L: Hi, today we have Haiyun Chen, an eco-rep from the Office of sustainability here at NYU. She will introduce us the current state of composting on campus. Hello!
H: Hi! Glad to be here. 
L: So, first question: what are your jobs as an eco-rep?
H: As an eco-rep, we create programs that are related to sustainability in dorm halls. For example, last year I did a smoothie bike event in which residents can ride on a bike while fueling the blender to make a smoothie, which is really cool. And each month we have a them, such as food and water. For December, our theme is conscious consumption, and we would create programs for residents and educate them about sustainability regarding to that theme. 
L: Cool! Do you compost at home?
H: I do not because there is no resource here available to me on campus, but I would since I know how to compost. 
L: When did you first learn about composting?
H: Freshman year in college.
L: How is NYU doing their job composting?
H: It is really on an individual base except that in Green House, the residents there do mass-composting, but the practice is not really wide-spread and effective. Mostly is self-volunteering. There is a survey conducted by Stern students a few years ago. According to their data, it seems like only roughly 5% of the NYU population that actually compost. 
L: Do you think the residence halls and dining halls should have a separate bin for composting?
H: Yeah, of course. And that would really prevent contamination of the recycling bins.
L: What are the ways do you think we can reduce food waste?
H: Well, very easily. You buy what you need and don’t get excessive.
L: Do you know that there are drop off locations around us?
H: Yes, on every Saturday morning there is a green market at union square which collects compost.
L: Do you talk about composting during your meetings?
H: Yes, we do. Like I said, each month we have a different theme for the eco-reps. In April, it is the theme of food and water. On that day, we would talk about different ways that we can improve composting on NYU campus. And on Earth Day, we also go to Washington Square Park to march for environmental policies that we hope to pass in D.C.
We also have tried to petition to integrate the trash bin into Kimmel food waste collection. So that there is a trash bin, a compost bin, and a recycle bin, which makes more sense.
L: How did the zero-waste week go?
H: It was really successful. The participation rate was high. People actually enjoyed the challenge seeing what trash they produced in a week, and became more conscious about their consumption later on. 
L: Thank you so much for joining me today. I definitely learned a lot from you, and raised awareness for composting. 
H: Yeah, no problem! You can attend our eco-reps programs and learn more about composting. Or you can join us and become one of the eco-reps and advocate for sustainability.
L: Yay! Bye.

Lucy Fan