SBA Green Team

Long Overdue Update!

2009-09-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

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!

Meeting Minutes from 8/4/09

2009-08-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, Everyone!
My apologies for not making progress during July. But we are back in action!

Ruth and I met last week and we mainly discussed what our next actions steps are.

For the time being, we are hoping to concentrate on:

1) getting recycle works certified
2) brainstorming ideas about how to increase faculty involvement

I know some offices are holding informational sessions with their staff members. Perhaps that is an area we could start? Having recycling come in and talk to faculty members, etc. Having OIT come in & talk about safely turning off power supplies to save energy, etc etc.

Any ideas you might have would be amazing!

Also, any brilliant projects coming up for anyone?

Hope all is well!

Rachel

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (8/10/09)

2009-08-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

Join the Composting Fun in the School of Business!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2007, 245.1 million tons of trash or garbage were generated in the United States. Organic materials—comprised of yard trimmings, food scraps, wood waste, and paper and paperboard products—are the largest component of our trash and make up more than two-thirds of the solid waste stream. (http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/organics/index.htm)

The School of Business Green Team has set up the opportunity for you to compost while at work. Items that can be composted are food waste, including vegetables, fruit, meat, seafood, bread/baked goods, grains, dairy, eggs, coffee grounds and filters, plate scrapings and paper that has been in contact with food (like napkins). Compost containers are located in SBA rooms 240, 550 & 650. The large plastic containers used to accumulate compost can be found in the freezer in the faculty lounge (SBA 550), the refrigerator in SBA 240 or the refrigerator in the Dean's Office (SBA 650). Please familiarize yourself with whichever compost spot works best for you and join us!

NEW! Compost Services at PSU: If you are hosting an event where food will be served, allow PSU Recycles to help. PSU Recycles! can provide clean compost containers, tailored signs and support to help you create a "Zero Waste" event (details on the Zero Waste Alliance can be found online at http://www.zerowaste.org/).

Do you have ideas for keeping the SBA green? Let us know. Would you like to get involved in a minimal time commitment group? Reply to this email if you would like to be included in our meetings or have ideas for a green tip to share with colleagues.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (8/4/09)

2009-08-10T09:44:00.001-07:00

Die of Heat or Save Energy?

With this crazy heat wave we have been having, people are doing anything they can to stay cool! Do you wonder if you are making environmentally responsible choices? Here is a highly useful and entertaining short video about energy efficient ideas to help you stay cool: (Found by Darrell Brown!)

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-28-ask-umbra-video-advice-beating-heat

Do you have ideas for keeping the SBA green? Let us know. Would you like to get involved in a minimal time commitment group? Reply to this email if you would like to be included in our meetings or have ideas for a green tip to share with colleagues.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (7/27/09)

2009-08-10T09:32:00.002-07:00

Five Ways To Be Green In Hot, Summer Weather:

This information was taken from: http://hubpages.com/hub/5-Green-Ways-to-Stay-Cool-in-the-Summer

1. Go Swimming! The age-old summer activity of going swimming to escape the sun's glaring rays is a perfect green activity for the entire family. If you are fortunate enough to live close to the pool, consider walking or riding your bike instead of driving. Don't forget your sunscreen, but make sure to bring the lotion type and avoid the spray canisters that seem so popular these days!
2. Brew a Pitcher of Sun Tea. Nothing puts the temperature in check and fills the heart with a sense of well-being like a fresh, cold glass of sun brewed tea. It's simple to make and cheap too! First, start with a one gallon glass container with a securely fastening lid or lint-free cloth held tight with rubber bands. Next, fill the container with water. Add 4-5 tea bags of your favorite tea, you don't have to stick to store bought green or black teas, you can experiment with any number of herbal varieties. This can be especially rewarding when you brew tea from herbs you have gathered yourself. Finally, secure the lid or lint-free cloth and place the container where it will get direct sunlight. After 24-48 hours you can bring the container back in, pour it into a pitcher, add sweetener such as honey or sugar, and then place the pitcher into the fridge. If you love sun tea like my family does, you can have two or three batches rotating at all times to keep up with demand!
3. Eat Popsicles. Of course! Who could forget Popsicles? Are you trying to cut high fructose corn syrup out of your diet? There are commercial alternatives available, but why not make your own? You can use juice, pudding, homemade root beer, or even some of your sun tea! It's an activity that the whole family can enjoy, and I'm sure there will be no lack of help when it comes to eating them!
4. Use a Fan Instead of Air Conditioning. By opening your windows and using fans to direct air flow, you can avoid costly electric bills and do your part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Using an Energy Star approved ceiling fan can reduce your annual electric bill by 15-20 dollars as compared to the rest on currently on the market, so make sure to look for that label!
5. Dress for the Heat. Wear lighter colors! Darker clothes absorb the heat from the sun whereas lighter clothes help reflect it. Are your clothes made from a polyester blend? If so, you might cool off faster by switching to clothes made from natural fibers such as cotton.

So there you have it, 5 simple steps to shedding some heat this summer while being green conscious! And hey, if all else fails, plant a tree!

Do you have ideas for keeping the SBA green? Let us know. Would you like to get involved in a minimal time commitment group? Reply to this email if you would like to be included in our meetings or have ideas for a green tip to share with colleagues.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (7/20/09)

2009-08-10T09:32:00.001-07:00

Are you aware that the School of Business has one of the most active Green Team chapters on campus?

