H&FS Efforts Vital to Campus Sustainability

By Erin Maddens, Communications Assistant, Marketing Communications

Green is a Priority, Not Just Our Color

Attend any Michigan State University sporting event and you are bound to hear the chant “Go Green!” reverberating from the rafters. While this cheer is generally meant to spur our Spartans on to victory, for others in the MSU community, “Go Green” also applies to being conscious of our environmental footprint and taking a proactive stance towards environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Since its organization in 2000, MSU’s Office of Campus Sustainability has been dedicated to reducing the University’s environmental impact. In recognition of their efforts, this year Michigan State received the prestigious Campus Sustainability Leadership Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). According to Terry Link, director of the Office of Campus Sustainability, “We have adopted environmental stewardship as a major component of our campus vision. For example, we have committed to a two percent annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through our participation in the Chicago Climate Exchange.”

The Chicago Climate Exchange is North America’s only, and the world’s first, greenhouse gas emission registry, reduction and trading system for all six greenhouse gases.

While this award speaks volumes to the efforts that have already taken place to increase sustainability at MSU, being eco-friendly is a perpetual process that relies on everyone’s participation. Throughout the Division, various units and individuals are taking strides to reduce their environmental footprints.

Bathrooms and Bulbs Save Energy

Over the past several years, University Housing has been investigating ways in which they can reduce the environmental impact of the residence halls. In South Complex and Snyder/Phillips, the newly installed Excel hand dryers reduce paper towel waste and use 80% less energy than traditional hand dryers. Additionally, these new units dry hands in one-third of the time traditional hand dryers take, which both increases customer satisfaction and reduces energy consumption. From a financial prospective, the dryers represent a 90% cost savings for the University as compared to paper towels. This cost includes not only the cost of the paper itself, but also the labor required to order, store, replenish, collect, and dispose of the paper towels. Xlerator was the first hand dryer to gain GreenSpec approval, and was voted one of the Top Ten Products of 2002 by Building Green, an independent publishing company that provides environmental building news regarding green design information.

Currently, University Housing is in the process of replacing almost 100% of the incandescent light bulbs they use with compact fluorescent bulbs. Again, these bulbs limit energy consumption while simultaneously providing a cost savings for the University.

Next on the agenda for University Housing is replacing all of the faucets with water-saving, touch-free units. Also in an effort to conserve water, low-flow urinals are being installed in restrooms across campus. According to Paul Manson, South Complex Facilities Manager, “All of these programs move us toward meeting green standards while improving the appearance of the halls and saving us money in the long run.”

Paper Chase

Elsewhere in the Division, environmentally focused efforts are underway as well. Information Services and Food Stores are pitching in by eliminating printed forms whenever possible. Statements and invoices are already paperless, and inventories and food cost reports will be available online in the near future.

Forest Akers Golf Courses, Construction, Maintenance, and Interior Design, and Information Services are all making efforts to recycle everything from printer toner, to water bottles, to Styrofoam packaging material.

Marketing Communications also rented a bike from the MSU Bike Project, and several members of the group use it to run campus errands or attend meetings whenever possible. In addition, this office recycles office paper, toner, and is experimenting with streamlining procedures and electronic proofreading to use less paper.

Future Efforts

Sustainability is a top priority to H&FS Assistant Vice President Vennie Gore. As such, he has devoted an entire work group to environmental sustainability. This group will meet regularly to develop strategies to maintain an organizational culture that values environmental stewardship. In the meantime, there are many things that you can do as an individual or as a unit to help.

The University is currently looking into establishing an “Anti-Idling” campaign to encourage drivers of university-owned vehicles to shut the cars off as opposed to idling for prolonged periods of time. You too can join in this effort to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by shutting down your engine while waiting in the drive-through, waiting to pick someone up, or waiting for one of the over fifty trains that pass through campus everyday.

According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, idling for more than ten seconds uses more gas than restarting the engine, and in modern vehicles, ignition wear resulting from restarting the engine is negligible. Reducing the time you spend idling is not only beneficial for the environment, but it will also save you money on gas throughout the year.

There are many other steps you can take towards becoming more environmentally friendly. For more information or advice, check out the Office of Campus Sustainability’s website at www.ecofoot.msu.edu.

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