UC Berkeley Chou Hall: Can the TRUE Zero Waste Team Overcome Challenges to Achieve Top Certification?

by Frank Schultz and Jessica Heiges
01 Jan 2023

University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business’ Chou Hall sought TRUE Zero Waste certification on a short timeline with limited resources. Stakeholders including faculty, students, custodians, and visitors needed to change wasteful habits and divert waste from landfills. With LEED Platinum and WELL certifications, Chou wanted the third 'green' certification to become the first academic building in the country to achieve that honor. The 10-campus UC system’s goal was to be a climate change leader and achieve Zero Waste by 2020 and Carbon Neutrality by 2025. Chou Hall’s TRUE certification would support that goal and demonstrate change was possible.