> Below are just a few of the things your green team has made possible.
> The SBA Green Team:
>
> * created more recycling places in the SBA building
> * posted maps throughout the building with recycling locations
> * began a campaign to reduce paper use by the School of Business
> * created opportunities for composting in multiple offices throughout the building
> * developed a regularly updated blog with new events and tips. It can be accessed at http://sbagreenteam.blogspot.com/
>

> Do you have ideas for keeping the SBA green? Let us know. Would you like to get involved in a minimal time commitment group? Reply to this email if you would like to be included in our meetings or have ideas for a green tip to share with colleagues.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (7/13/09)

2009-08-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

The following is paraphrased from "Six Transition Conversations that Matter" by Shaktari Belew:

"The Invitation Conversation. Transition occurs through choice, not mandate. First one must become aware that a choice exists. We don't want to simply enroll and assign tasks to people, the goal is to engage each other as partners. Without self-enrollment, participants perform for the benefit of others instead of for their own curiosity, joy and satisfaction.

The invitation is the call to mindfully explore oneself and life in the context of answering the following questions:

What types of invitations allow ourselves to grant ourselves permission to participate and own the relationships, tasks, and processes that we choose?

How can we design our choices so that they challenge us to stay involved? "

Find a way to invite yourself to become aware of a sustainable choice, mindfully explore this choice and how you can participate and stay involved. Experiment with ways that will keep you engaged and committed. Oh yea, and have fun at it.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (7/6/09)

2009-07-07T09:27:00.002-07:00

Choose Green Seafood!

Almost everyone loves seafood! But are you being enviornmentally friendly with your choices? Ever wonder what and where would be responsible to eat when that fish craving hits you? With the help of Montery Bay Aquarium you can eat fish guilt free!

Just take a moment to browse their website and regional guides. They have laid out the responsible choices by regions so that you can enjoy yourself responsibly.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx

Attached is the WestCoast pocket guide! You can get more at the website!

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (6/29/09)

2009-07-07T09:27:00.001-07:00

Five Tips for a Green Vacation

1. Don’t Travel As Far - save gas, money and the environment

2. Find A Green Hotel - http://www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com/
3. Take the Train - train travel it can have the lowest carbon emissions per traveler

4. Buy Local Souvenirs - support local artists and avoid mass produced items - it cuts down on transportation and supports the local economy
5. Minimize Waste - turn off the thermostat, take the pets to a sitter or kennel and bring a re-usable water bottle

Taken from: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/green-living/5-tips-for-a-green-vacation/1040

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (6/24/09)

2009-07-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Make Green Writing Choices!

Did you know that you can purchase pens that are made out 90% recycled material AND can be refilled? It's true. Most pen companies are now providing incredibly green options for writing. Below are some simple ways to go green in your pen and writing choices:

Want to not waste the barrel of pens? Ask Faculty Services to purchase refills! (We will begin keeping these on hand soon!)

Gel pens & refills produce less waste and last longer than ball point pens.

Nearly all pen types now have a green counterpart! Want a gel pen? Ink pen? 5 mm? 7 mm? Needle point? They are all available in green form.

There are even green options for permanent markers now! These not only are made out of recycled material but can be refilled, eliminating the permanent waste that dead sharpies produce. They can even be refilled after if the tips dry out!

Want to know more about your options in going green with your writing tools? Just ask Faculty Services. They will be happy to purchase the green options you would like and help guide you in the choice!

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (6/8/09)

2009-06-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Eating Local to be Green

In North America, fruits and vegetables travel an average of 1,500 miles before reaching your dinner table.
What Can You Do?

Buying local not only saves energy used to ship produce, but also preserves flavor and nutrients. Here are three avenues for picking fresh, local produce.

* Visit the local farmers' market. Visit www.localharvest.org or ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm to find one in your area.
* Get involved with a community garden or start one on your own. See www.communitygarden.org to see what's growing in your neighborhood and for tips on planting your own crops.
* Join a Community Supported Agriculture group (CSA). CSA members prepay a fixed seasonal fee to a local farmer in exchange for a weekly share of the harvest, delivered to a location near your home. Don't wait, though. CSAs are popular and can fill up. For information on joining a CSA group near you, go to nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa, sare.org/csa or justfood.org.

Taken from www.greenguide.com.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (6/1/09)

2009-06-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

Vinegar - The Miracle Cleaner

Yes, it’s true, vinegar is a miracle cleaner. It kills germs, bacteria and mildew due to its high acidity content. I think today we are all trying to find ways to avoid using harsh cleaning agents, yet many of the “environmentally-friendly” products sold at the store can be pricey. Vinegar is a great option as it’s very affordable and can be used to clean just about every surface in your home. Many people use vinegar, cut with water, to clean my kitchen and bathroom floors, counter tops and bathrooms. You can buy the big jugs of white distilled vinegar and your house will be spic and span. For the floor, use a cup or 2 of vinegar in a bucket of hot water. For counter tops, use vinegar cut with just a little bit of water, or straight if the counters are really dirty. The only surface you should never use vinegar on is marble, as it can damage it. Here are some other tips for cleaning with vinegar (from www.vinegartips.com).

Other cleaning tips using vinegar:

*To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

*Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.

*Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

*Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so then run hot water down the drain.

*Deodorize the garbage disposal by pouring in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes then run hot water down the disposal.

*Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.

*Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.

*To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.

*For cloudy glassware, soak paper towels or a cloth in full-strength white distilled vinegar and wrap around the inside and outside of the glass. Let sit awhile before rinsing clean.

*Remove the smell of spoiled food from a refrigerator by first rinsing the area with soap and water. Spray surfaces with full-strength white distilled vinegar and wipe them down with a damp cloth or sponge. Fill some containers with baking soda and place inside. Close the door and leave for a few days.

*To remove a label, decal, or price tag, cover with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave the cloth on overnight and the label should slide off.

*Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.

*Deodorize the toilet bowl by allowing 3 cups white distilled vinegar to sit in it for about a half hour before flushing.

