University of California expands Zabble AI waste platform systemwide

The University of California has signed a systemwide agreement to extend Zabble Zero across all 10 UC campuses, six health centers and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The rollout gives UC locations access to AI tools for waste tracking, contamination monitoring and workflow automation as the system pushes toward zero waste goals.

Why it matters: - The agreement gives the University of California a common waste-management platform across a large, distributed system. - UC locations now have access to tools meant to improve diversion, reduce contamination and speed up reporting. - The expansion supports UC’s broader sustainability and zero waste goals with measurable operational data.

What happened: - The University of California announced a new systemwide agreement with Zabble on June 8, 2026. - UC Systemwide Procurement made Zabble Zero available across all 10 UC campuses, six UC health centers and the UC Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. - The platform is designed to track waste service levels and contamination through workflow automation and AI-powered analysis.

The details: - The systemwide rollout extends Zabble Zero’s reach to every UC location covered by the agreement. - The platform includes Mobile Tagging™, Invoice Analytics™, Outreach Tracker™, Mailers, Truck Camera AI, a custom web dashboard and real-time notifications. - UC San Francisco has used Zabble since 2019. - UCSF deployed Zabble Zero across five campuses to streamline data collection and improve visibility into waste streams, contamination levels and disposal patterns. - UCSF reported a 100% return on investment in the platform. - UCSF also reduced waste-contamination incidents by 40% through daily waste audits and real-time stakeholder communications. - UCSF teams saved more than 90% in time by automating analysis of hauling invoices and spreadsheets. - Daniel Chau said UCSF manages nearly 100 service accounts and uses Zabble to analyze trends faster and maintain a trackable database of waste-audit findings for community education. - UC San Diego completed a pilot and has used Zabble to identify contamination hotspots and target outreach and education. - Elizabeth Lin said the tool helps tailor efforts based on data and supports campus diversion trends and stakeholder partnerships. - Zabble received the agreement through the UC Small Business First Program. - The award was based on Zabble’s combination of computer vision-based image analysis and hauling data automation in one platform. - UC Systemwide Procurement said Zabble fits the type of innovative certified small business the university wants to engage.

Between the lines: - The agreement suggests UC is moving from campus-by-campus experimentation to a standardized systemwide approach. - UCSF’s reported results provide the clearest evidence that the platform can deliver operational savings as well as sustainability benefits. - The inclusion of health centers and a national laboratory broadens the platform’s potential impact beyond traditional campus waste programs.

What’s next: - UC locations can now adopt Zabble Zero as they scale or formalize their zero waste programs. - Campuses, haulers and jurisdictions interested in the platform can request a demo and consultation. - Zabble and UC can now point to UCSF and UC San Diego as early reference points for broader deployment.

The bottom line: - UC is betting that AI-powered waste analytics can make zero waste goals more measurable, more scalable and easier to manage across a complex university system.