December 9, 2009
CFS goes green by reducing paper use, encouraging individual action
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This fall, the College of Consumer and Family Sciences took a campus-wide lead on becoming more environmentally friendly. Reducing paper, recycling more, and simply encouraging everyone to take personal stock in going green could even save the college some green.
"We're going to very carefully assess our expenditures and see if we can meet our goal of saving $100,000 a year," says Dean Dennis Savaiano.
The college's green committee -- co-chaired by Denise Buhrmester, director of external relations in CFS; Mick La Lopa, associate professor of hospitality and tourism management; and Jen Shirley, director of financial affairs for CFS -- last year began spreading the word on how the various schools and departments can step up their tree-saving efforts. But the initial push started with CFS students.
"I have a wonderful student advisory board," Savaiano says. "Over an event dinner last year they told me, almost unanimously, that they get way too much paper."
So from a classroom perspective, the goal is to reduce paper as much as possible.
"Students won't get handouts like before," La Lopa says. "Those will be online."
Likewise, rather than having to print and copy 200 to 300 quizzes for some of the large lectures, professors will be able to give quizzes and tests online.
"We talk about sustainability throughout our curriculum," La Lopa says. "In the food labs, the students are taught to order and cook the food they need so it's not wasted. We don't throw out a lot of food. We reuse it as much as we can, or try to use it in different forms."
Throughout the college, each department will be charged with coming up with ways to make themselves more green, says Buhrmester, who sent out daily tips during Green Week. From turning off monitors when leaving for a meeting to turning off printers and copiers at the end of the day to the end of Styrofoam cups in Stone Hall, most of the tips call on a proactive approach by individuals. In fact, people will receive discounts on coffee in Stone Hall if they use their own cups.
From where Buhrmester sits in the alumni and development office, there is a push to reduce the number of print publications produced.
"That means increasing the way we communicate with people electronically," says Buhrmester, who also encourages alumni to share their e-mail addresses to further that type of communication.
Shirley came on board last spring in the college. Her role within the green initiative is to track expenses on a monthly basis and report back on any savings. She also began working with Guy Brown, one of the major office suppliers on campus.
"They will do an analysis of the top 50 items we purchase in each location and then provide an in-depth review on what we can get that's more green," Shirley says.
And while much of going green begins with individual action in the workplace and at home, Savaiano hopes that this initiative will resonate throughout college.
"The hospitality industry, for example, has lots of potential to improve energy efficiency through the use of green materials," he says.
Savaiano is also excited about the building of Marriott Hall, now in design, which could be LEED-certified as either silver or gold. LEED is the acronym for leadership in energy and environmental design.
"In a building with kitchens and restaurants, that's a real challenge," he says.
A challenge, however, that will need to be addressed continuously throughout CFS.
"In retail, more and more emphasis is on quality as opposed to disposable kinds of devices," Savaiano says. "You could argue the auto industry got in trouble because cars were too disposable as opposed to long-lasting. The cars that were long-lasting and reliable tended to persist and be successful. So I think we're going to see that across the whole retail arena where quality, durability and value matter most. It's not how much it costs; it's the value it provides."
CAPTION: As co-chairs of the College of Consumer and Family Sciences green committee, Mick La Lopa, Denise Buhrmester and Jen Shirley were instrumental in getting Styrofoam cups out of Stone Hall. Diners now can use environmentally friendly cups and even get discounted coffee with their own cups. (Photo by Andrew Hancock)