Oberlin College Expands Composting Efforts Amid Success
With a reported 704 pounds of food waste diverted from landfills last semester, Oberlin College (OH) has announced plans to expand its compost initiative. This spring, the college's Resource Conservation Team will aim to double the 14 pick-up locations currently available on campus and select captains to lead each one.
U California Merced Installs Hydration Station
In an effort to reduce the number of plastic water bottles on campus, the University of California, Merced has installed a new hydration station to refill reusable bottles. The station will cost the university $54 a month to operate including the maintenance, electricity and filter. The university is planning to install three more stations.
U Kentucky Pilots Single Stream Recycling Program
A graduate student has spearheaded a single-stream outdoor recycling pilot program at the University of Kentucky. The $12,990 initiative was made possible by a funding and maintenance partnership between the Student Sustainability Council and the Physical Plant Division.
U Iowa Encourages Recycling with Removal of Waste Cans
The University of Iowa has taken its campus-wide single-stream recycling program a step further by removing waste containers from all classrooms in a campus building. With the goal of encouraging students, faculty and staff to recycle as many items as possible, the pilot initiative may be expanded to more buildings in the future.
Tufts U Implements Recycling Rewards Machine
Tufts University (MA) has installed a recycling machine that will accept empty bottles and cans in exchange for five cents worth of JumboCash or a charitable donation for every unit recycled. Compensation for the items will immediately be transferred electronically to student or pay pal accounts.
U Colorado Colorado Springs Implements Composting Program
The University of Colorado Colorado Spring's Office of Sustainability has partnered with Waste Management to introduce a new large-scale composting program. Two containers have been installed to encourage students, faculty and staff to properly dispose of food waste and other compostable materials. If successful, the university will place additional compost receptacles around campus.
Arizona State U Announces 'Zero Solid Waste' Goal by 2015
Arizona State University has announced a new "Roadmap to Zero Solid Waste" collaboration with Waste Management of Arizona. The three-phase program aims to eliminate at least 90 percent of the university’s solid waste on all four campuses by 2015. Waste Management is working to assess the university’s complete waste collection process, waste generation and material conveyance, and will provide guidance and direction throughout the roadmap development process.
St. John Fisher College Installs Water Bottle Refilling Stations
St. John Fisher College's (NY) Recycling and Sustainability Committee has installed several water bottle filling stations on campus, funded by PepsiCo, Inc. as part of their contract with the college to support sustainability efforts. The college plans to purchase additional stations next year.
Students Spearhead Hydration Station Installation at Rice U
Rice University (TX) has installed a student-initiated campus water station designed for filling reusable water bottles. The project, which was funded by Rice Endowment for Sustainable Energy Technology, originated in an “Environmental Issues: Rice Into the Future” course, which uses the campus as a lab for learning about sustainability.
U Vermont Bans Bottled Water, Mandates Healthy Vending Options
Spearheaded by the student-run Vermont Student Environmental Program, the University of Vermont has announced plans to eliminate the sale of bottled water and introduced a mandate that one-third of drinks offered in vending machines be healthy options. The sale of bottled water in the university’s 57 vending machines and retail outlets will end in January 2013, allowing time for the university to retrofit drinking fountains across campus and for the affected campus departments to make adjustments.
Linfield College Students Produce 'Tap That' Documentary
Two students at Linfield College (OR) have produced a short documentary about the social justice, public safety and environmental implications of bottled water. The students are using the video to reach out to groups on campus - and beyond - to raise awareness of these issues and move toward a ban of bottled water.
Texas State U Installs Water Refilling Stations
Texas State University has installed 23 water bottle refilling stations outfitted with a bottle counter that reveals the quantity of bottles saved from landfills. The project was made by possible by a $20,000 grant from the university's Environmental Service Committee.
Union College Receives Donation to Revamp Recycling System
Union College's (NY) U-Sustain has received an anonymous $8,000 donation to improve its recycling system. The grant will be used to install more recycling bins around campus to encourage the recycling of plastics, glass and other materials.
