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Sustainable living, practices and events will be highlighted as Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) celebrates its inaugural Sustainability Week from Feb. 17 through 21.

“We want to better educate the community about sustainability and increase awareness about campus and community activities that can help us live more sustainably,” said associate professor of biology Elizabeth Sudduth, who chairs GGC’s Sustainability Committee. Comprised of GGC students, faculty and staff, the college’s Sustainability Committee collaborates to create awareness about sustainability issues, practices and resources.

Sudduth said that the week involves a daily theme, highlighting areas like recycling, transportation alternatives and conservation, which will be shared with the campus community.

On Wednesday, Feb. 19, GGC host a food waste collection event in the campus dining hall from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Student volunteers will station themselves near the cafeteria’s trash and dish-return areas and invite diners to dispose of their leftover food in buckets. The leftovers will be turned into compost, which will be used in the GGC MicroFarm. During the event, the volunteers will educate students, faculty and staff about food waste and compostable food items.

GGC wraps up the week by planting two Redbud trees on campus. The ceremonial tree planting will be held Friday, Feb. 21, in line with Georgia’s Arbor Day celebration. Hosted by GGC’s Sustainability Committee, the Council for Student Athletes and Outdoor Adventures, the ceremony begins at 11 a.m. in the ball field area of the Grizzly Athletics Complex.

“We want the campus community to understand the need for more sustainable practices for the future,” said Sudduth. “Sometimes environmental news can be depressing, so we hope that our focus on providing resources for concrete actions that they can take will help make this more useful for today and more beneficial for future generations.”