Emory’s Break Free from Plastic Initiative
Emory is beginning the implementation of its Break Free from Plastic Pledge (BFFPP), which was signed in 2021 as a step toward the reduction of unnecessary single-use plastics (SUPs) on Emory’s campuses. Read on to learn more and get involved!
Break Free from Plastic Incentives Fund
Download and complete the Break Free from Plastic Incentives Fund application and return it to OSI at emorysustainability@emory.edu by May 15th to be considered for a plastic reduction grant. See details below.
Emory’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives is launching a one-time-only mini grant for student, faculty, and staff projects focused on campus single-use plastic use reduction. If you have a great idea for a project that would support the use of plastic alternatives, reduce the use of items like single-use plastic bags and straws, or educate the campus on plastic reduction, apply to potentially earn up to $5,000 in funding! Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until May 15th, and funds must be spent by June 26th. Funds can be used for supplies, communications, and other approved costs. Projects that focus on piloting plastic replacements in campus laboratories, engage with the arts as a method of education, reduce plastic use at Certified Sustainable Emory Events, or feature student teams are especially encouraged to apply.
Download and complete this form and return it to OSI at emorysustainability@emory.edu by May 15th for consideration.
Click image for a larger viewDesign your own Break Free From Plastic Pledge
Have you ever thought about cutting bad habits from your life, but didn’t know where to start? As Emory begins the implementation of its Break Free From Plastic Pledge, we want to encourage you to develop your own SUP reduction plan. Step by step, we’ll show you how developing a strategic plan of action can help you phase wasteful, single-use plastics out of your life!
Click image for a larger viewGet Involved!
Do you want to help Emory break free from plastic? We ask students, faculty, and staff to complete a short Single-use Plastic Campus Landscape Assessment Survey, which will help Emory’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives to better understand where and when single-use plastics appear on campus. If you are a student, consider joining Plastic Free Emory, a student-led initiative working to create a sustainable, plastic-free campus. Students, faculty, and staff are also invited to apply to become Zero Waste Ambassadors—peer-to-peer campus educators on proper waste management and reduction.
Click image for a larger viewThe Pledge
On June 28, 2021, in response to advocacy from the student group Plastic Free Emory, Chancellor and former President Gregory L. Fenves signed a Break Free from Plastic Pledge on behalf of Emory University and Oxford College with the intention of reducing the use of SUPs on Emory’s campuses. The agreement commits Emory to establishing a task force to enact the pledge, implementing a year-by-year SUP reduction strategy, implementing purchasing guidelines to eliminate the procurement of unnecessary SUPs in the future, investing in education, resources, and infrastructure to reduce SUP use on campus, and increasing efforts to align with City of Atlanta policies. Read reporting on the signature of the pledge here and the full pledge here.
Click image for a larger viewThe Task Force
A Break Free from Plastic Task Force is convening in the fall of 2025 to begin implementation of the BFFPP. Student, faculty, staff, and administrative representatives from across campus will meet throughout the 2025-2026 academic year to assess the current status of SUP use on Emory’s campus, identify alternatives and opportunities for SUP use reduction, and draft a BFFPP implementation plan. Click here to learn more about the task force! Have questions or comments for the task force? Email us at emorysustainability@emory.edu.
Click image for a larger viewProgress So Far
Emory has already made great progress toward the reduction of plastic use on campus. In Emory Dining halls, reusable to-go containers are offered to students instead of single-use containers. Compostable cutlery and cups are used widely by on-campus vendors, including by Emory Catering, instead of non-compostable plastic options. The use of Emory funds to purchase Styrofoam, which is extremely difficult to recycle, is prohibited. These steps will provide a foundation for the work of the BFFPP task force. Read more about Emory’s Zero Waste Initiative here.