Student Initiatives
Clean Plate Challenge – The Environmental Club of Providence College (ECOPC) hosted their first Clean Plate Challenge on November 13, 2018 in Raymond Dining Hall to raise awareness about food waste. They spent two hours during the lunch rush collecting students’ food waste. All of the food waste was composted to produce fertile soil that will be used in a community garden and sold to local residents. To read more about this event, please visit the Campus Green archives (December 2018 edition).
ECOPC has since held three more Clean Plate Challenges in Raymond Dining Hall. During their most recent event on April 18, 2023, ECOPC weighed a total of 162 pounds of food waste.
Friar Food Rescue (FFR) has recovered more than 29,000 pounds of food from Providence College dining halls since fall 2012, when students Dave O’Connor ’14 and Nick Canessa ’14 showed how leftovers could be safely packaged and delivered to two local charitable institutions – Mary House, a food pantry, and McAuley House, a homeless shelter. PC was one of the first eight colleges to join the Food Recovery Network, a national organization started at the University of Maryland that recovers leftover and unused food from dining halls.
Clothing and E-Waste Drive – From December 3-10, 2019, The Eco-Friendly Friars sponsored a clothing and electronic waste drive for students to recycle their gently used clothes and old electronics. The clothing was donated to SVDP Rhode Island and the electronics were donated to Green Penguin.
Farmer’s Market Trips – On November 13, 2021 and October 15, 2022, ECOPC hosted trips to Sims Indoor Farmer’s Market. Students had the opportunity to support local businesses by purchasing fresh produce and other handmade products. Transportation was provided and attendees received a free mesh bag.
America Recycles Day – On November 15, 2021 and November 11, 2022, ECOPC celebrated America Recycles Day by planting succulents. Students repurposed recycled containers as pots for their succulents and had the opportunity to paint the containers.
Eating Animals Movie Night – On Monday, November 29, 2021, ECOPC hosted a movie night in McPhail’s. They screened the documentary Eating Animals, which highlights how humans have modified animals to increase meat production. The film also explains the efforts of farmers who speak out against factory farms. Cookies from Plant City were provided.
On- and Off-Campus Clean-Ups – ECOPC hosts many clean-ups every year. On April 10, 2022, ECOPC participated in a clean-up with Save the Bay. They have also held two Eaton Street clean-ups during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Annual Earth Day Celebration – Every year, ECOPC organizes an Earth Day Celebration in collaboration with many other on-campus clubs. In 2023, this event included kombucha, fresh produce, tie-dying, thrifting, tote bag and tumbler decorating, vegan ice cream, succulents, and sandwiches from Plant City.
Other ECOPC events include: Busy Bee Study Break, Fishbowl Farmers Market, Project Runway: Cowl Edition, and the Ecolympics