EPA Announces 2011 Game Day Results
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the winners of its 2011 Game Day Challenge. Seventy-eight schools participated in the fall competition, targeting 2.7 million fans and diverting more than 500,000 pounds of waste. With the highest recycling rate and the greatest greenhouse gas reductions, the University of Virginia is 2011's Recycling Champion and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Champion. Central Connecticut State University earned the title of Waste Minimization Champion; the University of California, Davis held onto the title of Diversion Rate Champion from 2010; and Marist College (NY) also kept its title of Organics Reduction Champion.
Saint Michael’s College Adopts Closed-Loop Recycling System
Saint Michael’s College (VT) has announced its participation in Casella Waste System's Power of Three closed-loop recycling initiative. The program takes collected recycling and gives it back to the customer in the form of hand towels, tissue paper and toiletry items. The university’s recycling will be returned in the form of 100 percent recycled paper products.
UC Santa Barbara Pilots 'Plastic-Free Campuses' Campaign
Four student organizations at the University of California, Santa Barbara have partnered with the Plastic Pollution Coalition to ban single-use plastic bags and raise awareness of the detrimental affects of plastics on the environment. The campus is the pilot institution for the coalition's global “Plastic-Free Campuses” project. The university will kick-off the campaign by displaying a single day’s worth of plastic on campus, as well as a sculpture made completely of plastic found on local beaches.
U District of Columbia Conducts Bottled Water Reduction Outreach
In a blind taste test held recently by the University of the District of Columbia's Sustainability Initiative and Student Government Association, 52 percent of campus participants preferred the taste of filtered tap water over bottled spring water. To promote the use of tap water on campus, the groups also gave each of the 54 participants a short quiz to gauge their knowledge of the bottled water industry. The university's director of planning and sustainability, Howard Ways, tells the Bulletin that 24 hydration stations will be installed throughout campus. Five stations have been installed so far.
Harvard U Labs Save Waste, Money with Reusable Glass Bottles
Two labs in the Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department at Harvard University (MA) recently switched from using disposable plastic bottles to reusable glass bottles for filtering media for tissue culture. The conversion has saved over $9500 in the first seven months and prevented 2600 plastic bottles from going into the waste stream.
Long Island U C.W. Post Installs Hydration Stations
In an effort to reduce plastic bottle waste, Long Island University - C.W. Post Campus has installed three hydration stations on campus. The initiative was approved after students in the geography department presented a cost benefit analysis to the Provost. Students and faculty are campaigning to have hydration stations installed in every main building on campus and residence halls.
Appalachian State U Works to Implement Duplex Printing
To save paper and cut costs, Appalachian State University’s (NC) Technology Support Services is working with the Student Government Association and Office of Sustainability to implement a new duplex printing initiative this spring. Double-sided (duplex) printer settings in campus printing stations would curb the university’s current $50,555 in annual printing costs.
St. Edward’s U Announces Paperless Office Initiative
St. Edwards’s University (TX) has launched an initiative to go paperless in its campus offices. Paychecks have been replaced by email notifications and electronic paystubs. The Business and Human Resources offices have replaced paper paystubs with email notifications and introduced an online time-keeping system. The university expects to save 96,000 sheets of paper and $7,900 of supply expense annually.
U Chicago Recycles 8 Tons During Week-long E-Waste Event
The University of Chicago (IL) recycled more than eight tons (16,000 pounds) of electronic waste during a recent week-long collection. Staff, faculty and students were able to dispose of printers, fax machines, computer monitors and more. The e-waste was brought to a local recycling center for disassembly and erasure in accordance with U.S. Department of Defense standards.
U Idaho Game Day Recycling Season Diverts 1 Ton+ of Waste
The University of Idaho has announced that its season-long Game Day Recycling program diverted more than a ton (about 2,500 pounds) of the recycled or composted materials generated at home football games from the landfill. An expansion of the tailgate zone and outreach efforts resulted in a 5 percent increase from the 2010 season. The materials collected were transported to a local recycling center and university dairy farm.
U Southern Calif. Game Day Event Diverts 1 Ton+ of Tailgate Waste
The University of Southern California recently diverted more than a ton of waste (415 pounds of compostable material and 2,210 pounds of recyclables) from the landfill during a pre-game tailgate waste diversion event. The university was the first recipient of a new Glad Products Company grant series for AASHE college and university members, designed to help reduce game day waste during football season. With the help of more than 60 volunteers, the university set up 25 recycling and compost stations around campus and stadium for the initiative.
