Approved Green Fund Projects
The Green Fund Committee focuses on the impact a proposal would have on BGSU's three main sustainability goals:
- Reduction of Emissions
- Waste Reduction and Resource Conservation
- Education, Awareness, and Outreach
It is in the nature of many sustainability projects to take an extended period of time from initial proposal to project completion. In order for the Green Fund Committee and University to continue advancing in sustainability, it is important to acknowledge what has been successful and what could be improved in the future.
Below are examples of success proposals that have been approved by the Green Fund.
BTSU LED Lighting
Funded $9,331.80
(2023-2024)
Funded the purchase of new LED lighting materials for the nest area of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union.
Pilot Callery Pear Tree Removal
Funded $12,500
(2023-2024)
Funded the removal of 10 non-native Callery Pear trees in front of the Slater Ice Arena and the purchase of 10 new native trees to plant in their place.
Cooper and Andrews Pool Deck Drinking Stations
Funded $9,142.50
(2023-2024)
Funded the purchase of two new Elkay water bottle stations for the Cooper and Andrews pools.
Wellness on Wheels
Funded $8,000
(2023-2024)
Funded the purchase of an electric cargo bike as well as other necessary measures such as covers for storage.
Interim Pre-Consumer Composting with Stevens Disposal
Funded $3,644.55
(2023-2024)
Funded half of the transportation cost of pre-consumer compost from Kreischer, the Oaks, Falcon's Nest, and Carillon Place.
LED Upgrade over Ice Arena & Seating
Funded $364,000
(2023-2024)
Funded the purchase and installation of LED lighting over the playing ice and seating area at the Slater Family Ice Arena. This was the single largest Green Fund award ever!
SRC Racquetball LED Lighting
Funded $12,500
(2022-2023)
Funded the purchase and installation of LED lighting in seven racquetball courts at the Student Recreation Center.
Continuation of Pre-Consumer Composting
Funded $5,000
(2022-2023)
Funded the continuation of the composting program at the Oaks, Carillon Place, and Falcon’s Nest. This has been entirely supported by the Green Fund, since composting inception in 2014!
Shatzel Hall Native Prairie Garden Improvement Project
Funded $4,000
(2022-2023)
Funded the updating of the Shatzel Hall Native Prairie Garden and an addition of a live roof/green vegetative panels to the small portion of roofing that extends to the prairie.
Falcon Food & Resource Community Garden Initiative
Funded $783.22
(2022-2023)
Funded the purchase of tomato cages, storage bins, plant labeling materials, and a tool storage unit to be used for the Falcon Food & Resource Community Garden, located by the Fine Arts building.
Campus Tree Forestation
Funded $29,493 / 2 years
(2022-2023)
Funded the purchase of Ohio native trees to be planted across campus over the next 2 years.
OZZI Reusable Container Machine
Funded $16,642
(2021-2022)
Funded the purchase of a reusable container collection machine from OZZI to introduce reusable carry out containers. BGSU Dining transferred the location of the machine to Carillon Place which has become a retail establishment.
Patrol Bikes for Campus Patrol
Funded $4909.97
(2021-2022)
Funded the purchase of two Trek bicycles which were added to the BGSU Bike Patrol and are currently in use since May 2022.
Sustainability Leadership Certificate Keynote Speaker
Funded $360
(2021-2022)
Funded the costs of lodging and travel for the keynote speaker Diamond Spradling, a BGSU alumnus, at the Sustainability Leadership Certificate Program which was highly attended/successful.
Reusable Bags for On-Campus Food Pantry
Funded $1,200
(2021-2022)
Funded the purchase of 1,200 reusable bags to distribute food to food-challenged students at the newly created Falcon Food Pantry on campus.
Electric Zamboni for the Slater Family Ice Arena
Funded $48,989.85
(2020-2021)
Funded the difference between a gas powered Zamboni and an electric powered one.
Solar Array Renewal for Slater Family Ice Arena
Funded $32,856
(2020-2021)
Repaired, rewired, and reconfigured the solar array at the Slater Family Ice Arena. This project aims to reduce our carbon footprint by means of renewable solar energy, which is a component of BGSU's Climate Action Plan.
