CRRA 2023 Conference and Trade Show

Sustainability Coordinator

Tosin Folorunso is the Coordinator of Sustainability at CSUN’s Associated Students. Tosin began her journey into sustainability in 2011 after experiencing waste and pollution issues in the fashion industry. She founded a zero-waste fashion brand which she ran in the US and Nigeria from 2017 to 2020 creating apparel and accessories from textile and plastic waste. Tosin holds a Master’s in Global Sustainability from the University of South Florida and began her role at CSUN in 2021. She is also a co-host on the Sustainability Nuggets podcast where listeners are exposed to climate solutions and innovations. 

Reduce, Reuse, Repair - The Race to Zero-Waste at CSUN

The transition of Associated Students (AS) CSUN from recycling only services to education and outreach programs has provided the opportunity for the advancement of zero-waste culture at CSUN. All programs and events are aimed at helping the campus achieve its zero-waste goal of 90% diversion rate from landfill and waste-to-energy facilities.  

Since the return from pandemic, AS – Sustainability relaunched Matador Exchange an exclusive online marketplace to encourage resale of personal items among students and staff and redistribute campus office supplies. We provide waste sorting and recycling education through our Trash Talkers event and waste sorting game. In addition, we began a series of outreach events branded as Reuse Culture.

Reuse culture events hosted since Spring 2022 include, Sustainable Fashion Expo, Sustainable Decorations showcase and a Repair Clinic. Our aim is to create awareness and inspire action by partnering with local organizations to provide resources that student can engage with.

This presentation will highlight the successes and challenges experienced and next steps toward cultivating a mindset and behavioral change at CSUN.  

Energy and Sustainability Analyst

See other abstracts for Rachel's bio.

Standardizing Bin Infrastructure by Repurposing and Mapping

In October 2022, a mission to locate, map, and finalize the 3-stream outdoor bin system on campus was underway. This project was perfect for Aspen Coty's skillset but her colleague, Rachel Singleton will present Aspen's findings on her behalf. She will go into detail about how technology like ArcGIS Collector, repurposing existing infrastructure, and building campus partnerships aided in completion of standardizing CSUN’s three-stream outdoor bin system. This was a campus wide effort between Sustainability, Printing, Grounds, and Logistical Services that was coordinated through Sustainability. Although the standard infrastructure now exists, we still have challenge of understanding how the campus interacts with it and how to improve education and utilization. This presentation will highlight the successes, challenges, and next steps in standardizing bin infrastructure and creating a zero-waste culture.

Rachel Singleton is the Energy and Sustainability Analyst at CSU, Northridge. Rachel graduated from CSU Sacramento with her bachelor's in mechanical engineering and continued to receive a master's in science with a concentration in Manufacturing and Material Science (with a focus on plastic waste). While in school, Rachel started working for the Sacramento State Sustainability team, overseeing the revamping of their current Climate Action Plan and collecting EUI (Energy Use Index) data for the school. Through these experiences, she has gained a passion for intertwining her engineering background with sustainability.

Supporting Students' Basic Needs While Striving for Zero Waste

The Institute for Sustainability's mission is to support and promote sustainability through academics, engagement, and research through a social justice lens. This presentation will focus on two programs that intersect waste reduction and students' basic needs - sustainable food systems and menstrual equity.

Executive Director