Sustainable UC Davis

Beginning in September 2024, the UC Davis campus community will see a significant shift in the packaging of beverages sold in retail locations as well as vending machines across campus. Approximately 80% of PepsiCo beverages will be packaged in aluminum, glass, recyclable cartons, or other non-plastic containers.

Eric O’Brien’s new position as director of Sustainability at UC Davis is just the latest chapter in his lifelong story of commitment to sustainability.

Tucked away on the west side of campus, UC Davis’ READ facility receives 20 tons of food waste per day from customers including local grocery stores and our own campus dining commons. With the improvements a recent $4.77M CalRecycle grant provides, the READ facility becomes an important part of UC Davis’ strategy to eliminate the use of fossil fuels from its operations and fight climate change.

Since taking ownership in 2017, UC Davis Facilities Management has dedicated itself to revitalizing the READ facility, working with academic and industry experts to find creative solutions including the development of an ammonia extraction system that processes the ammonia-rich digestate, separating it into nearly ammonia-free digestate and concentrated ammonia.