Water Bottle Refill Stations
Funded $4,944
(2019-2020)
Installed water bottle refill stations in three separate locations on campus. These locations include the Wolfe Center, Cooper Pool in the Student Recreation Center, as well as the Glass Studio in the Fine Arts Center.
Compost Bin for the BGSU Community Garden
Funded $250
(2019-2020)
Installation of a compost bin, as well as educational signage to spread awareness for the benefits of composting, in the community garden on campus.
Exterior Lighting Upgrade – Phase II
Funded $250,000
(2019-2020)
Funded the installation of LED light fixtures in student prioritized parking lots across campus. This is the second grant supporting this University-wide project. LED fixtures provide brighter light and excellent energy savings.
Student-led Reusable Bag Project | E.A.G.
Funded $18,000
(2018-2019)
Funded the purchase of 15,000 reusable bags that were distributed campus wide which helped move campus culture away from single-use plastic. This proposal was a large collaboration between Environmental Action Group and the Green Fund Committee, following the legislation passed by Undergraduate Student Government regarding the end of plastic bag use by BGSU facilities.
Maurer Center EV Charging Stations
Funded $29,693
(2018-2019)
Funded the purchase of 2-Chargepoint Model CT4021 Dual Port stations, and additional educational signage (designed by the Green Fund Committee).
Electric Racing Go-Kart | Engineering Society
Funded $5,500
(2018-2019)
Funded the improvement of the efficiency and electrical systems of Go-Karts operated by the Engineering Society. This included promotional material with the proviso of attendance at sustainability event.
BG Alternative Break Mess Kits
Funded $522
(2017-2018)
Funded the purchase of reusable silverware and cookware for students participating in BG Alternative Break trips. This helped prevent the use of plastic, paper, and Styrofoam silverware to reduce waste production on campus.
New Shuttle Bus Propane Conversion Kits
Funded $92,101
(2017-2018)
Funded the purchase of new propane conversion kits for the new fleet of shuttle buses from the Groome Transportation Firm. The new conversion has reduced BGSU’s carbon footprint by 24%, furthering BGSU’s Climate Action Plan.
An Electric Ice Edger
Funded $3,000
(2017-2018)
Funded the purchase of a 100% electric ice edger manufactured by The Zamboni Company for the Slater Family Ice Arena. This reduced emissions and maintenance/power costs for the Ice Arena.
LED Coral Tank Lighting
Funded $4,014.70
(2016-2017)
Funded the purchase of energy efficient LED lighting systems for the BGSU Marine Lab coral tanks.
Post-Consumer Composting Pilot
Funded $24,804
(2016-2017)
Funded the pilot project to collect post-consumer food waste at Carillon Place.
BGSU’s Commitment to Solar Energy
Funded $500,000
(2016-2017)
Dedicated to the development of large-scale, on-campus solar arrays with generation capacity of 1 MW or more.
Pre-Consumer Composting Supplemental Budget
Funded $2,500
(2016-2017)
Funded the increase in budget for campus composting initiatives at the Oaks, Carillon Place, and the Falcon’s Nest. Composting initiatives are 100% funded through the Student Green Initiatives Fund.
Exterior Illumination LED Upgrade – Phase I
Funded $254,150
(2016-2017)
Funded the purchase and installation of energy efficient LED lighting across old campus. This replaced the high-pressure sodium lighting fixtures that greatly reduced energy consumption on campus.
LED Lighting Upgrade at Cooper Pool
Funded 50% of project cost, up to $50,000
(2015-2016)
Funded the purchase and installation of an LED lighting upgrade for the Student Recreation Center’s Cooper Pool. Annual energy savings would total 143,761 kWh with an annual carbon dioxide reduction of 99.1 metric tons.
Student Union Recycling Upgrade
Funded $27,329
(2015-2016)
Funded the purchase and installation of recycling containers throughout the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. All containers are properly paired, have included recycling signage, are present in conference rooms, and are made aware when reserving events through Conference & Event Services.
