PepsiCo and UC Berkeley partner on sustainability awareness
If you’ve spotted new stickers on vending machines across campus, they’re not just a design refresh. These QR code decals are part of a new campus collaboration with PepsiCo aimed at educating the UC Berkeley community about sustainability efforts and the shift away from single-use plastics.
The QR code links to a custom landing page developed in partnership between Cal Zero Waste, the Wellness Program and PepsiCo, outlining how the company supports UC Berkeley’s goals around sustainability, wellness and zero waste. The campaign builds on the university’s Sustainable Practices policy, which aims to reduce campus dependence on single-use materials, especially in food and beverage settings.
“The sticker initiative will highlight our ability to reduce and recycle materials, and eventually achieve zero waste goals,” said Lin King, manager of Cal Zero Waste. “The second part is the single-use plastics, where our goal is to transition our single—use plastics to an alternative.”
Many vending machine beverages on campus are now sold in aluminum cans rather than plastic bottles. But the initiative goes beyond changing materials–it’s about shifting mindsets.
“The idea was, we wanted to educate the students, staff and community about this transition,” said King. “We’re shifting towards aluminum in our vending machines, and we wanted PepsiCo and the campus to highlight this fact and let the [community] know why and how this has happened.”
The sticker campaign also reflects a new approach to outreach—one that’s dynamic and responsive.
“With a QR code, we can adjust the messaging as people scan the code. We keep the community updated with what we’re up to, what programs we’ve implemented or what we’re implementing in the future. People can now get this information anywhere, including at a vending machine.”
Sophia Garcia, a student team member with Cal Zero Waste, helped place the stickers across campus. She sees this effort as part of a larger push to integrate sustainability into everyday choices.
“Food is the biggest place that people interact with single-use items. I think trying to do our part, changing [our habits] from a higher level in the supply chain to eliminate [unsustainable] choices is the most important thing,” Garcia said.
For Garcia, the hope is that the campaign makes sustainability feel more accessible and actionable.
“I wish students knew that they could implement sustainability into their lifestyle. Bring a reusable mug, bring utensils with you. Small changes help push this whole policy forward,” said Garcia. “This is the perfect [initiative] to get that information out to people that otherwise wouldn’t look it up on their own.”
The campaign is also hoping to expand into student-facing activations, including giveaways and events. “We are definitely going to be coming up with a list of tabling events where we will be giving away prizes,” King said.
The sticker campaign also aligns with the ongoing work of the Single-Use Plastics Elimination(SUP) Committee, a cross-campus working group guiding UC Berkeley toward its goal of eliminating all non-essential single-use plastics by 2030. This effort is part of the broader UC-wide commitment to zero waste.
“There are over 25 committee members from departments and organizations all across campus—from Haas to the ASUC,” said Anissa Hagedorn, partner relationship manager for University Business Partnerships & Services (UBPS). “It’s truly a collaborative initiative, and while this particular sticker campaign was spearheaded with input from individuals like Lin and Sophia, it reflects broader sustainability goals shared across departments.”
Although the SUP Committee does not directly partner with PepsiCo, UBPS has worked to ensure coordination between campus stakeholders and the company on efforts such as vending machine marketing and promoting aluminum packaging over plastic.
“As we move closer to 2030, we see opportunities to align more regularly with PepsiCo to ensure we're all working toward the same sustainability targets,” Hagedorn said. “More importantly, we need our students, staff and faculty to be aware of the SUP guidelines and take part in creating a culture of environmental responsibility.”
With this project, the vending machines you walk past every day become more than just a snack stop—they’re an entry point into UC Berkeley’s sustainability story. So next time you grab a drink, take a second to scan the sticker. You might learn something new and help push campus sustainability forward, one aluminum can at a time.