Sustainability News

MSU fall recycling trial termed 'success'

Mississippi State officials are reporting that more than 75,000 pounds of material were collected during the university's fall recycling trial program.

The nine-week effort ended Dec. 13. It began with the random assignment of 27 campus buildings to three local recycling companies: Triangle Maintenance, Starkville Recycling and Mississippi Industrial Waste Disposal.

The companies were responsible for educating and implementing programs, documenting their efforts and reporting collections.

The final tally added up to more than 33,000 pounds of cardboard, 22,400 pounds of paper, 3,700 pounds of plastic, and 3,100 pounds of aluminum and metal. Additionally, there was a ton of glass and 50 printer cartridges.

"The trial program gave these companies an opportunity to showcase their abilities and to showcase the realities of campus recycling," said Jeremiah Dumas, director of the MSU Environmental Collaborative Office (www.eco.msstate.edu).

Having provided marketing opportunities for participating firms and served to gauge the interest level of recycling on campus, the program now is being evaluated for potential cost savings to the nearly 132-year-old land-grant institution, Dumas said.

MSU also is working toward a comprehensive recycling request for proposals. The trial findings and feedback are being used to develop the RFP, which basically is an invitation for businesses to submit formal service proposals, he explained.

"The results indicate the university community is eager to participate in recycling," Dumas said. "We have momentum to launch an environmentally and economically sound campus-wide program, and we anticipate moving forward with it in the near future."

January 11, 2010

MORE NEWS

ASCE Student Chapter recycling toner cartridges, cell phones

Wondering what to do with that old cell phone? Looking for a way to get rid of those toner cartridges you've been saving?

The American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter at Mississippi State University has a solution for you. Members are sending a shipment of cell phones and laser and ink jet toner cartridges to a reclamation center this week, and if you drop off these items at 235 Walker by Friday, Oct. 16, they will be included in the recycling effort. (Please note: cell phone chargers are not included.)

"Our students launched this recycling initiative several years ago," said Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., head of the MSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "If you have any of these items and want to insure that they are properly recycled, this program is perfect for you."

The recycling project is ongoing, and shipments are made about once a month depending on the amount of material collected, Truax said.

Contact Truax at truax@cee.msstate.edu for additional information.

October 14, 2009

Hop on a bike for green campus tour

Explore Mississippi State University on one of our maroon and white cruiser bicycles during the College of Business Leadership Summit Sept. 29. Bicycle helmets sponsored by the MSU Environmental Collaborative Office.

Participants will visit a few favorite spots along with special access to areas not seen by the general public and learn about MSU's efforts aimed at becoming a greener campus. A picnic lunch is included in the $10 fee. The ride begins at 10 a.m. at the Hunter Henry Center.

Tour highlights include: Davis Wade Stadium, the new Templeton Athletic Academic Center, the MSU Chapel of Memories and the MSU Welcome Center and Bookstore, among others.

Space is limited to the first 25 guests. Riders must be at least 18 years old to participate.

For more information, visit http://www.summit.msstate.edu/tour.html

Register online at http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=757943

September 23, 2009

With fans' help, MSU football gamedays to get 'greener'

Football gamedays at Mississippi State are getting greener this fall thanks to a new initiative developed by the athletic department and the university's Environmental Collaborative Office.

Called "Keep It Clean: Green Gameday, Sustainable Season," the effort encourages Bulldog fans and visitors to reaffirm existing efforts to maintain a sportsmanlike atmosphere and to be responsible for picking up tailgating trash. For the first time, fans also are being invited to participate in recycling aluminum, plastic and glass.

"Our fans have shown over time that they're a big part of creating a great gameday experience at Mississippi State," said athletic director Greg Byrne. "We're excited about this new collaboration that heightens our commitment to stewardship when thousands of people are on our campus for home games."

Byrne said "'Keep It Clean' reinforces our commitment to providing the best college football experience possible throughout the season."

While many universities charge tailgating fees to defray the costs of extensive post-game cleanups, MSU does not, Byrne observed. The school depends on fans to do their part by bagging tailgate trash and recycling whenever possible, he added.

Typically, maroon and white trash receptacles are located throughout campus on game weekends. For the first time this year, green recycling boxes also will be provided by MSU's ECO and the Mississippi Department of Transportation and Waste Management.

"We've added more structure to our recycling effort, and we anticipate the additional planning and outreach to pay off," said ECO director Jeremiah Dumas. "The MSU family is committed to being a good steward of resources, and recycling is one way to do that. We want recycling to be a simple part of everyone's gameday routine."

Columbus-based Triangle Maintenance Service provides football gameday recycling for the university.

More additional information about campus recycling or "Keep It Clean" is available at www.eco.msstate.edu.

Up-to-date gameday information may be obtained at www.mstateathletics.com/gameday/

August 31, 2009

MSU ECO welcomes new committee members

The MSU Environmental Collaborative Office has four new committee members:

* Hart Bailey, Faculty Senate President

* Thomas Bourgeois, Dean of Students

* JD Hardy, Campus Mechanical Engineer and Energy Monitor

* Tim Muzzi, University Architect

"Our committee members provide valuable guidance and are an important resource as ECO's initiatives gain momentum on campus," said Jeremiah P. Dumas, ASLA, the director of ECO. "We're excited about the ideas and insights that our new committee members will contribute."

After a summer hiatus, ECO committee meetings resume in August. "We are ramping up fast and getting ready for exciting times," Dumas said.

July 22, 2009

Procurement, ECO remind buyers to consider green options

The MSU Environmental Collaborative Office recently partnered with the Office of Procurement and Contracts to produce a Buy Green brochure, which will be distributed during the university's first Excellence in Administrative Support Conference May 19.

The one-page, two-sided resource is designed to help administrative support staffers think greener when they are making purchasing decisions. It offers product suggestions along with details and contact information for MSU's sustainability and recycling programs, including the new e-waste recycling initiative launched by Receiving & Property Control.

For more information about environmental purchasing at MSU, download Procurement's complete reference guide at http://www.procurement.msstate.edu/referenceguide.pdf/.

May 18, 2009

Account statements go paperless

Mississippi State University is using technology to better serve students, parents and employees. And that same technology is contributing to the school's overall sustainability initiative. Starting in May, account statements will be available online exclusively through the secure MSU QuickPAY portal. Students and employees will no longer receive a printed statement in the mail. In addition, students may also provide their parents authorized access to their online account.

According to Controller & Treasurer Kevin Edelblute (photo right), the change makes sense for everyone.

"We print and mail more than 60,000 statements every year, and they're often out of date before the ink is dry," he said. "Providing this information exclusively online will enable us to better serve our students, parents and employees in a more effective and environmentally-sensitive manner."

For more information about this change and step by step instructions for providing parents access to the student's online account, please visit http://www.controller.msstate.edu/sas/ and click on the link titled "VIRTUAL ONLINE MSU Account Information".

April 29, 2009

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