American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

                                           
   Biodegradable Service Ware                             Composting Project

                                                      
Greeks for the Globe            Light it Up Right          Office of Sustainability

                             
                   OHIO Ecohouse                                    OHIO Unplugged

Biodegradable Service Ware

Next time you eat at Baker Center's food court, you are likely to walk away with corn and sugar cane on your tray. We're not talking tacos and smoothies. We're talking plates, cups, forks, spoons and take-out containers.

This serviceware, which to casual observers looks like plastic, is actually a 100-percent biodegradable material derived from corn or potato starch called polylactic acid, or PLA. The plates and cups that look like paper are made from sugar cane fibers. These materials are renewable resources that can be composted - just like food and yard waste - and make Baker's serviceware a friend to the environment.

"I have students come to me all the time complaining about packaging waste here at the university," said Sonia Marcus, Ohio University's sustainability coordinator. "Now I can tell them we're making a switch to a greener option."

After enjoying their meals, diners at the food court and Front Room will be directed to sort their waste into separate bins for "trash," "compost" and "cans/bottles." "Compost" includes serviceware, napkins and any food remaining on the tray. Beverage containers can continue to be recycled in bins marked "cans/bottles."

Last year, a waste audit performed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources indicated that about 20 percent of the waste coming out of Ohio University dining halls is compostable. The biodegradable serviceware project is the brainchild of university Chef Charles Moseley.

"This project will significantly change the way major institutions think about trash," Moseley said. "Once again, Ohio University demonstrates its progressive, forward-thinking character and assumes a leadership role in our society. The impact of this commitment will extend far beyond the boundaries of our institution."

With success of the project, dining services plans to expand the use of the biodegradable serviceware to other campus eateries, including Grab 'N' Go outlets and Cafe Bibliotech at Alden Library.

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Composting Project

Ohio University was one of six state awardees that received a $250,000 grant through Ohio Division of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention program. The funding will be used to purchase and install an in-vessel composting system for the Athens campus. It will be the first full-scale composting project at an Ohio college or university.

Ohio University chose to purchase the system from Wright Environmental Management, Inc. The system, slated to be up and running by the end of summer 2008, will be located on the Ridges just off of Dairy Lane. It will handle up to two tons of compostables per day, including food waste, biodegradable service ware, landscaping waste and other organic materials. This waste will be processed into a nutrient-rich soil within 14 days.

ODNR also awarded Ohio University an additional $50,000 toward the in-vessel composting initiative. The additional funds will go toward the purchase of a 6.15-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array expected to generate 35 percent of the electricity needed for the composting site. Using a solar array to power the composting system will offset 9,000 pounds of carbon emissions each year, resulting in roughly 270,000 pounds of carbon avoided over an operational period of 30 years, Marcus said. The installation of a solar energy source for the system also will free up additional resources for the Department of Facilities Management in a time of rising energy costs.

Additional funds from this grant will be directed toward site preparation, including water and drainage lines, and Ohio University's first compost toilet.

In a letter included in the grant application, Ohio U. President Roderick McDavis noted that this initiative would provide both a fiscally progressive and environmentally sound method to dispose of the university's biodegradable waste and help position the state of Ohio as a national leader in new energy solutions.

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Greeks for the Globe

Local efforts to increase environmental awareness have been spreading from Ohio University’s residence halls to Greek housing. Delta Gamma (DG), an Ohio U sorority that recently began a recycling program, has been a trail-blazer. The program’s success may encourage others in multi-unit housing to consider a similar environmentally friendly approach.

Kristin Strobel initiated this program a few years ago when she was serving as Delta Gamma’s Director of Wellness. Strobel noticed the problem of wastefulness in Greek housing and hoped to incorporate her passion for the environment into DG’s functioning.

Ed Newman, campus Refuse and Recycling Manager, teamed up with Strobel to research Delta Gamma’s trash pickup provider, Rumpke. Unlike trash pickup, which is typically priced per bag, recycling pickup costs a flat fee of two dollars per month. Strobel learned that recycling would result in less trash, consequently resulting in lower expenditures for Delta Gamma. By switching to the City of Athens Ohio Garbage Pickup and implementing a recycling routine, the house would save over half of its monthly bill.

Newman and Strobel called the recycling program Greeks for the Globe and made Delta Gamma its one-year trial project. Newman explained that the goal of the program is “to show the off-campus multi-unit housing community and owners [that] recycling at these kinds of facilities is capable of reducing waste and costs if the services provided by Athens County are used.” Newman was able to provide the house with trash can sized bins for the kitchen and smaller bins for the women’s rooms (the same plastic bins found in all dorm rooms on campus). “There was some resistance at first,” says Strobel, “but now the girls are used to it and it’s routine.” While recycling is encouraged, members have a choice whether or not to recycle. Any items collected are deposited into larger bins once a week; bagging and carrying out recyclables for weekly pickup has been added as one of the chores that are rotated among the members. The house cook also recycles all of the industrial-sized cans and other kitchen refuse.

