Boise State is turning waste into opportunity through innovative waste minimization efforts across campus. From food and clothing to bikes and surplus materials, these initiatives showcase how departments and programs are making a tangible impact on sustainability.
Here are some of the waste diversion efforts being made on campus:
Buster’s Kitchen: Ozzi Boxes
Buster’s Kitchen has done some simple things that have led to significant waste diversion.
- Buster’s Kitchen removed disposable food trays, encouraging patrons to take only what they can eat, which significantly reduces food waste.
- Buster’s Kitchen now uses 100% reusable dining ware, including plates, bowls, silverware, and cups – cutting waste with every meal!
- Buster’s Kitchen tracks daily attendance and measures food waste after plates are cleared, allowing them to monitor waste per person. This data helps optimize meal planning and reduce overall food waste.
- Buster’s Kitchen has introduced reusable take-out boxes by OZZI for students and staff who need to eat on the run or have leftover food. Those with a meal plan can sign up to participate in the program, allowing them to return their used O2GO boxes and pick up a fresh one for their next meal. This system encourages sustainability while making it convenient for the campus community to reduce single-use packaging.
Campus Food Pantry
The Campus Food Pantry is a place for ALL students to access food and hygiene products. Simply bring your student ID card to the Campus School, and staff there will assist you in selecting whatever it is you need!
Campus Clothing Closets
Boise State offers two Clothing Closets to support students with free and sustainable clothing options:
The Campus Clothing Closet
Open to all currently enrolled Boise State students, the Campus Clothing Closet provides good-quality, sustainable clothing at no cost. Students can schedule an appointment to visit the closet and select items that suit them by contacting the Student Connections and Support Center in the Student Union Building.
The Atkins Law Career Closet
The Atkins Law Career Closet in the College of Business & Economics is a supportive resource available to Broncos of all majors and identities. It provides professional attire at no cost to students and recent graduates for interviews, career fairs, internships, research conferences, and similar professional events.
Cycle Learning Center: Abandoned Bikes
The Cycle Learning Center (CLC) at Boise State works to recover and salvage abandoned bicycles on campus. Bicycles deemed suitable for repair are restored and made available for resale to students, promoting both reuse and sustainability.
Glove Recycling Program
Jenee Cyran and the students in her lab were recently highlighted in the January 2025 Office of Sustainability Newsletter for their innovative glove recycling program. Luca Manning, a chemistry major and undergraduate researcher in the Cyran Lab, has also secured a second grant from the Student Sustainability Fund to improve existing titration labs. This grant will support the replacement of hazardous chemicals with sustainable, non-polluting materials.
If you’re interested in starting your glove recycling program, check out this helpful resource here.
Landscape Services: Organic Waste
Boise State composts landscape organic waste on campus at a site located south of the Beach Volleyball Court, between the Children’s Center on Beacon Street and the Lincoln Townhomes. Organic materials from landscape maintenance that are more difficult to compost are sent to Timbercreek Recycling.
Boise State Architectural Engineering Services: Construction Waste
A significant effort was made to recycle construction waste during the construction of the new LEED-certified Syringa residence hall.