Sustainability
Task Force
meeting
March 24, 2015
9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Stadium Parking Garage
Task force moving forward
›  Meeting
format, frequency and duration
›  Members
›  See
policy:
www.uh.edu/af/universityservices/policies/
mapp/14/140101.pdf
›  “Current” voting members
›  Leadership
Voting for RecycleMania
›
What’s the big idea?
›
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Judging criteria:
›
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›
›
RecycleU
Clean Energy Initiative (CEI)
Army of Two
Caring composting
Sustain-a-buddies
How well the idea is communicated
Feasibility to implement the idea
Impact on campus waste diversion
Doodle Poll: 4 for the RecycleU group
RecycleU highlights
Problem: printing of paper notes in Optometry
College
›  Researched cost, polled students, found other
university examples
›  Solution: Eliminate printing, purchase iPads,
student recycle team, faculty training, recycle
bins, contests, faculty incentives
›  View proposal:
›
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mpaqum1im4z4zky/
Recycling_Initiative_KZ_LR_2015_final.pdf?dl=0
CEI highlights
Problem: recycling education, contamination,
event recycling
›  Includes problems, communication strategies,
feasibility, impacts and solutions
›  Solution: separate recycling for bottle caps, empty
bottle liquids, create education signage, have
three bins available for events and choice in
event reservation
›  View proposal:
›
https://www.dropbox.com/s/naykfdurqkxaewx/Recycle
%20Mania%20Small%20Team%20Challenge%20_Clean
%20Energy%20Initiative%20at%20The%20Unive....pdf?dl=0
Army of two highlights
Proposes to encourage students to recycle by
giving out items like free t-shirts, distributing a
recycling video and sending mass emails
›  Video should focus on individual not statistics
›  Targeting different students based on sustainability
levels
›  Send out messaging campus wide before
RecycleMania
›  View proposal:
›
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pvxryvij2ptlop7/
Recycle_Lopez_J_2.docx?dl=0
Sustain-a-buddies highlights
Problem: improper disposal of electronic waste
›  Solution: develop e-waste program on campus
with drop off sites at library and Cougar Byte
›  Includes approximate cost and some e-recyclers
›  Advertise through UH website and social media
and at drop-off locations
›  View proposal:
›
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pvxryvij2ptlop7/
Recycle_Lopez_J_2.docx?dl=0
Caring composting highlights
Proposes to compost organic waste of some
residence halls and dining halls
›  Run by UH Bonner leaders
›  Each has own garden plot and composting pile to
maintain
›  View proposal:
›
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8mcqsjyhtfdci9a/Caring
%20Composting.docx?dl=0
Potential for new policy
Hazardous waste increased by 30 percent from
2013 to 2014
›  Half of that hazardous waste increase (15 percent)
came from paint disposal
›  Potential for source reduction, minimized palette,
donation, policy etc.
›  Current efforts to reduce paint disposal
›
Working groups opportunity
STF members can participate in:
›  Tree Campus U.S.A.
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Biking
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Will start soon
Fair Trade Campaign
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Goal to meet once a month
Goal to meet once a month
Facilities Management Sustainability
›
Meets every two weeks
2014-2015
Accomplishments
Building an office
A new focus, past expectations
›  Student team
›  What’s our purpose?
›  Partnerships on campus
›  Considering long term execution
›  Relationship building in the community
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The charge of the office
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Facilitate collaboration: campus and community
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Collect institutional sustainability data
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Lead communications, outreach and events
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Question UH processes
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Recommend sustainability improvements
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Direct student sustainability team
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Manage programs: Campus Community Garden
Events and Outreach
›
UH Earth Day Festival
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20 exhibitors, ~500 attendees
Clean Up Day
›  Rock the Campus
›  Sustainability Fest
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50 exhibitors, ~500 attendees
Earth Day Houston
›  Fall Fest
›  64 total events
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Communications
Website launch
›  Relaunch of newsletter
›  UH Sustainability Video
›  Blog relaunch
›  Sustainable Business Magazine
›  KUHF, Fox, ABC, Telemundo
›  Houston Chronicle
›
Campus Community Garden
›  826.914
pounds donated in 2014
Composting
›  Data collection
›  Volunteer tracking
›  Dining collaborations
›  20 events
Recognition
›  Princeton
Review Guide to Green
Colleges
›  Mayor’s Proud Partner Awards
›  Paul
Revere Education Portal
›  Campus Community Garden
›  Bicycle Abatement Program
›  UH Earth Day Festival
Current projects & programs
›
RecycleMania
›
STARS and Princeton Review Green Guide
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Tradepal & Campus Wall Proposal
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Campus Garden Handbook
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Biking assessment
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Carbon Footprint Protocol
›
Ant plan
Looking ahead
›  UH
Earth Week
›  Sustainability
›  Garden
›  Tree
coordinator
expansion and pocket prairie
Campus U.S.A.
›  Improved
›  Student
recycling
training and volunteer corps
Looking ahead
›  Employee
educator program
›  Sustainability
›  Campus
›  New
Council
Sustainability Plan
policies and protocols
›  Enhanced
community presence and
collaboration
›  Improved
biking facilities and program