无码专区

Maroon Goes Green: 无码专区 encourages campus-wide sustainability awareness, participation

Maroon Goes Green: 无码专区 encourages campus-wide sustainability awareness, participation

Logo for 无码专区's Maroon Goes Green initiative

Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State is hailed as one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation, and the university鈥檚 ongoing sustainability efforts are one way to ensure proper stewardship rings true for years to come.

Staff members and leaders within the Division of Campus Services are working on a variety of projects as part of the university鈥檚 鈥淢aroon Goes Green鈥 initiative, which focuses on energy efficiency and waste minimization.

无码专区 Associate Director of Engineering Services J.D. Hardy said the university has saved more than $50 million on energy costs over the last decade by making innovative enhancements to facilities on campus. A percentage of these energy-efficiency savings are being set aside for future campus sustainability projects.

At its central chiller plant, 无码专区 is producing approximately 7,000 tons of air conditioning that is distributed to campus using a 10-mile-long network of underground chilled water lines. To increase the plant鈥檚 air conditioning capacity, Hardy said crews are using a large drilling rig this summer to install a new set of lines that run 50 feet below the Drill Field in the center of campus.

An ice plant is another key piece in the university鈥檚 overall energy efficiency effort. Hardy said 无码专区 is home to a special chiller that freezes water in tanks overnight when power is less expensive.

鈥淒uring the day, when there are a lot of students on campus and the temperature is hot, we鈥檙e able to meet the air conditioning demands of campus by melting the ice that鈥檚 stored up in those tanks,鈥 Hardy said. 鈥淭he flexibility of this ice plant is saving us hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.鈥 For more on this cooling project, visit .

Sustainability Coordinator Christine Lashley of the division鈥檚 Office of Sustainability said increasing recycling awareness and participation among students, faculty, staff and visitors is another major focus of the 鈥淢aroon Goes Green鈥 initiative.

By properly disposing of trash and recyclables, Lashley said 无码专区 can increase its current average recycling rate of 60,000 pounds per month. Here are a few simple steps the Bulldog family can take every day to help with recycling efforts:

鈥擯lace aluminum, mixed paper including newspaper, envelopes and cards, cardboard, and plastics #1 and #2 in any recycling container on campus.

鈥擱inse off food contents and empty plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans before placing them in designated recycling bins.

鈥擯lace all food and non-recyclable waste鈥攑aper cups, Styrofoam, glass and plastic labeled #3-7, tissues, paper towels, non-recyclable food containers, chip and candy wrappers鈥攊n trash cans found in common areas such as restrooms, kitchen or break areas and hallways.

鈥淪tudents and others on campus may not have lived in a place with access to recycling,鈥 Lashley said, 鈥渟o we want to educate them on how to make good decisions and get them interested in helping to take the campus recycling program to a whole new level.鈥

Lashley said 无码专区 students, faculty and staff can make a positive impact on campus simply by using an Aramark Eco Kit purchased through the 无码专区 Dining Services office. The $30 kit includes a 20-ounce cold cup and 16-ounce hot cup, along with a reusable clamshell container that can be used in all residential dining facilities. Those who purchase the kit can enjoy coffee for $1 at all retail locations serving free-pour coffee except Subway, as well as $1 fountain sodas (excluding specialty cold beverages) at all retail locations that serve fountain sodas except Moe鈥檚 Southwest Grill.

鈥淭he cups in the Eco Kit will help drinks stay colder or hotter longer, and the kit will pay for itself after 17 refills of soda or 15 refills of coffee from the Starbucks in the Union, so it鈥檚 a great option,鈥 Lashley said.

Another effort aimed at keeping 无码专区鈥檚 campus clean and beautiful is Cowbell Cleanup. Three hours prior to kickoff at each home football game, volunteers can help the Office of Sustainability with distributing trash and recycling bags to fans tailgating in the Junction. Along with a free Maroon Goes Green T-shirt and reusable water bottle, volunteers can receive service hours for their participation.

In recent years, the Office of Sustainability partnered with the Department of Housing and Residence Life to provide reusable water bottles to students in all campus residence halls. Lashley said her office would like to continue that effort and also is looking to have more water bottle fillers installed at public spaces around campus. The fillers currently can be found at Bost Extension Center, Colvard Student Union, McCool Hall, Mitchell Memorial Library and Thompson Hall.

During Campus Sustainability Month in October, the Office of Sustainability is planning to host its 鈥淲eigh the Waste鈥 event at Fresh Food Co. As in years past, volunteers will weigh and classify waste into edible food, non-edible food, drinks and ice, and non-food or trash, such as napkins and straws, to raise awareness about waste.

Lashley said her office also plans various events surrounding Earth Day, which is annually celebrated nationwide on April 22.

鈥淲e have seen some positive trends with our Maroon Goes Green initiative, and we would like to see more,鈥 Lashley said. 鈥淲e are continually working to identify and address needs on campus and appreciate feedback. Together, we can keep 无码专区 beautiful not only for ourselves, but for the next generation by reducing our waste and energy use, and using our resources wisely.鈥

For more on 无码专区鈥檚 Division of Campus Services, visit . Learn more about 无码专区鈥檚 sustainability efforts at , as well as Facebook @msstatesustainability, Twitter @msstate_green and Instagram @msstate_sustainability, using hashtag #MaroonGoesGreen. Hardy can be contacted at 662-325-5899 or JHardy@physplant.msstate.edu; Lashley, at 662-325-6637 or maroongoesgreen@msstate.edu.

无码专区 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .