by kate |
Ahhh, it is July.
The stores are overflowing with goods for back to school and items to adorn a college room. I gotta say, I am pretty jealous too – I never had this cute of gear when I went to school.
A lot of high school seniors are coming to the reality that they are really close to freedom – so where will the eco-friendly minded brainiacs choose to go this fall should their SAT scores (and tuition budget) allow?
The four years a person spends in college can be a very defining time for the way they will live the rest of their lives. Creating strong practices directly when they are set free from the parental nest is essential, so why not focus on a sustainable way of life.
Info provided by The College Sustainability Report Card to evaluate the most important elements to look for when looking for a like-minded educational facility with a focus on green.
Did you know:
- That nearly 2 out of 3 schools evaluated on the report card (a total of over 300) have a community garden or farm on campus?! What a great way to meet a new friend, or lunch and avoid the “Freshman 15″ or in my case the “Freshman 35″!
- Nearly 1/2 compost food waste. Man, do I remember the food waste from the on-campus meal plan. Gross me out the door, THANK GOODNESS someone can convert that stuff!
- More than 90% of schools are getting the word of sustainable practices out through a website dedicated to the cause. You can’t be successful if you can’t spread the wealth.
Here are some of my favorite categories that were evaluated, and the top-contending school in each:
Food & Recycling.
Survey says, Arizona State University.
ASU has contracted their food services from 50 different local growers, is completely trayless in their dining room, us the on-campus farm for various produce options and has an on-campus restaurant to represent these practices even more!
Green Building.
While there were several great schools listed in this category, including ASU that was mentioned above; I have to give it to Grand Valley State University for my friends back in Michigan.
This university features 8 LEED certified buildings, another 6 on the way, and a committment to all new construction and renovation to meet these environmentally friendly standards (the buildings look pretty cool too). If that weren’t enough, 80% of all construction waste is recycled to bring the circle full stop.
Student Involvement.
Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania takes the highlighting here: The BMC Greens group has implemented several programs to spread the word for students to practice sustainability. The effort has been pretty successful according to the proven results.
This group has successfully implemented the Energy Diet where students compete to conserve energy – resulting in an overall savings of 2.5% of the college’s electric bill for the month! But that isn’t all, the group has also helped eliminated bottled water from departmental budgets, and convinced the school to install motion sensor lighting.
Education with more education.
Brighter Planet
We Can Solve It
Laurel Health Coaching
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