Sort & Support: Reusable Revolution at CalArts

Category: Poster / Mural / Pop-up game

Duration: 4 months

Personal Project

2024


Project Description

This project aimed to reduce waste at CalArts by encouraging the use of reusable utensils and improving waste sorting practices. Through collaboration with cafeteria staff and the use of engaging visual communications like murals and a pop-up sorting game, the initiative successfully heightened awareness and fostered sustainable behaviors among students and faculty, leading to a measurable increase in the use of reusable utensils and more effective waste management on campus.

Background and motivation

Separating trash from compostable waste and recyclables is challenging. It’s more of a cultural issue within the community; I don’t believe it’s something we can manage alone.

Process

In collaboration with Chef Peyton, I discovered the cafeteria’s daily consumption of over 3,000 disposable utensils and the arduous task of managing waste with 25 garbage bins emptied six times daily. These findings underscored the urgent need for a sustainable intervention.

Project development

After conceptualizing an educational mural for Steve’s Cafe and discussing it with John Thomas from facilities, I engaged with key sustainability stakeholders at CalArts— Felix Lipp from the Student Union Sustainability Committee and Justin Hogan from the CalArts Sustainability Committee. 

With the help of Felix and Eugenia, we managed to put up around 80 posters.

With approval from Justin and collaboration with Christina from Steve’s Cafe, who agreed to permanently sell reusable utensils at Tatum, the final design was a 6 feet by 9 feet mural. I produced the mural through a sticker printer recommended by Evelyn to ensure its longevity.

Pop up

To further engage our community in sustainable practices, I organized a pop-up activity alongside the main mural project. This involved an interactive game where participants sorted waste into three chairs colored to match our campus trash bins.Participants were given stickers representing different types of waste and challenged to correctly sort 10 items earned a free set of reusable utensils. Participants also received ‘Landfill’, ‘Compost’, and ‘Recycle’ stickers, which they placed on school trash bins, ensuring ongoing impact beyond the event.

Pop up

To further engage our community in sustainable practices, I organized a pop-up activity alongside the main mural project. This involved an interactive game where participants sorted waste into three chairs colored to match our campus trash bins.Participants were given stickers representing different types of waste and challenged to correctly sort 10 items earned a free set of reusable utensils. Participants also received ‘Landfill’, ‘Compost’, and ‘Recycle’ stickers, which they placed on school trash bins, ensuring ongoing impact beyond the event.

This event saw over 70 participants. We distributed 16 sets of reusable utensils.Most participants scored 5 out of 10, with many mistakenly believing that the black plastic utensils provided by Steve’s Cafe were recyclable, when in fact, they are non-recyclable and considered toxic. 


Feedback for this pop-up was overwhelmingly positive, with participants expressing gratitude for the educational opportunity and enjoying the interactive format which brought me great satisfaction.

Credits

Graphic designer: Yucen Yao

Event Planning: Yucen Yao

Collaborator : Felix Lipp, Eugenia Moreeva, Peyton Poulse, Dianna Sherick, John Thomas

Pop-up photo credit: Zoe Liu

Advisor:Justin Hogan , Shannon Scrofano , Yasmin Gibson

Department of Collaboration: Steve's cafe, CalArts

Sustainability Committee, CalArts Student Union, CalArts Campus Safety

Funding: CalArts Sustainability Committee, CalArts Student Union

Credits

Graphic designer: Yucen Yao

Event Planning: Yucen Yao

Collaborator : Felix Lipp, Eugenia Moreeva, Peyton Poulse, Dianna Sherick, John Thomas

Pop-up photo credit: Zoe Liu

Advisor:Justin Hogan , Shannon Scrofano , Yasmin Gibson

Department of Collaboration: Steve's cafe, CalArts

Sustainability Committee, CalArts Student Union, CalArts Campus Safety

Funding: CalArts Sustainability Committee, CalArts Student Union