University encourages campus-wide sustainability awareness, participation
Mississippi State is hailed as one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation, and the university’s ongoing sustainability efforts are one way to ensure proper stewardship rings true for years to come.
Staff members and leaders within the Division of Campus Services are working on a variety of projects as part of the university’s “Maroon Goes Green” initiative, which focuses on energy efficiency and waste minimization.
MSU Associate Director of Engineering Services J.D. Hardy said the university has saved more than $50 million on energy costs over the last decade by making innovative enhancements to facilities on campus. A percentage of these energy-efficiency savings are being set aside for future campus sustainability projects.
At its central chiller plant, MSU is producing approximately 7,000 tons of air conditioning that is distributed to campus using a 10-mile-long network of underground chilled water lines. To increase the plant’s air conditioning capacity, Hardy said crews are using a large drilling rig this summer to install a new set of lines that run 50 feet below the Drill Field in the center of campus.
An ice plant is another key piece in the university’s overall energy efficiency effort. Hardy said MSU is home to a special chiller that freezes water in tanks overnight when power is less expensive.
“During the day, when there are a lot of students on campus and the temperature is hot, we’re able to meet the air conditioning demands of campus by melting the ice that’s stored up in those tanks,” Hardy said. “The flexibility of this ice plant is saving us hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.”
For more on this cooling project, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R8XHaNIfVA.
Sustainability Coordinator Christine Lashley of the division’s Office of Sustainability said increasing recycling awareness and participation among students, faculty, staff and visitors is another major focus of the “Maroon Goes Green” initiative.
By properly disposing of trash and recyclables, Lashley said MSU can increase its current average recycling rate of 60,000 pounds per month. Here are a few simple steps the Bulldog family can take every day to help with recycling efforts:
* Place aluminum, mixed paper including newspaper, envelopes and cards, cardboard, and plastics #1 and #2 in any recycling container on campus.
* Rinse off food contents and empty plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans before placing them in designated recycling bins.
* Place all food and non-recyclable waste—paper cups, Styrofoam, glass and plastic labeled #3-7, tissues, paper towels, non-recyclable food containers, chip and candy wrappers—in trash cans found in common areas such as restrooms, kitchen or break areas and hallways.
“Students and others on campus may not have lived in a place with access to recycling,” Lashley said, “so we want to educate them on how to make good decisions and get them interested in helping to take the campus recycling program to a whole new level.”
Lashley said MSU students, faculty and staff can make a positive impact on campus simply by using an Aramark Eco Kit purchased through the MSU Dining Services office. The $30 kit includes a 20-ounce cold cup and 16-ounce hot cup, along with a reusable clamshell container that can be used in all residential dining facilities. Those who purchase the kit can enjoy coffee for $1 at all retail locations serving free-pour coffee except Subway, as well as $1 fountain sodas (excluding specialty cold beverages) at all retail locations that serve fountain sodas except Moe’s Southwest Grill.
“The cups in the Eco Kit will help drinks stay colder or hotter longer, and the kit will pay for itself after 17 refills of soda or 15 refills of coffee from the Starbucks in the Union, so it’s a great option,” Lashley said.
Another effort aimed at keeping MSU’s campus clean and beautiful is Cowbell Cleanup. Three hours prior to kickoff at each home football game, volunteers can help the Office of Sustainability with distributing trash and recycling bags to fans tailgating in the Junction. Along with a free Maroon Goes Green T-shirt and reusable water bottle, volunteers can receive service hours for their participation.
In recent years, the Office of Sustainability partnered with the Department of Housing and Residence Life to provide reusable water bottles to students in all campus residence halls. Lashley said her office would like to continue that effort and also is looking to have more water bottle fillers installed at public spaces around campus. The fillers currently can be found at Bost Extension Center, Colvard Student Union, McCool Hall, Mitchell Memorial Library and Thompson Hall.
During Campus Sustainability Month in October, the Office of Sustainability is planning to host its “Weigh the Waste” event at Fresh Food Co. As in years past, volunteers will weigh and classify waste into edible food, non-edible food, drinks and ice, and non-food or trash, such as napkins and straws, to raise awareness about waste.
Lashley said her office also plans various events surrounding Earth Day, which is annually celebrated nationwide on April 22.
“We have seen some positive trends with our Maroon Goes Green initiative, and we would like to see more,” Lashley said. “We are continually working to identify and address needs on campus and appreciate feedback. Together, we can keep MSU beautiful not only for ourselves, but for the next generation by reducing our waste and energy use, and using our resources wisely.”
For more on MSU’s Division of Campus Services, visit www.campusservices.msstate.edu. Learn more about MSU’s sustainability efforts at www.sustainability.msstate.edu, as well as Facebook @msstatesustainability, Twitter @msstate_green and Instagram @msstate_sustainability, using hashtag #MaroonGoesGreen. Hardy can be contacted at 662-325-5899 or JHardy@physplant.msstate.edu; Lashley, at 662-325-6637 or maroongoesgreen@msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.
Sasha Steinberg | Public Affairs
