City of Chula Vista
Home MenuChula Vista Zero Waste Academy Course Syllabus and Expectations
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The City of Chula Vista's Office of Sustainability is offering a 7-session Zero Waste Academy course to educate Chula Vista residents on the concepts and practices of Zero Waste and to promote understanding of the City's Waste Reduction Strategic Plan (Zero Waste Plan) and the City's goal of achieving 90% waste diversion by 2035. Also, many "wastes" are actually "resources" that can be used again until their useful life is no more. Students will be provided with opportunities to gain knowledge and will be highly encouraged to become participants so they can implement Zero Waste actions into their lives. Various issues, including Zero Waste for Chula Vista, detailed in the City's Zero Waste Plan, will be covered in the course to promote an overall understanding of Zero Waste thinking and practices with the intention of benefitting our community and the region. In-person tours of the Otay Landfill, EDCO’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and a Construction and Debris (C&D) facility are also planned. Conducting this course fulfills part of the Zero Waste Plan (Action 3.8) of developing and implementing a Zero Waste education and recognition program that encourages applying Zero Waste principles and engaging and collaborating in such activities. Those that complete the course will be recognized as “Chula Vista Zero Waste Champions.”
Note: The course will be limited to 20 in-person participants. Online participation using Microsoft Teams is also available. Classes will be held at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library conference room. In-person participation lends itself to better interaction. The Academy course schedule is available via link on the Zero Waste website – Attend Chula Vista’s Zero Waste Academy.
The course will consist of:
- Talks/presentations from knowledge experts
- Informational readings and online videos
- Conducting a waste audit at your home
- Participating in a sustainability project (document and report on it at the final class)*
- In-class two-way discussions include tips and tricks to build and practice Zero Waste actions.
- In-person tour of the Otay Landfill is included to provide participants with a firsthand look at what happens with waste collected.
- In-person tour of a materials recovery facility (MRF) and a Construction and Debris (C&D) facility. This will provide an eye-opening opportunity to see how recyclable materials are handled and an understanding of the business of recycling.
Academy enrollees are automatically signed up for the tours when they enroll for the Zero Waste Academy.
If a class participant misses a class, they can make up the class by writing and submitting a brief 1-2-page essay covering related topics in the class they missed. Submit essays via email to environmentalservices@chulavistaca.gov. Please include “Zero Waste Academy” in the subject line. Utilizing the reading list and/or on-line videos for the missed class will provide educational information for writing the essay.
*Participating in a sustainability project (present your results in Class 7), some suggested examples include: 1) reusing or repurposing an existing product or 2) changes made in your own lifestyle. Briefly present results of your home waste characterization (covered in Class 1, presentations in Class 7).
Participants who complete the class requirements (listed above) will be awarded a certificate of completion as a "Chula Vista Zero Waste Champion."
The key expectation is for Zero Waste Champions to take the lessons learned and become advocates for implementing Zero Waste practices. As a Chula Vista Zero Waste Champion, this includes adopting a leadership role as one in the community which informs others about Zero Waste and its environmental benefits. As such, it is highly advised that Champions share this information on social media and via email to those in their networks or any groups, organizations, clubs or special interest groups a Champion belongs to or associates with. One suggestion would be to have a “video party” to share videos presented as part of the course. One of the key purposes of Chula Vista's Zero Waste Plan is to "change the mindset" of residents and businesses – it takes a community effort and participation of all sectors to make changes needed to reduce and eliminate waste and implement these practices. As part of this course, Zero Waste Academy participants will be encouraged to create a Zero Waste project of their own design or to participate/volunteer with existing organizations to help them implement programs or assist as volunteers with implementing Actions in the City's Zero Waste Plan. Additionally, the City of Chula Vista is interested in building a core group of volunteers from its Zero Waste Champions to assist from time to time in sustainability and Zero Waste outreach efforts and events.
Note: Online participants will receive meeting invites to participate via Microsoft Teams. Login 5 minutes prior to start of class.