U Wisconsin Madison Recycles 350 Tons of E-Waste
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has collected and recycled more than 350 tons of electronic waste between July 2010 and June 2011. Sources of the material include university departments, state agencies, Wisconsin municipalities and other campuses. To manage the service, the university's Materials Distribution Services and Division of Information Technology partnered with Universal Recycling Technologies.
Antioch U New England Students Spearhead Bottled Water Ban
As part of the national Think Outside the Bottle campaign coordinated by Corporate Accountability International, students at Antioch University New England have spearheaded a pledge to ban the sale of bottled water on campus. Close to 400 faculty, staff and students at the university have signed the pledge. Some departments have agreed not to purchase bottled water for their events and a campus cafe has agreed not to sell bottled water.
Arizona State U Saves 725 Trees with Duplex Printing
An assessment of Arizona State University's printers during fiscal year 2011 revealed that the university's switch to duplex printing mode across campus saved more than 725 trees, 2.34 million liters of water and reduced carbon emissions by more than 74 metric tons. In the last year, the university took 584 printers offline and increased the number of devices supporting duplex printing to 36 percent; up from 19 percent in 2010.
Syracuse U Switches to Paperless Bus Schedules
Syracuse University's (NY) Parking and Transit Services has significantly cut its paper use by mainly offering its bus schedule online, a switch from its previous mass printings. The recent change to paperless schedules will save at least 13,000 printed schedules from being produced each year.
U Tennessee Knoxville Incentivizes Reusable Mugs
With the goal of keeping 100,000 single-use cups out of the landfill this year, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville has launched the campus-wide Mug Project. Dining locations across campus are offering a discount on any beverage for those that bring their own reusable container in place of the standard single-use cups.
Appalachian State U Unveils New Compost Facility
Appalachian State University (NC) has opened a new compost facility to create landscaping mulch and divert food-prep waste from the area’s landfill. The facility can handle up to 275 tons of materials, including meat scraps, compared to the 100-ton capacity of the university’s former system. The system also has the potential to take post-consumer waste in the future.
Aquinas College Expands Composting, Recycling Efforts
Aquinas College (MI) has announced expanded campus composting and recycling programs. With bins now at every collection location on campus, all food waste can be composted including meat, bones and dairy products. The college has also streamlined its recycling efforts with one bin (single-stream recycling) at each location.
U Michigan-Flint Installs Water Refilling Stations
The University of Michigan-Flint has installed two pilot water bottle refilling stations. If successful, the university hopes to replace a quarter of the 68 water fountains on campus. A student, inspired by a petition to ban plastic bottles on the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus, initiated the project.
U Missouri Debuts Closed Loop Compost System
The University of Missouri's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has launched the “Zero Carbon Footprint Vegetable and Compost Production System.” The closed-loop system will combine food waste from the dining halls and animal manure from the university’s local research centers to create compost. The construction of the 2,400-square-foot facility was funded by matching grants of $35,000 from Campus Dining Services and the Mid-Missouri Solid Waste Management District.
Cornell U Shifts to Single Stream Recycling
Cornell University (NY) has announced a switch to single stream recycling to help reduce landfill waste and increase the cost-efficiency of waste handling. The university hopes to see a five percent increase in recycling across campus.
MIT Debuts 'Reverse Vending Machine'
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has partnered with Greenbean Recycling to pilot a Reverse Vending Machine. Students can type their phone number on a touch screen and deposit recyclables into the vending machine to be sorted for recycling. A bar-code reader inside counts the number of deposited items and uploads the data to the Greenbean website. Students can track their progress online and engage in friendly competition with fellow classmates on a recycling leaderboard. Greenbean is also offering prizes and other rewards to help increase recycling rates among students.
U California Berkeley Stadium Strives for Zero Waste
The University of California, Berkeley has announced that its renovated California Memorial Stadium will reopen in September 2012 as a zero waste zone. The effort is a collaboration between the university's Cal Athletics, Campus Recycling and Refuse Services, along with recycling collection company Recology. To help reach the goal, concessions, catering and merchandise partners will modify their menus and packaging, and bins for recycling and composting will replace trash containers.
