Union’s getting greener all the time. Here’s a look at some recent developments on campus:
RecycleMania: Union will join the 2009 RecycleMania competition, Jan. 18-March 28. This 10-week national drive was designed to encourage college recycling by pitting schools against each other to see who produces the least waste and recycles more. Union has entered into a friendly competition with Skidmore, the University at Albany, and Bard and Hamilton colleges, among others. For more details, go to: http://www.recyclemaniacs.org/Index.htm. To learn more about how to reduce, reuse and recycle, contact Terry Miltner, assistant manager of Cleaning Services, at miltnert@union.edu.
College wins sustainability award: U Sustain recently received an Environmental Excellence Award from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Leaders Jeffrey Corbin, assistant professor of biology, and Laura MacManus-Spencer, assistant professor of chemistry, accepted the award at a ceremony in December at DEC headquarters in Albany. Union was one of five groups chosen from more than 40 award applicants from industry, local governments, advocacy groups, schools and the hospitality sector.
Copy shop reduces carbon footprint: Campus departments now can get their printing needs met with an eye toward sustainability, thanks to the Printing Center’s recent leasing of a new, more efficient digital duplicator to replace its old printing press. A digital duplicator uses mostly water- and vegetable-based inks containing low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and environmentally friendly paper plates to copy documents. For high-volume printing, the new digital duplicator is a good alternative to standard copiers, said Copy Center and Mail Services Manager Paul DeBiase. Gone are the non-biodegradable plastic plates, toxic toner cartridge, fire safety cabinet for storing hazardous maintenance chemicals and the unhealthy chemical odors.
New Web site launched: Want to keep track of Union’s sustainability efforts? Go to http://www.union.edu/usustain.