the Plastics Reduction Initiative include the following:

• Reduced single-use plastics
• Increased recyclability using aluminum
• Improved waste sorting through centralized waste stations
• Data-driven evaluation: Zero Waste monitors contamination and diversion rates to assess the pilot’s impact.

Email Zero Waste if you are interested in having your building participate in the Plastics Reduction Initiative or if you have any questions.