| |
|
|
Our Success Stories: Waste Minimization |
| |
| Expansion of Composting Program |
| Implementation Status: Green compost bins are currently located in all campus buildings and are available to all campus community members. |
During the fall of 2011, Aquinas College expanded its composting program across campus from 6 locations to over 60. Green bins with solid lids are now designated for compost collection, and these bins can be found next to the blue recycling bins in every building on campus. The expansion of the program also includes a focus on education for students, faculty, and staff through the placement of informational posters above each compost bin and through the distribution of informational cards via face-to-face meetings. Aquinas will continue composting through Spurt Industries, so not only can ALL food waste be composted (including meat, bones, and dairy products), but food soiled paper (like pizza boxes, used napkins, dirty paper plates, and paper coffee cups) and Bio-based plastic labeled as “compostable” can also be placed in the green compost bins. |
| |
| E-Waste Not, E-Want Not |
| Implementation Status: Currently available to all campus community members |
| Submitted by the Staff Sustainability Committee (Feb. 2008), the "E-Waste Not, E-Want Not" proposal called for a regular electronic waste recycling program for all Aquinas staff, faculty, and students. Chad Buczkowski of Aquinas' Media Center generously offered up space in the Jarecki/Lacks Center for the collection and storage of unwanted and broken electronic equipment. At the end of each semester, a regular collection program in the dorms was also started with this proposal. All e-waste is donated to Comprenew Environmental, a local non-profit electronic waste recycler. The proposal received a value rating of 4 in the Joint Sustainability Committee, passed the Staff Sustainability Committee on April 2, and received provost approval shortly thereafter. |
| |
| Light Bulb Recycling |
| In February 2009, Aquinas' Physical Plant Department began recycling all campus light bulbs with Voss Lighting. |
| |
| Rolling in the Green: AQ’s New Paper Towel Dispensers |
| Aquinas’ Housekeeping Department is installing new paper towel dispensers during the remodeling of every bathroom on campus. The new “controlled-use" dispensers have two major advantages. According to the manufacturer, they typically reduce paper towel use by 15-20%. The dispensers also reduce the spread of germs, due to the "touch less" design of the unit. |
| Not only is the new dispensing system notable, but the Bay West paper purchased for the units also has some green credentials. The “Ecosoft” paper contains 100% recycled content (40% post-consumer and 60% post-industrial), and it is Green Seal certified. The paper towel retrofit is another example of Aquinas "walking the talk" of sustainability in our purchasing decisions. |
| |
| One Saint's Junk is Another Saint's Treasure |
| Implementation Status: The web site is available on the Moose |
| Lead by Chair Brad Vandenbroeck, the Student Sustainability Committee developed a proposal to facilitate the donation or selling of unwanted goods to other community members. Through the Sustainability Initiative web site, students, staff, and faculty have the ability to post or search goods for sale (or donation).
This proposal may decrease the amount of goods disposed of on campus, and therefore lessen the College's trash disposal expenses. Furthermore, "One Saint's Junk is Another Saint's Treasure" results in the reuse of goods, rather than the disposal of materials or the use of valuable resources to make a new product. The Joint Sustainability Committee assigned this proposal a value rating of 5 and Interim Provost Chaffee approved the proposal on Nov. 27, 2007. |
| |
| Campus-Wide Recycling Program |
 |
Implementation Status: During the first phase of roll out, about 20 sets of recycling bins were placed around campus. The second phase was completed spring of 2008, with the addition of 20 sets, and 8 single green recycling bins. The third and most recent phase (November 2008) involved the addition of 9 more sets.
Expanding Aquinas College’s recycling program was spurred by student pressure to have bins available for their use. Before the bins were out, many offices on campus were only recycling office paper and cardboard. However, students had no real avenue to recycle, even though they wanted too. Also, a collection system for plastics and metal waste was not made available to the campus community. Therefore, a new recycling program was launched in January 2008, with more bins in accessible areas for students, faculty and staff. A student was hired by the Housekeeping Department to empty the bins regularly, provide feedback on the program, and keep the recycling areas clean. The volume of recycled material will be tracked and recorded.
>>More information and bin locations* |
| |
| *Note: These links are only accessible from the Aquinas computer network and AQNet. |
|
|
|
|