Campus Energy and Sustainability Master Plan Study
Funded 50% of project cost, up to $50,000
(2015-2016)
Funded the completion of a “Campus Renewable Energy and Sustainability Feasibility Study”.
“Your Fellow Falcon” Reusable Water Bottles
Funded $688.80
(2015-2016)
Funded the purchase of 140 stainless steel, reusable water bottles to incentivize participation in sustainability volunteer opportunities.
Clean & Green Recycling Truck
Funded $16,500
(2015-2016)
Funded the purchase of a hybrid box truck in partnership with Campus Operations to reduce the carbon footprint of BGSU's recycling program, in addition to educating the campus community on low emission vehicles.
Plastic Bag Recycling Stations
Funded $1,400
(2015-2016)
Funded a pilot project for recycling plastic bags on campus with two stations located at the Bowen-Thompson Student Union and Falcon Heights Residence Hall. These containers were made from recycled milk jugs.
Campus Wide Recycling Audit
Funded $373.76
(2015-2016)
Funded a Waste Audit in the Union Oval to remove contamination from campus recycling bins by the Environmental Service Club. This covered “Hazmat” suits and 2 hanging scales to increase visibility of event and to gather data.
Life Science Water Refill Stations
Funded $1,250
(2015-2016)
Funded the purchase of two new water bottle refilling station retrofits to the Life Science Building.
Kuhlin Center Native Plantings
Funded $22,500
(2015-2016)
Funded BGSU’s University Architect to design a native landscaping feature surrounding the newly renovated Kuhlin Center. All native landscaping was funded are native to Ohio.
A Sustainable BGSU SOAR
Funded $400
(2015-2016)
Funded the purchase of a solar-powered backpack for a raffle to incentivize participation at each SOAR session in engaging and educating new students about sustainability and climate change.
BTSU & Library Water Bottle Refilling Stations
Funded $1,430
(2014-2015)
Funded the purchase and installation of two water bottle refill stations, one on the 4th floor of the BTSU and the other at the Jerome Library.
Graduate Student Senate Educational Plant Activity
Funded $160.80
(2014-2015)
Funded the costs for GSS to host an informational and interactive table in the Union Oval to kick-off BGSU’s “Earth Week”. This included 140 students receiving indoor plants.
Green Fund Run
Funded $1,500
(2014-2015)
Funded the promotion and implementation of a 5k run/walk to educate the BGSU community of the Green Fund and global climate change. $890 was earned from over 100 total volunteers, students, runners, and community members.
Ice Arena LED Lighting Upgrade
Funded $13,410
(2014-2015)
Funded the purchase and installation of an LED lighting upgrade in the Slater Family Ice Arena hallways. This saves annually 94,502 kWh of energy and reduce 65.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide. An “Efficiency Smart” rebate of $3,800 was returned to the Green Fund.
Club Soccer Reusable Water Bottles
Funded $70.97
(2014-2015)
Funded the purchase of a team water cooler, two water bottle racks, and twelve reusable water bottles for the Men’s Soccer Club.
Perry Field House LED Lighting Upgrade
Funded $30,000
(2014-2015)
Funded the purchase and installation of an LED lighting upgrade at the Perry Field House. This saves annually 147,612 kWh of energy and reduce 102 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Student Recreation Center LED Lighting Upgrade
Funded $18,745
(2014-2015)
Funded the purchase and installation of an LED lighting upgrade at the Student Recreation Center. This saves annually 32,138 kWh of energy and reduce 22.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Green Roof Bike Racks
Funded $8,500
(2014-2015)
Funded the purchase of two live-roof bike racks on campus from a grant by the Ohio EPA, with the Green Fund matching it. Both are located by the Student Recreation Center and the Fine Arts Building.
3 Original EV Charging Stations
Matched Grant
(2014-2015)
Funded the purchase and installation of three electric vehicle charging stations. These were the first set of EV stations on campus, with the grant coming from Clean Fuels Ohio and the Green Fund matching the cost.
Updated: 12/04/2024 12:26PM