March 2017
RecycleMania 2017
RecycleMania 2017 is in the last week of competition as colleges across the country compete to reduce landfill waste through recycling. As of week seven, BGSU is ranked 102nd out of 177 competing schools across North America, with a landfill diversion rate of 29.75%. This means that 29.75% of all waste generated on BGSU's main campus is kept out of the landfill via recycling or composting. In addition to competing on a national level, BGSU residence halls are participating in an on-campus competition to determine the residence hall that is able to recycle the most waste per resident.
The on-campus competition has been fierce, with Kreischer and Harshman competing for first place throughout the competition. Kreischer has generated 30.32 lbs. of recycling per resident and trailing just behind are the BGSU Recyclemania 2016 champions, Offenhauer towers, with a recycling weight of 27.7 lbs. per resident.
Be sure to keep recycling to bring your residence hall & BGSU the glory of being the RecycleMania champions of 2017 - the competition ends April 1st!
Click above graph to view full size
Earth Week 2017
In January 2015, BGSU publicly committed to being "carbon neutral" by 2040 in order to combat the increasingly negative effects of global climate change. This announcement was made through the completion of a “Climate Action Plan” which outlines potential carbon reduction strategies. The three overarching themes reflected in this plan are:
1.Reduce energy consumption
2.Decrease waste & increase resource conservation,
3. Education & Involvement
This April, the university is mobilizing its community to get involved with sustainability initiatives through a vast array of free programming & events during our annual Earth Week celebration. The theme this week is “Action Today for a Better Tomorrow” & each day there will be service projects, guest lectures, a 100% electric bus & MORE!
We are still looking for environmental organizations & artists/ musicians to participate in our annual "Eco-Fair". Register to have a station with the button on the left!
If BGSU is going to reach zero carbon emissions, it’s going to require everyone to get involved! Now is YOUR chance to be make a difference in our community.
So mark your calendars & get ready to have some fun! Be sure to stay up to date & share your experiences on social media with #BGreen2017 !
BGSU Sustainability Heroes
The Office of Finance and Administration at Bowling Green State University plays a lot of important roles. They manage and maintain the success of our fiscal position and human resources, and provide many services to our university community such as facility enhancements and safety initiatives. What we love most about this office however, is that they incorporate sustainability into their everyday operations. In July of 2014 the Office of Finance and Administration took a pledge to be leaders in sustainability and environmental stewardship through our Green Office Certification Program. The process of receiving the certification prompted the office to evaluate how they could integrate sustainability into their daily practices from printing, recycling, and energy use, to purchasing, transportation, and everything in between. This office is a great example of how easy it is to implement sustainability in the workplace. Small changes like using reusable water bottles and coffee mugs, eliminating Styrofoam, holding paperless meetings, and turning off the lights when the room is not in use become, as Finance and Administration puts it, “second nature”. The office has continued to show their commitment to sustainability by completing their re-certifications in August of 2015 and most recently in February of 2017, led by Sharon Mason and Courtney Wagoner. The Office of Finance and Administration wants to encourage other offices to pursue the Green Office Certification too, stating that “No matter how trivial some of these things may seem, the more offices that get involved the bigger the impact will be”.
Sharon Mason & Courtney Wagoner celebrate being certified as a "Green Office" here at BGSU
When You Move Out, Don't Throw It Out!
BGSU’s WYMO Program (When You Move Out, Don’t Throw It Out) gives the BGSU community a chance to donate ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that is still good/usable as you prepare to move out for the academic year. The goal of this program is to keep valuable resources out of the landfill, while reducing the need for the extraction of new natural resources.
Look for collection boxes, starting April 17, in residence hall lobbies, Greek houses, Outtakes stores, and the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. Dozens of charities as well as local food pantries and BGSU sustainability programs are benefitted by this program which is entering its 16th year!
We’re currently looking for volunteers for this service project as well! Both individuals and organizations are needed; community service verification forms are available. Sign up to volunteer on the left!
Start saving your items for donation now, the end of the semester is quickly approaching!
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Updated: 01/10/2024 10:48AM