*To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.

*Clean up pet accidents by first blotting up the area and then adding a white distilled vinegar-and-water solution. Blot until it is almost dry. Then sprinkle baking soda over the area and let it dry. Vacuum up the residue the next day.

*Create your own window cleaning solution by combining 1/2 cup non-sudsy ammonia, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a gallon of water.

*Clean woodwork and walls with a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar, 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup ammonia and 1 gallon warm water. Wipe on with a sponge or damp—not wet—towel.

*Clean wood paneling with a solution of 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar, and 2 cups warm water. Wipe on with a soft cloth.

*Get decals off walls or doors by letting undiluted white distilled vinegar soak into them for several minutes before trying to peel them off. Repeat if necessary.

*Remove white water rings from wood with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and vegetable oil. Rub with the grain.

*To kill germs, spray full-strength white distilled vinegar on doorknobs and then wipe them dry.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

Why Compost?

2009-06-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

So this morning we discussed helping to get people motivated to compost even though it may sometimes smell.

I was thinking about this and attempting to put together a few things for Pam since she requested some more information.

Here are my basic thoughts & some resources I have found:

• People will get excited about composting as they begin to see it working successfully. As soon as they see that it can be done in a way that doesn’t disturb any normal functioning & that some people are committed to it, we will get more support! (Kristina’s words!)
• If the smell becomes a problem in the lounge, we can always switch to having a smaller container in the freezer! All this will take is some feedback. I will post a sign that asks for people to send their comments to Faculty Services 
• If people want to know more about composting, we can always direct them to some resources. Here are some that I have found:

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/fundamentals/
http://www.composters.com/docs/tips.html
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/compostfacility/compost3.htm
http://vegweb.com/composting/

I hope this helps some! :)

Meeting Minutes from 6/2/09

2009-06-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, Green Team!
So I just wanted to pass along our minutes from the monthly meeting this morning! Here are the highlights:

Who attended: Pam, Kristina, Tracey, Rachel

State of Composting
• Kristina said the Dean's Office compost bin has been in place for the past couple of weeks and it is going well. People are excited about it and are using it.
• Rachel is going to bring in a large bin tomorrow for the faculty lounge (a kitty littler box) and will be posting signs and sending out an informative email
• Tracey said that the FILC office barely has food waste for the time being
• Pam brought up that there might be some hesitation around using a compost bin, especially in the faculty lounge since there are events held there. She suggested educating our colleagues to help get them on board (Rachel will be sending her fliers, etc.)
o Rachel offered to always take out the compost before an event in the faculty lounge to minimize hesitation. She simply requested a reminder for doing so.
o If we decide that people would like to have a small informative session about composting, Rachel can set up a meeting with the Sustainability Gas to do so.
• Rachel will be checking in on the Student Services office to see how composting is going and will then send out an email to all faculty & staff about our efforts

Recycle Works Initiative
• Rachel recapped the information she had been sent from Christina in HR about the process and asked if anyone would like to help her head up and oversee the process of trying to get certified.
o Kristina & Pam have volunteered to help begin the process as soon as Spring quarter comes to a close

State of Green Events and Discussions with Aramark
• One thing we discussed a lot was looking into the ways we can plan events in sustainable ways and how to work with Aramark to do so. Rachel said she would follow up and look into the state of the Green Event guide, etc.

Getting Net Impact Involved
• Pam mentioned that Net Impact is interested in possibly taking on a sustainability project. We decided to ask them to come up with something they would like to do and pitch it to us. If we like it, we will attempt to help them get it done, etc.
• Pam and Rachel will look into contacting them!

I believe that is all for now! Thanks, everyone!!

Opportunity for Green Team Members to help at Pride!

2009-05-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

I just received the following email and wanted to pass it along! It's a great opportunity as a green team member to help out and make a difference!

_____________

Hey Folks!

This year Pride NW set a goal to reduce their waste output by 60% and
for the first time Pride NW is composting on site. For this to be a
successful initiative, we need Green Team volunteers to staff waste
stations throughout the festival. Green Team volunteers will be asked
to assist festival guests with proper disposal of trash via compost
and recycling.

There will be a quick training Saturday morning for volunteers from
10-11, and then we are asking volunteers to work the stations in four
hour shifts. If you are interested, please visit the following link
and sign up for a shift and write GREEN TEAM in comment box.

http://www.pridenw.org/vol_registration.asp

Even if you are not volunteering, please join us on June 13th and 14th
at the Portland Pride Festival, held at the water front. See website
for more details www.prdienw.org

______________________________________
Robert Nathan
Community Environmental Services - PSU
Metro Recycle at Schools
Urban Center Building, Suite 350
PO Box 751 - CUS
Portland, OR 97207

503.725.9022 CES MRAS
503.725.8480 fax

Getting Recycle Works Certified

2009-05-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

Hello, Green Team!
So I know I mentioned in the past that I thought we should look into getting Recycle Works Certified-- I began some preliminary inquiries into figuring out how to do so. I would love to talk next meeting about recruiting help for this.

To begin, I wrote to Christina in HR who has headed up their certification in the past and I wanted to include all the information she gave me. I have copied & pasted the specifics of her email below. Perhaps people can take a look and start brainstorming or thinking of ways to help aid this process?

From Christina...

In getting started there a steps you can take in your office as well as practices to maintain such as:

-Making sure each individual work station as well as communal work stations have a receptacle for recycling
-Create a Purchasing Policy if your office does not already have one
-Make sure all employees fully log out and turn off computers, calculators, speakers, etc when leaving for the day
-Make sure lights are turned off when room is not in use
-Are your printers/copiers set to duplex (as confidentiality needs permit)
-Communicating through phone, e-mail, white boards for meeting agendas, etc to reduce paper use
-Reusing office supplies and using PSU Recycles Office BEFORE purchasing new supplies
-Using durable dishware instead of paper products
-Consider ordering durable PSU name tags instead of using sticker name tags for any events held and/or attended by your office staff.