U Chicago Diverts One-Third of Homecoming Waste
During its recent annual homecoming celebration, the University of Chicago (IL) diverted approximately one third of the event waste from the landfill with a compost program. An effort of the university's Dining Services and Green Campus Initiative, guests were encouraged to bring their plates, cups, utensils and extra food to compost stations.
Harvard U Faculty Club Works to Eliminate Bottled Water
Harvard University’s (MA) Faculty Club has partnered with the Office of Sustainability to reduce the club’s environmental footprint by cutting the emissions and waste from the delivery of bottled water. The club has installed new machines that dispense filtered carbonated or still water and has provided employees with reusable clear glass bottles. The university expects that the new machines will eliminate the use of more than 15,000 plastic and glass bottles per year.
Kirkwood CC Implements Campus Recycling Program
Kirkwood Community College (IA) has launched a new recycling program, Kirkwood Comingles. The program aims to make recycling easy for students and employees by accepting all materials in a single bin. The college expects the new initiative to help toward its goal to divert 75 percent of campus waste from the landfill by 2014.
U Denver Reduces Waste with Water Filling Stations
Tracking software on eight water filling stations recently installed at the University of Denver (CO) has revealed an estimated reduction of 72,077 plastic water bottles so far. The university is planning the installation of more stations throughout the rest of the academic year.
U Colorado Colorado Springs Debuts E-Waste Recycling
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs has announced plans to expand its recycling program to include battery and electronic waste. Five-gallon containers will be placed throughout the campus and collected materials will be sent to Blue Star Recyclers of Southern Colorado. A variety of electronics will be accepted including computers, calculators, laptops and microwave ovens.
U North Alabama to Roll Out Recycling Program
The University of North Alabama has received a $113,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to strengthen ties between the City of Florence Recycling Center and the university. Part of the grant will be used to help purchase 18-gallon containers for every classroom, 96-gallon rolling carts for every building, aluminum can and plastic bottle receptacles, and a trailer for the Grounds Department to haul recyclables off campus. The grant will also be used for outreach to help increase campus-wide recycling awareness.
St. Mary's U College Bans Bottled Water
St. Mary's University College (AB) has eliminated the sale of bottled water on campus. With the idea that everyone should have access to clean drinking water, the college's Social Justice Committee began working on the ban 18 months ago. The campus has installed water bottle refilling stations that count how many single-use bottles are being saved.
U California Santa Barbara Pilots Campus-wide Composting
The University of California, Santa Barbara has announced plans to install six compost bins on recycling containers across campus to divert a larger portion of the university's food waste. The Composting Pilot project will retrofit up to 12 compost bins to comply with the a new state law that aims for California to recycle 75 percent of its waste by 2020. The Green Initiative Fund is financing the project as a trial to determine whether campus-wide waste diversion is a feasible project.
U South Florida Performs Food Waste Audit
The University of South Florida's Office of Sustainability hosted the university's first food waste audit in recognition of Campus Sustainability Day. Students were asked to weigh their waste prior to leaving the Juniper-Poplar dining hall in an effort to compare the university to the national average, as well as develop strategies for what to do with the leftover food. The university may expand the audit to all campus dining halls in the future.
Illinois Institute of Technology Installs Composter
The Illinois Institute of Technology has installed a new composter that will divert waste for use as fertilizer and soil amendment on campus. The project was initiated by a group of students in partnership with the Office of Campus Energy and Sustainability, the Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research and Cook County.
Arkansas State U Installs E-Waste Recycling Bins
Arkansas State University has installed two electronic waste recycling bins. Personal cell phones, rechargeable batteries, ink cartridges and other electronics up to five pounds can be recycled. Facilities Management has partnered with MARCK Recycling and WW Recycling to cover the cost of the bins.
U Calgary Hosts Waste-Free Event
The University of Calgary recently hosted its largest zero-waste event. Everything served at the president's barbecue for 3,500 undergraduate students was compostable or recyclable.
