Go Green
Programs
Students, faculty and staff members have taken an active role in attracting and hosting a number of green programs on campus. As individuals and groups they are responsible for bringing almost ten local, national and worldwide environmental programs to campus, ranging from recycling competitions to video-based awareness initiatives.
These programs have helped foster an awareness of green initiatives on campus and enabled the university to increase its recycling and energy conservation rates. Last year’s RecycleMania program enabled us to recycle 13,445 pounds of paper alone - did you help increase that number? By getting involved in one of the green programs below, you can contribute to the environment and make a lasting impact on both the campus and the world. Go Green today!
Adopt-A-Campus
The Adopt-A-Campus cleanup campaign was instituted in 2006 to remove litter and debris from high-traffic areas of campus. The campaign recruits students, faculty and staff members to adopt and pledge to keep one of eight designated areas of campus clean. Adoptions can be made individually or as a group, and several clean up sessions are held annually.
Since its inception, the Adopt-A-Campus campaign has improved the quality of Towson’s environment and contributing to campus appearance. It is jointly run by the Office of Student Activities and Facilities Management. The next Adopt-A-Campus clean up will take place at 3 p.m. May 6.
Pilot Recycling Program
Towson University implemented a pilot recycling program in Tower B residence hall February 18, 2008. As part of the program, two recycling containers were placed on each floor of the residence hall- one for bottles and cans, and one for paper. The pilot program will help guide future decisions about residence hall recycling at Towson. Aramark recycling staff will monitor and compare levels of recycled materials in Tower B with the other Towers to determine if floor-by-floor recycling collection increases recycling levels.
Stream Clean Up
As part of the Chesapeake Bay Alliance Project Clean Stream, Towson hosted a clean up of the Glen Stream April 5, 2008. Participants collected litter in the campus stream bed and separated them for recycling and waste removal. Another stream clean up will be held in spring 2009.
Project Green Thumb and Project Clean Plate
Project Green Thumb and Project Clean Plate are national campaigns sponsored by Chartwells, Towson’s dining services provider. Project Green Thumb promotes sustainability in dining facilities, including recycling and energy reduction. Towson’s Chartwells has demonstrated their commitment to sustainability by recycling fryer oil, steel and tin cans and other food packaging, and decreasing energy consumption in the dining halls. In January 2008, Chartwells reduced energy by more than 5,000 kilowatt hours by implementing power-up and power-down checklists and challenging associates to brainstorm creative solutions toward energy reduction.
Project Clean Plate is dedicated to reducing waste in dining facilities. Chartwells challenges all dining guests to participate in the project by selecting an amount of food appropriate to their hunger level in dining halls. By taking only the food that they will eat, guests reduce waste and save energy. In some areas of the U.S., food waste accounts for more than 15% of the materials going into landfills. Although this waste is naturally biodegradable, landfill food degradation processes creates methane, a greenhouse gas that's 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. A positive by-product of this program is healthier eating habits, and Chartwells donates a portion of any food cost savings to local charities, shelters and food banks.
Earth Day PLUS
A week-long series of events promoting environmental awareness was held surrounding Earth Day 2008. From community clean ups to recycling drop-offs and movie screenings to NY Times discussions, the campus community was actively engaged in the Earth Day celebration. Let's keep the momentum going throughout the year!
RecycleMania
RecycleMania is going on now - participate today! The recycling and waste minimization competition was held from January 27 until April 5. During this time Towson competed against more than 400 colleges and universities across the country and placed in the top 26% of the overall tonnage recycled. Let's keep up the good work!
Special and Sporting Events Recycling
University employees place large blue recycling bags in tailgating areas before athletic events, and high-traffic areas during special events. All students, faculty, staff and guests are encouraged to place recyclable cans and bottles in the blue bags. Upon completion of the event the bags are collected and transported to the campus recycling center, where their contents are sorted, cleaned and recycled.
Focus the Nation
On January 31, 2008, Towson University participated in Focus the Nation, a national teach-in that engaged students, citizens and political decision makers across the country in discussions about potential solutions to global warming. Short forums on topics related to global warming were held throughout the day in the University Union Potomac Lounge, culminating in a roundtable discussion facilitated by Provost Jim Clements and Vice President for Student Affairs Deb Moriarty.
Go Green Orientation
Towson’s freshman orientation weekend includes a “Go Green” program in which students are invited to leave an impression on the university by planting trees on campus and engaging in discussions about environmental initiatives. The program introduces students to representatives from environmentally-focused campus groups and provides them with information about how to get involved in green efforts.
Reduce/Reuse Program
Each semester, Towson University places donation boxes in residence halls during student move-in and move-out. Students place their unwanted furniture, clothing, computers and non-perishable foods in the boxes, and at the end of the move-in/move-out period Aramark collects the contents and distributes them to local charitable organizations. In the past, items have been donated to organizations such as Bea Gaddy. Look for flyers in your building for information on donation box locations.
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