These are just some practices that we have had in place for years that go along with being as green as possible while being a very paper heavy department. PSU also has the benefit of providing subsidy to employees who walk, bike, carpool, or take public transit to/from work. We as HR also wrote a Living Green Policy for our office which includes what we do now and what our future goals are. All of the information above will help make the application process smooth and easy.

After compiling information of what your office already does and working on things that could be added, you will need to complete and submit the RecycleWorks Award Application. Go to www.portlandonline.com/osd to complete an application. Your direct contact will be with Pete Chism who is the Business Recycling Specialist. (pchism@ci.portland.or.us). If you have any questions, he is your contact.
___________

Any thoughts about this?! Thanks, everyone!

Is using the elevator hurting our cause?

2009-05-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

So one topic that has come up recently has been whether we, as green team members, should be promoting using the stairs instead of the elevator.

I have been attempting to looking into this and come up with some concrete numbers about how much energy we save by using the stairs instead.

Of course, this is something that is extremely difficult to measure.

However, overall, I believe there is definitely a case that taking the stairs can have a significant impact on energy conservation. This is something I will also discuss with Kelly, the energy conservation specialist on campus as well.

In the meantime, the most significant stats I can find on this come from 2 articles I found online:

http://www.slate.com/id/2215513/

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/commercial.html

The best stat I found was this:
According to figures provided by elevator manufacturer Kone, a typical hydraulic elevator in a three-story office building uses 3,800 kilowatt-hours per year, or about as much as the average American home uses in four months. A traction elevator in a 10-story building might use about five-and-a-half times as much energy.

So if anyone is interested in pursuing a campaign around this, feel free! :) Just thought I'd share my thoughts and research!

Rachel

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (5/26/09)

2009-05-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Eco-Friendly Water Bottles

Consider an eco friendly water bottle. Lots of us buy plastic water bottles over and over and over again.... just type "eco friendly water bottles" in the search engine and you'll find stainless steel and plastic water bottles that don't leach unwanted stuff into your water. Then fill them from your tap or water dispenser over and over and over again.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (5/19/09)

2009-05-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Reducing Personal and Business Junk Mail

This site lists some ways to get off of mailing lists. It gives details on how to find out how to contact companies, etc. Here are some of the ideas in abbreviated form, for more details on how to reduce personal and business junk mail, visit their website: http://www.globalstewards.org/junkmail.htm

Contact the Direct Marketing Association:

Every loose-leaf bundle of business or supermarket fliers must be delivered along with an address postcard. Locate this address card - the cards usually have an advertisement and a photograph of a missing child (ADVO is the most common). Mail the address card to the address printed on the card and ask to be removed from their mailing list.

To stop receiving unsolicited credit card and other credit related offers, gather your current address, other addresses from the last two years, and social security number(s). Call the credit reporting industry's toll-free number, 1-888-567-8688 (24 hours a day).

Your credit card company probably sells your name the most often. Call and ask them to stop. Also make the same request of your bank and any other companies from which you purchase products or services on a regular basis (for example, companies who sell you magazines, phone service, and gas & electric services).

Create a place to store all unwanted mail. Once a month, call the local or toll-free numbers on the mailings and ask to be removed from their mailing lists (toll-free area codes are 800, 888, 877, or 866). This is the most effective way to get off mailing lists.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (5/4/09)

2009-05-26T14:25:00.002-07:00

Who says we get too much rain?

Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and storage of rainwater. Traditionally, rainwater harvesting has been practiced most in areas where water exists in plenty, and that is definitely the case here in Oregon. The average 1000 square foot home in Oregon “sheds” approximately 22,500 gallons of rain water per year. Rooftop rainwater harvesting systems such as rain barrels (generally 55 gallons) or totes (275 to 325 gallons) are relatively easy and inexpensive to install. Just look on Craig’s List to find many types of rain collection systems and equipment for sale.

The City of Portland has a Clean River Rewards website that outlines how to build a rain barrel system as well as other information on how to make your impact on the watershed more green and sustainable. http://www.portlandonline.com/BES/index.cfm?c=41976

Rainwater harvesting in urban areas has manifold reasons:

• To provide supplemental water for the city's requirement, it increases soil moisture levels for urban greenery
• To increase the ground water table through artificial recharge
• To mitigate urban flooding and to improve the quality of groundwater
• To decrease the use of potable water you pay for to rain water you get for free

In urban areas of the developed world, at a household level, harvested rainwater can be used for flushing toilets and washing laundry. Indeed in hard water areas it is superior to mains water for this. It can also be used for showering or bathing. As rainwater may be contaminated, it is often not considered suitable for drinking without treatment. However, there are many examples of rainwater being used for all purposes — including drinking — following suitable treatment.

• In New Zealand, many houses away from the larger towns and cities routinely rely on rainwater collected from roofs as the only source of water for all household activities.
• Currently in China and Brazil, rooftop rainwater harvesting is being practiced for providing drinking water, domestic water, water for livestock, water for small irrigation and a way to replenish ground water levels.
• In Bermuda, the law requires all new construction to include rainwater harvesting adequate for the residents. The U.S. Virgin Islands have a similar law.
• In Indus Valley Civilization, Elephanta Caves and Kanheri Caves in Mumbai rainwater harvesting alone has been used to supply in their water requirements.
• In Senegal/Guinea-Bissau, the houses of the Diola-people are frequently equipped with home brew rainwater harvesters made from local, organic material.
• In the United Kingdom water is collected in domestic gardens to collect rainwater which is then used to water the garden.