The method has been so successful that Greeks for the Globe is now being promoted at other Greek houses. In recognition of the project’s success, Strobel was awarded a 2006 Dean of Students Citation from Dr. Hogan, and a nomination for the 2007 All-USA College Academic Team. Strobel developed Greeks for the Globe because it is economically and environmentally conscious, and it promotes a positive image of Greek life, she said. In her own sorority, Strobel has seen the house save money, embrace a more environmentally friendly lifestyle and become more educated on conservation issues.

Pi Beta Phi, a sorority that has taken a recent interest in Greeks for the Globe, got in contact with Ed Newman through an Alumnae Advisor Council Member. With all its bins in place, Pi Beta Phi began the program spring quarter 2007. Newman is currently working with a fraternity to begin the program, with future hopes of forming a Greek competition similar to RecycleMania. Pi Beta Phi member Jamie Kiefaber recommends the program, suggesting, “Why not? It is beneficial to the earth, and when you pay for trash disposal anyway, it is not more difficult to simply separate the items you dispose of.”

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Light it up Right

The "Light it up Right" project, is a light bulb exchange program designed to raise awareness about the simple actions students can take to conserve energy.  SLO members went around giving students compact florescent bulbs to replace the incandescent bulbs in their dorm room. 

CFL’s are four times more efficient or use 50-80% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.  Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, if every home in the United States replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions from more than 8 million cars.

Contact info:
Sonia Marcus
marcuss@ohio.edu

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Office of Sustainability

The Department of Facilities Management at Ohio University is committed to improving the efficiency of our facilities, greening our practices and processes, and strengthening our campus-wide culture of environmental mindfulness. Toward these ends, the Office of Resource Conservation was established in May 2006, at which time OHIO’s first Resource Conservation Coordinator was appointed. The name of the office has since been changed to the Office of Sustainability.

The Office of Sustainability places great importance on involving students, staff, faculty, and the local community in our efforts to reduce our consumption of resources and minimize our ecological footprint. Recycling, conserving water by taking shorter and fewer showers, turning off lights and appliances when not in use, and many other small actions add up to a lot of energy and water saved, considering that Ohio University's facilities are used by more than 20,000 staff and students everyday. The university's monthly utility bill averages $1 million. Reducing consumption by only 2% is equivalent to a savings of $20,000 a month.

The Sustainability Coordinator is dedicated to facilitating projects and programs that foster sound campus stewardship and a commitment to sustainability goals. The mission of the Office of Sustainability is situated within the context of Vision OHIO, which counts among its core values a commitment to the region expressed through stewardship of shared resources, access to programs and services, and contribution to economic development. We firmly support our Vision OHIO Regional Strategic Thrusts aimed at the preservation, restoration and enhancement of a healthy natural environment, including terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; the promotion of sustainable development, both on and off campus by encouraging design, planning, and building practices that reduce energy consumption and waste, and that use locally produced goods and services; the enhancement of multi-disciplinary research in the fields of energy, environment and economics; and the development of new markets for products and services in these fields.

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OHIO Ecohouse

June of 2005 marked the inception of the OHIO Ecohouse. A university-owned house was transformed into a model for using affordable, green technology and living sustainably. It serves as an outreach and education platform for Ohio University, the local community, and the Appalachian region. An organic garden and solar panels that provide house energy are just a few of the Ecohouse features. 

OHIO Ecohouse strives to strengthen the culture of sustainability by providing tours, and workshops open to the university and the community.  The residents, Ohio U students, commit to living in the house for two years.  During this time, they provide a hands-on place for other students to learn about living more sustainably.

Contact info:
Sonia Marcus
phone: (740) 593-0026
marcuss@ohio.edu

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OHIO Unplugged

In Fall 2006, Ohio U hosted the first OHIO Unplugged, a renewable energy themed music festival. The event took place on the South Green lawn, and featured a number of local and regional performers including the Fossil Fools art collective, Attila Horvath, DJ Self Help and others. The goal of the event was to expose members of our campus community to the benefits of using renewable energy, the need for resource conservation, and the consequences of our dependence on fossil fuels. The stage for OHIO Unplugged was 100% solar powered, and the festival was the university's first official Zero Waste event, meaning that no waste was generated from the event.

OHIO Unplugged is a project of the Office of Sustainability. Co-sponsors of OHIO Unplugged included ACRN (All Campus Radio Network), the OU Hip Hop Congress, Dovetail Solar & Wind, Sustainable Living Organization, and Campus Recycling.

OHIO Unplugged was a part of Sustainability Awareness Week.

People that are interested in hosting their own 100% solar powered outdoor event, or a zero waste event, should contact the Office of Sustainability.

Contact info:
Sonia Marcus
Sustainability Coordinator
email: marcuss@ohio.edu
Phone: 740-593-0026

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