UC Berkeley’s goal of Zero Waste by 2020 cannot be achieved without addressing both upstream and downstream waste. Campus sustainability leaders have launched Refills Not Landfills as UC Berkeley’s campaign to promote reusable products instead of single-use disposable products. Priority products to address include single-use disposable cups, plastic bottles, food containers, and service wear.

Refills Not Landfills originated from a 2013 TGIF Grant and has aligned the efforts of Bring Your Own Mug (BYOM), I Heart Tap Water, and Chews to Reuse. Refills Not Landfills is a partnership between TGIF, SERC, the Beverage Alliance, Cal Dining, I Heart Tap Water, and Cal Zero Waste.

The Refills Not Landfills team has identified the distribution of reusable Klean Kanteen insulated mugs as an upstream strategy for addressing campus waste, particularly single-use disposable cups and bottles. Free Klean Kanteen mugs will be distributed to campus staff and students at select 2015-2017 campus events; mugs will also be sold daily at Cal Dining locations. 

Event distribution:

• Summerfest, June 10, 2015
• Caltopia, August 24, 2015
• SERC Open House at CNR, September 3, 2015
• Sustainability Involvement Expo, September 10, 2015
• ASUC Student Union Grand Opening, September 2015
• Berkeley Sustainability Community of Practice Meetings, September 2015- May 2016
• Spring Calapalooza, January 2016
• Earth Week, April 2016
• Calapalooza, August 31, 2016
• Sustainability Involvement Expo, September 14, 2016

In order to receive a FREE mug at one of our outreach events, recipients will be required to sign the following pledge to Refill Not Landfill.
We also welcome anyone who has their own reusable bottle to join us in taking the pledge. SERC has distributed more than 1000 mugs and pledges. Questions regarding this campaign can be directed to serc@berkeley.edu.