HOWEVER:

• In Colorado, where water is more scarce, water rights laws severely restrict rainwater harvesting -- a property owner who captures rainwater is effectively stealing it from those who have rights to take water from the watershed.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (4/27/09)

2009-05-26T14:25:00.001-07:00

Water Conservation in Portland

Did you know there are many water conservation resources offered free of charge through the City of Portland?

The City of Portland provides brochures and water conservation devices that can be requested online at

http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=29618#cid_33920

Items you can request online include; Water Audit Kit, Leak Detection Tablets, Toilet Fill Cycle Diverter, Toilet Displacement Bag, 1.0 Bathroom faucet aerator, 1.5 gpm Kitchen Faucet Aerator, 1.5 gpm Shower head, 5-minute Shower Timer, Watering Gauge and Guidebook: Water-Efficient Plants for the Willamette Valley.

There are also several brochures available to help you learn more about water conservation in the City of Portland. These brochures are:

*Financial Assistance: Describes the City’s financial assistance program for helping with water and sewer bills. Available in English, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese.

*Indoor and Outdoor Water Savings Tips: Tips on saving water inside and outside the home as well as instructions on fixing minor leaks around the home.

*7 Basic Steps for Creating Water Efficient Landscapes: The seven steps in this brochure can help you create a water-efficient landscape that is colorful and easy to maintain. It includes recommendations of plants appropriate for the Pacific Northwest.

*Selecting a Landscape Contractor & The Irrigation Bill of Rights: This set of two brochures provides tips for selecting a landscape contractor for designing and maintaining a landscape, and installing an irrigation system.

*Planning and Maintaining a Lawn: This brochure provides detailed information on how to design and maintain a lawn to reduce water consumption and maintain a healthy look.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (4/20/09)

2009-05-26T14:24:00.001-07:00

Dirty dishes: by hand or by machine?

By the time you wash a sink load of dirty dishes by hand, you’ll go through four to five gallons of water. Modern dishwashers use as little as two gallons. Sure, dishwashers require electricity, but new ones use 95 percent less electricity than machines built 30 years ago, and they clean well enough that in most cases, there’s no need to pre-rinse.

Recommendation:

Stick to full loads, use the pot-scrubber option only if necessary, and hit the no-heat or air-dry option.
Taken from “Going Green, The Reader’s Digest Version” by Andy Simmons and Additional reporting by Ed Goralski and Mary Atkins

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (4/13/09)

2009-05-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

I know cold-water washes are greener, but will they get my clothes clean?

For a hot-water load, about 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes goes to heat the water, not agitate your clothes. The good new is, washing your clothes in warm or even cold water will get rid of almost anything, except for the worst dirt or oily stains.

Recommendation: Switch from hot to warm water to cut energy use in half; cold, to cut it even more.
Taken from “Going Green, The Reader’s Digest Version” by Andy Simmons and Additional reporting by Ed Goralski and Mary Atkins

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

Green Maps are here!!

2009-03-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Great News!!!

Thanks to the help & initiative of Ruth, we now have an abundant amount of recycling containers strategically placed throughout the SBA! :)

We also, have our GREEN MAPS placed by the elevators on each floor showing the location of bins on the respective floor!

Take a look & pass on the word!

If there is a need for any other recycle bins, please let me know! (Faculty Services, 725-5099, facultyservices@sba.pdx.edu) We will be happy to help!

Also, if you would like a copy of our green maps, let us know! We can happily pass those along! :) Thanks for all your help, guys!! And thank you, Ruth!!

Interdepartmental Green Team Meeting

2009-03-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to attend the interdepartmental green team meeting last week and I am so happy I went! I believe that if we would like to move forward as an active green team, these meetings are critical to our success. They allow for a pooling of resources, are great motivation, and the people leading them are so helpful!

I would like to share with you what I learned at the meeting (as I will recap at our April meeting). I hope this reflection will allow us to start thinking about the future endeavors we would like to take on! I certainly have a few ideas about this and am hoping to spark some brainstorming this upcoming month!

Below were the main things I took from this meeting:

Green Teams on Campus:
There are currently 23 active Green Teams on campus!
(However, remember that we are still one of the few academic green teams- a kudos to us and a reason to be motivated!)
There are 3 Recycle Works awarded Green Teams, including HATS and HR (an endeavor that I believe we should take on in the near future!)
Green Teams are quickly growing and it is Sustainability's goal that soon the Green Team grass root movement will meet a Top-Down movement and PSU will unite in endeavors to make PSU as sustainable as possible.

Upcoming Themes
As a result of the feedback they have gotten, all Green Teams will soon be united in specific focuses each quarter. The Sustianability team will gear all their endeavors each quarter toward those themes to aid green teams in our focus! I think this is a wonderful idea and will be helpful not only in helping us succinct goals, but will unite the Green Team force. I have outlined the "themes" for each quarter of the upcoming year below:

Winter 2009
Recycling, Waste Management

Spring 2009
Transportation, Food, Green Events (Kelly is currently working on coming up with a green guide for events! Keep a look out for this!)

Summer 2009
Purchasing, Planning

Fall 2009
Paper, Energy Conservation

Motivation, Resources
Another major topic of discussion that came up during the meeting is how to get people motivated when there is so much to do and this is such a large goal. Obviously, the themes will be an attempt to make this a little easier. However, there was also a lot of discussion about feeding off of each other. I believe we, as one of the few academic departmental green teams, need to make an effort to make our presence known & to pool resources as much as possible! Sarah, Kelly, Thomas Wah (BAO), and Noelle have made themselves extremely available to us as resources & we should attempt to communicate with them about our needs. Kelly likes to come to green team meetings & I plan on inviting her to our next one. Let's utilize the enegery & motivation that this group has started!

