Long Overdue Update!

Hello, Green Team!
I just wanted to give everyone an update about what our current goals
and/or thoughts are for the SBA Green Team for this coming school year.

Although our meeting was small this past week ( Ruth & myself!) it was
mighty. Ha. Haley sent us some awesome ideas and I think we have some
definite plans of action for the upcoming quarter and year.

First of all, after attending the Recycling Summit a couple of weeks
ago, we got some useful information about the Recycle at Work Program.

I just filled out the "progress report" and we have qualified to be
certified with the first level of Recycle at Work recognition.There is also a second level thatI am fairly certain we could get certified with without too much work,
and I will continue looking into that. However, we have taken the first
step!

Additionally, we learned that the Office of Sustainability is now doing
waste audits for departments in order to help them identify how they can
improve their sustainability efforts. I believe we are going to try to
get them to come give us a waste audit and analyze what the majority of
our waste is and will then start a campaign to increase awareness around
our weak areas. Hopefully, after some work, we will have a second audit
done to see if our efforts have made a difference! Any thoughts/ ideas
about this?

Finally, we also learned (and mentioned in the Green Team Tip of the
Week!) that Aaramark has now moved toward using all compostable
products! We are hoping to possibly work with the Dean's office to
create a policy (after we explore cost differences, etc.) that all or a
large percentage of SBA Events be sustainable in this way. Does anyone
have a desire to take on this project and research?

Finally, we are still hoping to draw in more faculty members. Therefore,
we are hoping to have at least one brown bag lunch each quarter where
all SBA staff and Facultyare invited to join to hear sustainability
speakers. Perhaps we can ask those faculty who are working in this are
to contribute by presenting if they have an interest in doing so?

I think that is all for now, but thanks everyone! And please let me know
if there is something that you want to help with! I would love to be
able to do everything, but help is always needed and appreciated!

Hope to hear from you soon and would love some feedback!