Sustainability at Georgia State

University

Who We Are

What is Sustainability?

“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” – Washington State Department of Ecology

MISSION

FOSTER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND CONSERVATION THROUGH EDUCATION WHILE PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE GSU IN WHICH TO LIVE, LEARN, AND WORK.

OBJECTIVES

ENHANCE INNOVATIVE CO-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO SUSTAINABILITY

CREATE A CAMPUS-WIDE CULTURE OF CONSERVATION

IMPROVE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF BUILDINGS, OPERATIONS, AND INFORMATION TECNOLOGIES

INCREASE SAFE BICYCLE AND WALKING PATHS INVEST IN REALISTIC RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS ENHANCE SUSTAINABILITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

University Housing Initiatives 2011-2012 Residential Student Involvement RHA Go Green Week Campus Conservation Nationals 2012 (CCN) Go Green Survey

Survey Results

Students do not perceive GSU as a green campus (68% 138/209)

Students do not perceive GSU Housing to be “green” (78% 164/209)

University Dining Initiatives

Pre-Consumer Waste Management

Napkins and Napkin Dispensers We use EasyNap napkins by Georgia Pacific These napkins are 30% post-consumer fiber and and a minimum of 95% recycled fiber content Compostable material napkin A one-at-a-time dispensing unit reduces paper usage and waste. Fun Fact! GSU Dining has gone through 2,238,000 napkins during the 2012-2013 school year!

Pre-Consumer Waste Management

Bulk Condiments

• Switched from smaller plastic bottled condiments to bulk condiment dispensers.

• Environmental Impact - minimizes plastic bottle usage and waste.• Economic Impact – saves GSU dining $9,084.29 per year.• Economic and Social Impact - decreases labor required to marry

partial bottles together while eliminating a tedious employee task.

Pre-Consumer Waste Management

We use LeanPath Waste Management System to help control pre-consumer food waste. LeanPath weighs all pre-consumer food waste, generates reports on results and guides managers and employees on suggested ways to waste less. (Example-expired vegetables)

Food prices have increased dramatically in the last 5 years and LeanPath has helped to thwart those additional costs.

Decreased our food cost, reduced our waste disposal costs and has increased employee engagement, creating more employee efficiency.

Pre-Consumer Waste Management

Less pressure on the overall food systems, specifically farmers, smaller carbon footprint, a decrease in fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fuel and animal feed

Reduces waste to landfills which reduces methane and other harmful emissions.

Social benefits include creating a sense of community and shared support towards a common good among employees and customers

Compared to November 2009 baseline, to date, our waste avoidance=73,465 Ibs of food for Patton Hall and 33,500 Ibs for Piedmont

North

Information Services and Technology

Georgia State’s Technology Operations Center is a battery-free zone. The center runs on revolutionary compressed-air technology that uses less power, produces fewer emissions and helps machines run more efficiently. The data center is located on the ground floor of Library South,103 Decatur St., room G-8.

GSU Sustainability Leaders

Sustainable Energy Tribe

The Sustainable Energy Tribe (S.E.T.) is a grass roots organization working with the GSU Campus. S.E.T. has become an integral part of the GSU culture through organizational affiliations and student relations. Introducing educational programs and hosting engaging events are avenues that S.E.T use to influence students to be more sustainability, or open to sustainable practice.

Environmental LawSociety

The Environmental Law Society is a group of law students interested in environmental law, real estate and property-related law, city planning and land-use law, and energy and natural resource law. ELS often hosts Sustaianbility Forums with local Atlanta professionals. There are also opportunities to attend national conferences, conduct community service, and compete in the National Environmental Moot Court Conference in New York.

GSU Bikes

GSU Bikes provides information and other services for bicycling and improving the environment in support of bicycling to, from, and on campus. Funding from the EPA’s P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) grant was used to identify factors that affect bicycling to and from the GSU campus, and to put in place features, services, and policies to promote bicycling.

Truly Living Well Organic Garden Walking Distance from GSU

Offering volunteer opportunities for GSU students

Building ServicesWater Collection

Building Services has put in place eight 250-gallon water collection tanks that capture rainwater runoff which is used for pressure washing projects and irrigation.

University Sustainability Senate

The purpose of the committee is to advise and make recommendations to the University Senate and appropriate administrators regarding issues of sustainability.

EPAC

Develops and approves policies and procedures that will guide the University in managing regulatory compliance and improve programs to protect human health and the environment.

Silver Status for GSU

Silver Level status was awarded for policies put in place and records kept of environmental sustainability statistics, including trash generation, energy usage, water usage, and recycling.

GSU is one of only two institutions in the University System of Georgia that have attained this status.

Battery and Fluorescent Bulb/Ballast Recycling

Environmental Programs recycles university batteries, light bulbs, used oil, ballasts, and paint.

Green Globes for Student Rec Center

Georgia State University’s Student Recreation Center (SRC) has received three Green Globes for its efforts to use less energy, conserve natural resources and emit fewer pollutants into the air.

Green Globes, operated by the Green Building Initiative, is a green building assessment program that offers ways to advance the overall environmental performance and sustainability of commercial buildings

Georgia State Recycling Day

November 14th 2013 Bins for students to bring their recyclables Painting of recycling bins Catering from restaurants Attendance of sustainability groups from the University & Atlanta area

GSU Recycles Day

Over 300 individuals recycled at event Over 500 students and faculty attended

Survey Results After Recycling Campaign 50.4% feel recycling on campus is easy

(up 4.2%) 41.8% think that there are an adequate number of recycling

bins on campus(up 6.8%)

12.4% are aware of discount programs in dining halls(up 3.1%)

“Awakening Atlanta's Sleeping Giant”

THE ASSOCIATION OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Deliver services that increase its value to a growing and diverse membership and will increase its impact on sustainability in higher education;

Convene experts and collect, evaluate, and disseminate information and tools to increase the understanding of sustainability and its relevance to higher education stakeholders;

Support and enable higher education to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of global climate disruption;

Lead the transformation of educational practices (including the curriculum) to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to meet sustainability challenges;

Lead the assessment and reporting of metrics of sustainably in higher education for the purpose of driving improvements in sustainable practices and education through its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).

SUSTAINABILITY TRACKING, RATING, AND ASSESMENT SYSTEM

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.

EnergyStar

Connect With Us!

Visit us at 10 Park Place by the Roly Poly!

Keep up with what’s happening by visiting our website: www.gogreengsu.edu!

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