My thoughts on things to think about for our April meeting:
1) I believe we should at least start investigating what we would need to do to get Recycle Works Awarded. I believe Kelly will be a good resource to start this endeavor.
2) I believe we need to come up with goals each quarter associated with the theme & attempt to meet them
3) I would like to see us attempt to recruit other academic departments (especially School of Education). This would be a great motivator for us to start the "competitions" we would like to see happen!
4) Staying updated on the Ecowiki is imperative! If we aren't paying attention to the resources we have, we are missing out on opportunities.
5) I would like to brainstorm about campaigns to get our faculty involved. This could be as simple as "advertising" to them in their office hall ways. The Applied Linguistics department attended this meeting and they were faculty members & super excited. It was great to see & I would love to see more faculty take an interest in making the SBA Greener. I think we just need to target them more & they will be motivated :)

All right! I believe I have said enough for now! Thanks for reading & I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting in April!

Ooligan Submission

2009-03-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last week we enthusiastically submitted our form to be included in Ooligan Press's upcoming green book project, highlighting green endeavors on campus.

It was a nice reflection of what we have been working on.

I have included the write up below for everyone to review! I hope you use it an inspiration for us to move forward!

Your mission:

We, the SBA Green Team, seek to initiate more sustainable practices and operations within the School of Business at PSU. We believe that behavior change is a key component to achieving this goal. Therefore, we aim to provide SBA faculty, staff and students with the information and tools necessary to make sustainable decisions within the School of Business.

Some specific project or events you have completed or are being planned:

We have adopted three main goals for our first year. They are listed below:

1) Information! Provide the SBA faculty and staff with quick sustainability facts along with quick and easy practices that we can do to promote sustainability each week through an email.
2) Recycle! Recycle! Recycle! Bring in more recycle bins to the SBA, while putting out clear maps of their locations and what can/can't be recycled.
3) Let's save some paper! Make a conscious effort to save paper and track our paper usage.

In what ways has this project been successful? What are you learning?

We have been successful in a number of ways:

• We have made our presence known as a promoter and collaborator for sustainability.
• We have started to provide faculty and staff with sustainable tips and practices that can be used both within our building and within their every day lives.
• We have started a blog aimed at reporting our success & current endeavors to the SBA. You can visit it at: http://sbagreenteam.blogspot.com/
• We are in the process of making recycling more convenient in the SBA. We will soon have at least 2 recycling locations on every floor and “Green Maps” that show the location of the recycling bins throughout the building.
• We have been tracking our paper usage and will be reporting back to the faculty and staff our success in saving paper.
• We are exploring sustainable options for acquiring new technology equipment such as recruiting corporate sponsors.

How does your group define “sustainability?”

To us, sustainability is the adoption of actions, practices, and behaviors that support the long term viability of our environment.

Why do you think it's important for people in your department to focus on sustainability issues?

We, as a school, would like to be a leader in sustainability. We house the Center for Global Leadership in Sustainability and have a number of passionate staff and faculty members who have exemplified themselves as leaders and advocates for sustainability. Therefore, we, as a school, feel that it is our responsibility to show our commitment to sustainability. We have a deep value in social responsibility and want that to be a focus for our department.

How do you interact with the PSU community?

So far we have mainly been starting by interacting with the School of Business Community through email, our blog, meetings & general promotion. However, we are beginning to interact with the rest of the PSU community through the interdepartmental Green Team Meetings and are brainstorming events that will allow us to further interact.

What about the community outside PSU?

We are beginning to explore the options around corporate sponsors and grants that may be available for some of our larger ambitions.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (3/16/09)

2009-03-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Importance of Honey Bees:

As you might have heard, the honey bees are in trouble (therefore, we are in trouble) and we need pollinators. You and your kids might enjoy learning about the importance of pollinators called Mason Bees right in your own back yard. What are Mason Bees? Mason bee, /Osmia lignaria/, also known as the blue orchard bee, is friendly and an efficient pollinator for fruit such as apple, cherry, almond and blueberry. Beediverse houses are an excellent way to encourage these pollinators into your garden.

To learn more:

At Beediverse, we offer How-to information in the form of the book "Pollination with Mason Bees ",
the DVD video "All About Mason Bees ",
the Mason Bee Life-cycle poster ,
and the online Learn-at-Home Mason Bee Course .

This might be a fun project for you and your family this summer. Don't wait too long to order your crop of cute little bee larvae, they are going fast.
http://beediverse.com/

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (3/9/09)

2009-03-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Clean the Office Air with Plants

An old fashioned, low tech suggestion, kind of like Mom's chicken
soup.... house plants in the office

Start small by cleaning the air with plants. Use large plants in lobbies
to create a healthier indoor environment, but then spread that out to
employees. Each cubicle or office should house a plant or two. The
effect of plants on increased productivity is being studied.

Plant suggestions for the office include: Dracaena, Ficus, Philodendron,
Spathiphyllum and Diffenbachia. These plants remove toxins from the air
and offer a green relief from a sterile office.

From:
http://www.lifescript.com/Life/Money/Work/14_Eco-Friendly_Business_Practices.aspx

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

Green Team Meeting Minutes 3/5/09

2009-03-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hello, Everyone! We had our March Green Team Meeting at the beginning of the month and here is rough recap of what happened:

*Fran and Rachel attended a Faculty Council meeting and gave a brief description of the Green Team and what we do
*Fran has been working on getting recycled electronic equipment from corporate sponsors. She's working on that with Kristin in the Dean's office and Glen.
*Rachel will attend the next intradepartmental green team meeting next week, others are encouraged to attend with her if you can
*Rachel has started tracking the paper usage and is still working on getting the recycle bins. The sustainability office is out of them at the moment.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing more endeavor ideas soon!

