David Donaldson
David is the Operations and Summer Programs Coordinator for University of Richmond's Events, Conferences, and Support Services. He runs the Community Garden on campus and also helps lead the Staff Sustainability Discussion Group. Read more about how he got involved in sustainability and his advice for reducing waste at events in our full interview with him below.
What aspects of sustainability interest you the most?
Personally, I'm most interested in sustainability and our food systems. As the population continues to grow, we will have more people to feed. At present, we actually produce more food than we need to feed all of the people on the planet. At the same time, climate change and socio-economic factors make it difficult for some groups of people and segments of society to have access to enough food. How do we make it so that the billions of people who go to bed hungry each night can access food, grow food, etc.? Climate change is just pushing already marginalized people further out.
At a professional level, I'm really interested in waste out of necessity. We use a lot of things on campus. I think it's important to think about our entire supply chain. How are the items we purchase made? How long do we use them? Where do those items go when we are finished with them?
What are a couple of your favorite things about managing the Community Garden on campus?
The Community Garden started as an idea that Abby Ayers, President Emeritus Ayer's wife, had. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to garden on campus once it got off the ground. Later, when Megan Litke left her position as Sustainability Manager here, she asked me to manage the garden. It's been great growing my own food and the other people involved in the garden are extremely passionate, detail oriented, and quick to express gratitude.
It's been really great recently having SPCS classes on soil ecology and pollinators using the garden as part of their courses. I would love to see the garden expand to accommodate the huge number of garden applicants we have every year and it would be really nice to have undergraduate classes also using the garden for research.
How has sustainability impacted your job as of now?
Overall, I think my interest in sustainability has resulted in people around me thinking more about how they can support sustainability. More than that, sustainability initiatives related to events have become part of my current job description and I'm often the go-to person for addressing sustainability concerns and questions in my office. It's also been great getting increasingly involved with the Office for Sustainability, particularly since Rob Andrejewski came on as Director of Sustainability.
What is a zero waste event and how do they have the potential to impact campus?
Events generate a huge amount of waste on campus, so there's a lot of opportunity to reduce that. A zero waste event is an event where little to no waste is sent to the landfill. Instead, items are composted, recycled, or reused. Right now it's great to have a couple zero waste events each year, but ultimately I think zero waste events should become our standard. We did a really good job with zero waste events during commencement the past two years, with composting at receptions and cap and gown recycling, and I think those sorts of events should become easier and more normal. There are countless opportunities with our big annual events. Even small events, like regular Greek events, have the potential for a big impact if they focus on reducing waste.
What are some tips for staff, faculty, and students who want to plan zero waste events?
Most of the waste at an event comes from food, whether that's how it's served or how it's consumed. So people can try to stay away from single-use items and instead use things like reusable plates, cloth napkins, metal flatware, and reusable cups. People can also choose snacks that aren't individually packaged and drinks that don't come in individual bottles. University Catering and Dining are good resources for zero waste event planning.
How do you foresee sustainability influencing you in the future?
Personally, I think about the environment and sustainability with every choice I make. The impact of that on my life will probably only increase as time goes by.
Professionally, I really hope to see sustainability play a larger role in my current job position and zero waste events become more normal. I know my coworkers and superiors are concerned about sustainability and I'm excited to see how zero waste events become more of a priority in the future.
Thank you, David, for all the work you do for our campus community. Do you know someone who should be featured as a Sustainability Champion? Let us know at sustainabilty@richmond.edu.