KATIE ARIAL

PROPOSAL FOR:

Orientation Program

Prepared for: Santa Clara University Center for Student Involvement

Prepared by: Katie Arial

May 16, 2019

KATIE ARIAL

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Problem
The EPA estimates that the average person creates 4.4 pounds of waste each day. With about
10,000 people on Santa Clara’s campus, that's 10 million pounds of waste created by Santa
Clara University for just 33 weeks of the year. Additionally, around 2880 people attend
Orientation1 every summer, which results in over 12,000 pounds of food waste over the course
of one month.

The Opportunity
During the month of July, incoming first year students attend Orientation and spend the night at
Santa Clara University. Since this is the students’ first experience on campus, we can use it as
an opportunity to promote sustainability.

The Solution
Benson Memorial Center offers eco-trays, which are dishwasher-safe, reusable to-go
containers that can be washed for you. By changing the culture surrounding food waste at
Orientation, we have the power to change the culture of the entire campus by influencing first
year students to take initiative.

Project Outline
• During Orientation meals, attendees use eco-trays instead of single-use items in order to get
incoming students familiar with using them.
• The Orientation Leaders create a memorable video explaining how to use eco-trays and the
importance of using them on campus.

1 The Orientation Program is a part of the Center for Students Involvement. The Center for Student Involvement provides students with a variety
of ways to explore leadership opportunities, try new experiences, continue pursuing current interests, gain valuable skills, learn about
themselves, and meet others.
KATIE ARIAL

INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM

Food Waste in the US

India China Food Waste
One in every eight people in the United State are food Russia USA

insecure, even though 40 percent of food gets tossed

every year. This wasted food amounts to $162 billion in 11%
waste annually, which could serve 58,064,516,129 24%

meals. Food loss and waste also amount to a major

squandering of resources, including water, land, energy, 8%
45%
labour and capital and needlessly produce greenhouse 12%
gas emissions, contributing to global warming and
climate change.
The Largest Emitters of Greenhouse Gases

Daily Pounds of SCU Food Waste Food Waste at Santa Clara University
According to Mission Sustainable, the per capita
40000 production of waste was 517.8 pounds over the
academic year of 2017. To combat the problem,
39250
Auxiliary Services has attempted to decrease the use of
38500 single-use service wear along with the amount of food
being taken to the dump by administering reusable
37750 eco-trays to all on-campus residents. However,
students are not using the eco-trays due to the ease of
37000
2008 2013 2018 single-use container.

In 2018, the University attempted to get rid of single-use items to encourage students to use
eco-trays as a to-go container. However, students began to steal the porcelain dinnerware
instead of bringing their eco-trays. The culture surrounding using eco-trays must be shifted in
order to reduce our campus’ ecological footprint. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Using Eco-Trays at Orientation

Orientation is first-year students’ first introduction to the
culture of campus. We would supply eco-trays instead
of sing-use dining ware for every orientation meal to
show that the eco-trays are apart of our campus
culture.

The Sustainability Video

During Spring training, the Orientation Leaders create a video about how to use the eco-trays
and the importance of reducing waste in order to reach Santa Clara’s zero waste initiative by
2020.

Why We Will Be Successful

Orientation Leaders have an important influence on first-year

students. Orientation Leaders using eco-trays has the
potential to encourage the entire incoming class to use eco-
trays once they arrive on campus.

Implementing this change in the Orientation program will

create a lasting economic and environmental effect for Santa
Clara University.
COST ANALYSIS

Using Eco-trays at Orientation

Every session, about 441 people attend Orientation. Throughout their two days on campus, 5
meals are consumed. Giving the attendees eco-trays instead of single-use dining ware will
require Santa Clara University to purchase around 500 eco-trays. These trays would be washed
and reused for every session throughout the Summer.

The Orientation Leader Sustainability video will not cost anything due to the fact that the
Orientation Leaders are already compensated to create a video during Summer training.
Instead of creating a video about the culture on campus like in years past, the Orientation
Leaders would be creating the eco-tray video. Therefore, there is no additional cost to the
department.

Description Quantity Unit Price Cost

Eco Trays 500 $ 5 $ 2,500

Orientation Leader Video 1 $ 0 $ 0

Total $ 2,500
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

Intended Outcomes
At Orientation, the Orientation Leader Sustainability video will spark students’ interest and create conversation
surrounding the eco-trays. Using the eco-trays during meals will also support the conversation about how to
make Santa Clara a more sustainable place.

Over time, the culture surrounding single-use dining ware will change. Santa Clara will be able to have porcelain
ware without the fear of them getting stolen, because students use their eco-trays. It will be cool to carry an
eco-tray, just like it is popular to carry a reusable water bottle.

Measuring Outcomes
To measure these outcomes, it is important to record the amount of eco-trays purchased in years past
compared to how many are being purchased by students living on campus. Tracking this amount will reveal the
success of implementing this project.

It is important to measure the amount of food waste after the first quarter in order to see if there has been a
decrease in campus food waste.

CONCLUSION

Food waste is a huge problem worldwide, and especially at Santa Clara University. We can reduce our
campus’ ecological footprint by implementing a sustainability and educational program into the new
students’ Orientation program.

By creating a memorable video about sustainability on campus, the Orientation Leaders can encourage
incoming students to use eco-trays during their time living on campus.

Purchasing eco-trays to use during orientation is a small price to pay for the immense impact they will
have on the incoming students.

Orientation is the perfect place to change campus culture into one that emphasizes sustainability.
Changing first-years’ actions will create a lasting impact on the entire on-campus community for years
to come.

APPENDIX

TO: Orientation team

FROM: Katie Arial

DATE: May 16, 2019

SUBJECT: Orientation Eco-tray Project

Do you remember your first day of college? You were bright-eyed and seeking opportunity. You were open to new
experiences and change. That is exactly how new students feel when they arrive to Santa Clara. They are the next
generation of Broncos and they have the power to change the campus culture into anything they want to. Let’s
make sure they understand that Santa Clara is dedicated to having a zero waste campus by 2020.

This project includes a video created by the Orientation Leaders and using eco-trays at Orientation. During
Orientation meals, attendees use eco-trays instead of single-use items in order to get incoming students familiar
with using them. This project has the power to save thousands of dollars, and make Santa Clara University the
most sustainable University in the Silicon Valley.

Santa Clara already has the best Orientation program in the country, but we need to do our part to make sure its
the most sustainable program too. I am confident that our team has the expertise and passion in order to make a
lasting impact from this project. Go Broncos!