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (3/2/09)

2009-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ecofonts
Make your printer ink last longer! Go to http://www.ecofont.eu/english.html

The prints we make for our 'daily use' not only use paper, but also ink. According to SPRANQ creative communications (Utrecht, The Netherlands) your ink cartridges (or ink toner) could last longer. SPRANQ has therefore developed a new font: the Ecofont.

"After Dutch holey cheese, there now is a Dutch font with holes as well."

Appealing ideas are often simple: how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. After lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink. Free to download , free to use.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (2/16/09)

2009-03-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Worried About the Harmful Chemicals in Household Cleaners?
The website www.greenlivingtips.com has compiled a list of ways to replace household cleaners with lemons!

Here are just a few:

*All purpose cleaner -An equal amount of lemon juice and water added to a spray bottle is an effective kitchen and bathroom cleaner

*Microwave -Heat a bowl of water and lemon slices in your microwave for 30 seconds to a minute; then wipe out the oven. Stains will be easier to remove and old food odors neutralized

*Fridge -Half a lemon stored in your fridge will help control and eliminate unpleasant smells

*Glass and mirrors -4 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with half a gallon of water makes an effective window cleaner

*Degreaser -Straight lemon juice can be used as a general degreaser
The complete list of tips can be found at http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/136/1/24-handy-lemon-tips.html

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

Green Team Updates!

2009-02-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hello, Green Team & Green Team followers!

There have been several new green movements in the SBA that we would like to call your attention to.

Meeting Rescheduled
The monthly Green Team meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, February 19 from 9-10am in BA 590.

The Office Depot Green Book
After a great deal of effort to acquire it, each SBA Office should now be equipped with the Office Depot Green Guide. This ordering catalog should help each office make greener purchasing choices. Please let Faculty Services know if you have any questions/comments about this guide!

State of Recycling in the SBA
Despite the delay, the "green maps" are still coming to the SBA soon! On Monday Faculty Services met with Crystal from facilities & planning about our recycling endeavors. We are having to reassess how many bins we need & placement due to a limited amount of bins available on campus. Therefore, if anyone has feedback about the placement of bins, etc. we would love to hear it before we finalize our maps, bins & start posting the green maps.

SBA Green Team Recognition
Sarah Horn, the Green Team GA in Facilities and Planning, is hoping to feature some of the work we have done thus far! This is a great honor! So let's keep up the enthusiasm and movement!

University Green Team Meeting
Just a reminder that there is an interdepartment green team meeting next Wednesday, Feb 18th from 12-1 in the Smith 2nd floor conference room. Either Larry or myself will be going and we would love company! Let us know if you would like to attend with us.

We hope all is well and we will see you at the meeting.

If you would like any progress posted on here, please let us know :)

Rachel M. Foxhoven

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (2/9/09)

2009-02-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

Newspaper Recycling Information - From The Earth Works Group's The Recycler's Handbook
(courtesy of the PSU Sustainability website: http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/pr_recycling_facts.html)

* Today, 62 million newspapers will be printed in the U.S., and 44 million will be thrown away. That means the equivalent of about 500,000 trees will be dumped into landfills this week.
* The largest component of trash in landfills is newspapers (14% by volume).
* According to Clean Ocean Action, recycling a 36-inch tall stack of newspaper saves the equivalent of about 14% of the average household electric bill.
* The average person generates 8 pounds of newspaper in a month.
* One person uses two pine trees worth of paper products each year.
* Newspaper pulp starts out as 99% water and 1% fiber.
* Americans throw away the equivalent of more than 30 million trees in newsprint each year.
* If you recycled the New York Times every day for a year, you would prevent 15 pounds of air pollution. If everyone who subscribes to the New York Times recycled, we'd keep over 6,000 tons of pollution out of the air.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

Paper Saving Tips

2009-02-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

Compliments of Haley :) Look for these posted around the SBA staff areas!

How much paper can you save?

Here are some paper-saving techniques we can all use:

• Print everything double-sided
(if your printer does not have this option, send it to faculty services and they can print it for you: facultyservices@sba.pdx.edu)

• Always do a single trial copy before doing a big batch.

• Use the print preview function before printing to avoid extra pages

• Use scrap paper for notes (if you need scrap paper, visit Faculty Services)

• Print only the pages you need

• Print and photocopy drafts and internal documents on paper that has only been used on one side

Meeting Rescheduled

2009-02-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

Due to everyone's schedules we will reschedule our monthly meeting for later this month. :)

We will let you know when we do!

Thanks, SBA Green Team!

Green Team Meeting Tomorrow!

2009-02-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

Hello, Everyone!

Friendly reminder that there is a Green Team Meeting tomorrow at 9 am in BA 590.

See you there! :)

Last Month's Meeting Minutes

2009-02-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

SBA Green Team Meeting Minutes (1/8/09)

*Discussed our weekly email tips and reminded everyone which week they volunteered for and to email the tip to greenteam@sba.pdx.edu

*Recapped last term’s activities and goals that we set for the year

*Progress on Goals:

*We now have the email address and the weekly tips email

*We now have flyers about saving paper when printing/copying in offices and computer labs, also emailed that to the faculty and staff

*Rachel is tracking the paper usage and getting the numbers together from last year

*Larry and Rachel are looking at where our recycle bins are now, getting more and creating maps to let people know where they are located

*New ideas:

*Haley will be keeping a log of all of the weekly tips and posting them at the end of the year for faculty, staff and students to look at

*Haley and Fran will be putting a flyer on the SBA 2^nd floor bulletin board

*Haley will look into putting something about the SBA Green Team on the SBA website and maybe a link to the ecowiki page

*Rachel will look into creating more of our profile and maybe a blog on the ecowiki site

*Fran and Rachel will attend next week’s Faculty Council meeting to introduce the Green Team

*Larry will look into what lights we currently use in the SBA and if we can get more energy efficient ones

*Kristina will look into a table or booth at the student org fair

*Rachel will look into getting together with other green teams across campus

*Tracy will look into what types of grants we might be able to get and where PSU sustainability donation money is going

*Fran will look into corporate sponsors for new computers or possible double-sided printers.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, February 5^th. See you then!

