How YOU Can Help Keep HDH Green!
Kathleen Johnson, a campus employee (and UC San Diego Catering customer) recently submitted an idea to the BLINK suggestion box, wondering if it was possible to wash and reuse some of the heavy-duty plastic-ware left over from her catering orders; she also requested the ability to return plastic platters, bowls, and serve-ware once the products were finished being used, and suggested the creation of drop-off locations for these products.
Catering loved the idea and decided to implement it immediately!
In addition to reusing what they can, Catering and Dining Services will soon be featuring a full line of compostable foodservice products from Eco-Products Inc., including corn cups, straws, hot cups, cup lids, cutlery, food containers, and other compostable items. They will be available beginning Fall 08 through Catering, or in a DS restaurant near you.
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How Does HDH stay Green?
Housing • Dining • Hospitality is committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility. The list below is a partial example of the many ongoing methods and practices we use to stay green.
* New items as of spring 2008 are listed in red.
- Purchases Energy Star rated refrigerators and microwaves for campus apartments.
- Recycles old refrigerators, ranges, and water heaters (we recycled and recieved rebates for 100 refrigerators in 2007 alone!)
- Retrofitted old flourescent light fixtures with T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts, which are significantly more energy efficient.
- Surveys all HDH facilities for lighting levels and adjusts them as appropriate.
- Installs low-flow toilets and shower heads to conserve water.
- Requested that Physical Plant Services assess grounds practices in housing areas to look at extended cutting schedules in the summer and irrigation systems for leaks and timing.
- Currently supports Single Stream Recycling (all recycling materials are mixed together; sorting is done by Waste Management at its material recovery facility).
- Removes recycling from Residence Halls to make it even easier for students.
- Places recycling bins in all housing units, which saves costs of trash removal and increases recycling.
- HDH and Residential Life Offices use recycling containers.
- Provides individual recycling “totes” in each housing unit (UG/Grad) to make recycling less cumbersome for the residents ($6/tote).
- Places water conservation "reminder" stickers in every residential bathroom.
- Places energy conservation reminder stickers on every light switch in student housing.
- Provides large drop boxes at each facility during move-in for incoming Fall residents.
- Provides information re: how to save energy to every apartment unit on campus.
- Has an ongoing training program for custodial, maintenance, and dining staff to prevent cleaning chemicals, plan, food waste, and other contaminants from entering our local storm drain system.
Green Purchasing
What Dining Services (DS) is doing
- Dining Services extensively recycles received cardboard, cooking oil, paper, cans, and bottles.
- Academic year 08/09 will introduce the first biodegradeable utensils in the DS restaurants!
- Dining aggressively promotes the use of permanent ware over Styrofoam/plastic.
- DS always attempts to purchase locally made products whenever they can to reduce vendor energy consumption.
- Sierra Summit is participating in a new composting project; if it works well, it will eventually be found in all DS kitchens across campus.
- Plaza Cafe (Revelle) recently received a Vision Grant, which they plan to use by increasing the recycling of their re-usables.
- Dining does not serve any fish on the endangered species list.
- Places recycling bins inside and outside of all DS eateries.
- Works with the new Campus Sustainability Director, Maggie Souder, helping to improve our Sustainable Purchasing Options.
Cross-Promotion w/ResLife & Green Campus
- Participate with Green Campus Council in setting up a table during Welcome Week so that students can exchange their old lightbulbs for a more energy-efficient model.
- Quarterly notices from ResLife offices to students are sent via email as opposed to stuffing mailboxes; eliminates paper waste.
- Residence Life has a representative on the Green Campus Council.
- Green Campus is involved in All-Campus RA Training.
- Participates annually in RecycleMANIA, a program that encourages friendly competition among campuses to recycle more and waste less.
HDH Planning & Construction
- HDH recycles all demo carpet and scraps from newly installed carpet.
- Works with EH&S to implement battery recycling program.
- Continues to replace older, less efficient appliances and equipment with newer, more energy efficient units.
- Works on water conversation by replacing older water facets throughout the facilities with newer, more efficient models.
- Fixtures purchased for the apartments must have fluorescent lamps vs. incandescent.
- Used furniture is handed down to non-profit organizations and not placed in landfills. When possible, we recover and re-use.
- Choose fabrics and carpets that are easy to clean and durable are always a priority. These choices help cut down on the use of cleaning chemicals and also last for longer periods of time reducing the need to re-cover or throw into a landfill.
- Water based paints are specified.
- Vinyl products are specified when ever possible. Although there is not a vinyl recycle program, they do have a longer use life than carpet.
- Replacement of cube tables at Revelle College and other old tables will be chipped and made into mulch for road and freeway easements.
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