Turning leftovers into lasting impact

In 2025, Exact Sciences worked with our community partners, Gilda’s Club and Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens, to make local gatherings more sustainable. Through four zero-waste events, we helped keep food out of landfills, encouraged composting, and replaced single-use plastics with compostable ones – all while building stronger community connections.

We follow the TRUE (Total Resource Use & Efficiency) definition of zero waste, considered the north star for zero-waste certification. Under these guidelines, a zero-waste event diverts 90% or more of its waste away from landfills through composting and recycling.

2025 ZERO-WASTE EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Gilda’s Backyard BBQ
• 436 attendees, 70 pounds of food waste diverted
• Gilda’s Red Door Golf Event
• 348 attendees, 70 pounds of food waste diverted
• Gilda’s Run/Walk
• 902 participants, 90 pounds of food waste diverted
• Madison Area Food Pantry Garden Harvest Celebration
• 248 participants, 150 pounds of food waste diverted

We donated more than 17,000 compostable items to support making these events zero waste. In total, we composted 380 pounds of food waste, which is equivalent to the emissions savings from driving 1,935 miles in an average gasoline-powered car or charging 61,359 smartphones.

These results showcase the success of teamwork and what’s possible when we incorporate sustainability into planning from the start. Working together, our community partners, volunteers, and attendees chose to sort waste correctly and use compostable alternatives to single-use plastics.

Together, we can continue to reduce waste, support our communities, and care for the environment.