Powered by an engineering background and professional experience in consulting and operations, Dominique leverages an entrepreneurial mindset to build sustainable systems.

After winning Ohio State's President's Prize award in 2021, Dominique launched Green Scope Consulting to transform any organization into a Zero Waste operation. Green Scope currently serves businesses and schools in the Midwest by offering sustainability expertise no matter where they are in their sustainability journey. A key step for any organization reaching zero waste is compost education and collection.

Dominique specializes in the analysis, strategy, education, and project management in transforming sustainability initiatives into resilient systems.

Dominique Hadad – LinkedIn

Session Code: 6A

Track: Operations

Session Name: Institutional Composting

Session Time: Thursday, February 8, 2:00 – 3:30 PM

Presentation Title: A Zero Waste University: Implementing a Compost Expansion Program at a Large University

Presentation Description: This speaker session will present the successful implementation of a comprehensive compost expansion program at a large university, focusing on the key components that contributed to its effectiveness. The program incorporated compost education, volunteer programming and incentives, mini compost bin rollout for students and faculty, and improved composting at dining locations. The compost expansion efforts resulted in waste diversion of over 650 tons in one academic year.

The session will highlight effective compost education and student volunteer engagement as a foundation for success with behavior changes with young people. Through targeted awareness campaigns, interactive educational sessions, and the implementation of waste studies across campus, the university fostered a culture of ‘Buckeyes Compost’. Attendees will gain insights into the strategies employed and the impact of these educational initiatives.

Volunteer programming and incentives played a vital role in engaging the university community. The session will discuss the design and implementation of volunteer opportunities, along with creative incentives that motivated participation and sustained long-term involvement. Attendees will learn practical approaches to encouraging community engagement in composting initiatives, especially when considering Gen Z.

A notable achievement of the program was the successful rollout of over 1,000 mini compost bins to students on and off campus. The session will explore the logistical challenges faced during the distribution process and the strategies employed to encourage community adoption. Attendees will gain insights into making composting more accessible and convenient, fostering increased participation.

The program’s focus on continued improvement with front-of-house and back-of-house practices at dining locations significantly improved both waste reduction and diversion. Attendees will learn about the successful implementation of simple alternatives to offer BOH waste education for kitchen staff and adding effective communication tools for those dining at facilities. Both transitions led to substantial reductions in waste sent to landfills. The session will provide valuable insights into implementing similar measures within their own institutions or organizations.

The speaker session will conclude by highlighting the program’s impressive impact. Over the course of a single academic year, the university’s compost expansion program diverted more than 650 tons of waste from landfills, helping to move the university closer to its goal of Zero Waste by 2025.

Overall, this speaker session offers a comprehensive overview of a large university’s compost expansion program, showcasing its key components and the positive outcomes achieved. Attendees will gain practical insights, best practices, and inspiration to initiate or enhance composting programs within their own communities.