No Confetti Campaign 2025

The No Confetti Campaign is an ongoing initiative here on ECU’s campus. Students in Dr. Kang’s Public Relations Campaigns course work to understand PR initiatives and the planning surrounding them while addressing a major sustainability issue on campus. The No Confetti Campaign encourages students to ditch traditional confetti for graduation photos and other events on campus. The students in this class target students, photographers, and faculty to spread the word and raise awareness about the harms of traditional confetti. Most confetti brands are made from plastic and other non-biodegradable materials. This causes confetti to stick around long after the graduation celebrations are over, increasing harm to both our ecosystems and animals.

Kaleigh Adams, a senior participating in this semester’s No Confetti Campaign emphasizes the need for more attention to the harmful impact that confetti can have. As a part of this campaign, she understands that this is an issue we as a student population need to be addressing.

Adams said, “I don’t think students take this campaign seriously because I see a lot of people using confetti every year. But I do believe that by promoting no confetti at popular on-campus events and getting the right message across, the campaign will catch the attention of the right audience!

Awareness of confetti alternatives is a big part of how this campaign is working to reduce the amount of confetti waste on campus. Flower Petals, champagne, and bubbles have become increasingly popular due to their ability to create the same fun photo moment without the years of damage to our planet. Student photographer Kelly Adamas shares her observations while taking graduation photos this year.

“I still see confetti used all the time on campus, especially for graduation pictures. However, I think it’s really important to protect our campus for future generations and use.” She said.

The No Confetti Campaign has been active on campus since 2019, working to bring awareness and reduce the amount of waste. Working to keep everyone at ECU environmentally conscious is a large part of why this campaign is so important. Spreading the word and introducing fun, eco-friendly alternatives in senior photo sessions is a great first step. In addition, the campaign is actively attending events and encouraging people to take a pledge against using confetti, helping to make a lasting impact on campus sustainability.

Emma Campbell, a senior getting ready to take her graduation photos, emphasizes the importance of spreading the message and doing your part to keep our campus clean. She hopes that others will follow her lead and utilize the many confetti alternatives.

“Confetti is seen everywhere so everyone thinks it’s so common there must not be an issue”, She said, “The more the No Confetti Campaign is promoted, the more people will see the issue within it.”

Today, make a choice to pledge against the use of confetti on campus and work toward a more sustainable and beautiful ECU!