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (2/2/09)

2009-02-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

Getting Rid of Junk Mail

(http://www.41pounds.org/faq/)

41pounds is a nonprofit organization that helps the average person reduce the amount of junk mail received.
According to their website:

* The average person receives 41 pounds of junk mail every year!
* To produce that amount of junk mail, over 100 million trees are destroyed annually.
* Around 28 billion gallons of water are used/wasted to recycle/produce that mail.
* Out of the mail received, an average of 44% gets tossed out unopened.

While it's possible to individually contact direct mailing companies and request to be removed, this organization will do that for you. They claim to eliminate 80-95% of junk mail and while there is a small fee, $41.00 that must be renewed every five years, they guarantee their service 100%!

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (1/26/09)

2009-02-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

From The Earth Works Group's The Recycler's Handbook - Facts about Recycling

(courtesy of the PSU Sustainability website: http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/pr_recycling_facts.html)

In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times his or her adult weight in garbage. This means that each adult will leave a legacy of 90,000 lbs. of trash for his or her children.
Americans comprise about five percent of the world's population, and annually produce 27 percent of the world's garbage.
The average college student produces 640 pounds of solid waste each year, including 500 disposable cups and 320 pounds of paper.
In prehistoric times, 60% of the earth's surface was covered by forests - today that amount has been reduced by 30% and is still shrinking.
It takes 17 pulpwood market-sized trees to make a ton of paper, or one tree makes about 11,500 pages of 8.5 X 11, 20 pound paper.
Each one million of pages of paper not printed saves 85 pulp trees.
To produce one trillion pages of paper takes 8.5 million acres of trees, representing an area larger than the country of Belgium or the state of Maryland.
It takes 390 gallons of oil to produce a ton of paper. That ton of paper, when disposed of, takes up nearly 8 cubic feet of public landfill space. That public landfill is approximately 36% waste paper products.
A ton of paper made from 100% wastepaper, instead of virgin fiber, saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water and 60 pounds of air-polluting effluents, 4100kwh of energy, three cubic yards of landfill space and taxpayer dollars which would otherwise be used for waste-disposal costs.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (1/20/09)

2009-01-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

From the Can Manufacturers Institute

(courtesy of the PSU Sustainability website)

Recycling aluminum can saves 95% of the energy needed to make aluminum from bauxite ore. Energy savings in 1993 alone were enough to light a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years.

Since the early 1970's, Americans have earned $6.4 billion from their recycling of aluminum cans.

Did you know?:

Making cans from recycled aluminum cuts related air pollution (for example, sulfur dioxides, which create acid rain) by 95%.
Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.
Every day Americans use steel and tin cans equivalent to make a steel pipe running from Los Angeles to New York and back.
The average American throws out about 61 lbs. of tin cans every month.
Enough energy is saved by recycling one aluminum can to run a TV set for three hours or to light one 100 watt bulb for 20 hours.
Throwing away an aluminum beverage container wastes as much energy as pouring out a soda can half-filled with gasoline.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (1/12/09)

2009-01-23T11:24:00.001-08:00

Go Green on Coffee – Good for the environment, good for you!

It’s easy to brew and drink “green” coffee. Start by selecting your favorite Fair Trade brand. If you have a paper filter style coffee maker use unbleached filters since they can go directly into your compost bin with the used coffee grounds. Once your coffee has finished brewing, pour it into a thermal serving container to keep it fresh and hot for hours. Unplug the coffee maker after your coffee is brewed. Even when it’s off it still draws electricity.

If you are buying coffee at one of the many coffee shops around campus, take along your own thermal mug. It will stay hot longer and keep unnecessary paper cups out of the land fill. If your not using your own cup. Try looking for cups, napkins, stirrers, and lids that have been made out of recycled materials. This will allow each cup that is used to have less of an impact than it would as a new product.

Questions? Want to join the SBA Green Team? Email: greenteam@sba.pdx.edu for more information.

SBA Green Team Tip of the Week (1/5/09)

2009-01-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

Common Computer Myths
(Courtesy of Ohio University, Facilities Department)

Myth: It is bad to turn off the computer.
Truth: Computers are now designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles. This is considerably more cycles than the average user will initiate in the computer’s 5-7 year life span. Turning your computer off helps reduce heat stress and wear on the system.

Myth: Turning your computer off uses more energy than leaving it on.
Truth: The surge of power used by a CPU to boot up is far less than the energy used by the unit when left on for over 3 minutes.

Myth: Screen savers save energy.
Truth: Screen savers were originally designed to help protect the lifespan of monochrome monitors which are now technologically obsolete. Most screen savers do not save energy unless they actually turn off the screen or, in the case of laptops, turn off the back light.

Myth: Network connections are lost when a PC goes into low-power/sleep mode.
Truth: Newer computers are designed to sleep on networks to prevent loss of data or connection. CPU’s with Wake on LAN (WOL) technology built-in to network cards can be left in sleep mode overnight to wake-up and receive data packets sent to the unit.