Upcoming Events, Food Waste and More!
Join our upcoming events!
DIY Toothpaste/Deodorant Workshop
Discover the power of DIY personal care—sustainably! Come join us for a fun, hands-on workshop where you'll learn to make your own toothpaste and deodorant using simple, natural ingredients. It’s an easy way to reduce waste and ditch the chemicals. Plus, you'll get to customize your containers to make them uniquely yours
EVENT DETAILS, drop-in anytime! – DIY toothpaste/deodorant RSVP
Tuesday, November 12: 6:00-8:00 pm, Segundo - Regan Main
Wednesday, November 13: 6:00-8:00 pm, Tercero - Olive Main
Thursday, November 14: 6:00-8:00 pm, Cuarto - Shasta MPR
Holiday DIY Workshop
Get into the holiday spirit sustainably! At our Holiday DIY Workshop, you’ll create heartfelt and sustainable gifts like chocolate-in-a-jar, decorate festive postcards, and upcycle items into tailored presents! Bring your creativity and a friend (or two!) for an evening of holiday cheer, crafting, and community.
EVENT DETAILS, drop-in anytime! – Holiday DIY Workshop RSVP
Tuesday, November 19: 6:00-8:00 pm, Cuarto - Shasta MPR
Wednesday, November 20: 6:00-8:00 pm, Tercero - Olive Main
Thursday, November 21: 6:00-8:00 pm, Segundo - Regan Main
Help us reduce food waste!
Did you see us in the Dining Commons last week? The SHDS Sustainability team was conducting the Fall Quarter Waste Studies where we measured how much post-consumer edible food waste was produced during peak meal periods.
- The average amount of edible food waste from the waste study is 2.16oz per person. If you left 2.16oz of food on your plate per meal for a year (3 meals a day for 365 days), that equates to 147lbs of food that was grown, produced, transported, and prepared—just to be uneaten.
- We also found that the average amount of liquid waste is 1.81fl oz per person. If you were to leave behind 1.81fl oz for every meal over a year (3 meals a day for 365 days), that would equate to 247 cups of your favorite beverage that someone else could have enjoyed.
- 7 pounds of napkins waste or about 1.5 napkins per person.
As part of our Sustainability goals, guided by the University of California Sustainable Practices Policy, we are actively finding ways to reduce food waste. Some of our actions include:
- Edible food recovery program through the Food Recovery Network that donates surplus edible food to campus and community partners
- Composts pre- and post-consumer food waste
- Quarterly waste studies
- Education on food waste
You can customize your plate and reduce waste
Just Ask! – ask your server to adapt your dish to meet your needs. Smaller portion? Skip the bread? Not keen on pickles? Just ask!
Try A Taste – many menu items can be sampled before you take a full serving, so if it’s not to your taste, it doesn’t go to waste!
National Recycling Day is on Friday, November 15
On this national day, schools, cities, and environmental organizations come together to promote, teach and celebrate the importance of recycling in the country. As a critical part of sustainability, Student Housing and Dining services would like to encourage everyone to keep recycling everything that can be recycled like paper, glass, aluminum cans, and cardboard while also motivating you to go beyond and upcycle those things that cannot be normally disposed of in our recycling bins.
Find our waste guide here for more information about recycling.
Visit the campus Office of Sustainability Recycle A-Z for an in-depth guide here
Love Gardening? Join one of our Resident Gardens during garden hours!
Garden Hours are open to all Student Housing Residents living in Cuarto, Segundo, & Tercero. Drop-in for as much or as little time as you like to learn new skills - or put existing skills to use – and meet new people.
No experience necessary! All instructions and tools are provided.
Fall Quarter Garden Hours happen in the following schedule:
Resident Garden @ Segundo – located between Bixby Hall and the Segundo Dining Commons
- Tuesdays: 1:00-3:00 pm
- Wednesdays: 2:00-4:00 pm
- Thursdays: 1:00-3:00 pm
Resident Garden @ Tercero – located near the main entrance to Latitude
- Tuesdays: 9:00-12:00 pm
- Wednesdays: 1:30-2:30 pm
- Fridays: 2:00-4:00 pm
Adopt-A-Plot
Residents can also adopt a plot in the Segundo or Tercero garden for one quarter or longer to steward their own garden space. Adopt-a-plotters will have access to garden materials and mentorship.
If you are interested in adopting a plot, please fill out the Adopt-A-Plot application or visit us during open volunteer hours and speak to one of our Resident Garden Coordinators.
Visit housing.ucdavis.edu/sustainability/resident-garden for more information about the resident gardens
Stay connected!
Sign up for the weekly Student Housing and Dining Services Sustainability Newsletter at housing.ucdavis.edu/sustainability/newsletter