Monday, September 30, 2013

Sodexo intern update #3: compost, canning, eating a vegetarian diet, Food Committee, honey, Campus Garden

Last week was for me in terms of environmental sustainability. First, I took seven 5-gallon buckets of fruit and vegetable waste to the GrowSureEase farm to be composted. The previous week, I had delivered five 5-gallon buckets, so the compost pile is growing nicely and it appears that we are having more participation from kitchen staff in using the buckets for compostable materials.  That's  fantastic! Since the start of this semester, I would estimate that we have taken over 20 of the 5-gallon buckets to GrowSureEase (although I don’t have an official count). So, that feels like a great accomplishment to keep that waste out of landfills and to continue doing so in the future.

 At the Fraser farm, I met Seth Winkel, who has taken a class on how to do canning and is interested in working with Ripon College students to can some left-over tomatoes from the GrowSureEase farm. So, if there is anyone reading this blog that would be interested in something like that, feel free to email me at WelzenK@ripon.edu. We will hopefully be canning some tomatoes in the form of salsa on Sunday, September 29.

On a different note, I unintentionally ate in the style of a ‘meatless Monday’ yesterday; something that is far rarer for me than perhaps it should be. By doing so, I realized how easy it actually could be if one consciously decides to do so, even for a day. On that note, I have to pause to give all vegetarians and vegans kudos, because I don’t think that is something I could do every day. To all the omnivores out there who may be reading this: I challenge you to eat vegetarian for a day (or if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, eat only vegan-friendly foods for a day). You might be surprised by how easy (or difficult) it may be for you, or perhaps expand your horizons a bit. For me, it made me question why I normally eat meat every day. Is it the options we are presented? An unconscious habit? Taste preference? And perhaps the most important question: how can I change this? 

The Pickard Commons will most likely soon be making some changes in terms of the food it serves, with the implementation of a student-run ‘Food Committee’ in which student representatives meet with Sarj, Dean Ogle, and Melissa Bemus to discuss what changes theyt would like to see in on-campus dining halls.

In other sustainability news, look for a bottle of honey from the bees that EGOR keeps on campus to appear in the Commons within the next month. More on that when it happens and the student response to it.

Oh, and don’t forget to head down to the Campus Garden to pick any produce that you want! There are still many tomatoes to pick, so go enjoy.

               

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Help collect seeds from the prairie



Enjoy the fall weather and Ripon’s wonderful prairie – help collect seeds.


Who: Anyone
What: Seed Collecting
When: Saturday, September 28, 2013, 12:30pm
Where: Ceresco Prairie Conservancy – meet at the Kegel Outdoor Classroom
Why: Each year Ripon College donates locally harvested prairie seeds to land owners restoring prairies on their land.

For more information, please contact Prof. Wittler, wittlers@ripon.edu




Wednesday, September 25, 2013

WELCOME TO SUSTAINABILITY INTERN: KRISTEN LARSON




Hello there! My name is Kristen Larson and I am the recently-hired sustainability intern at Ripon College. I am an Environmental Studies and Anthropology double major as well as being a member of the Ripon college dance team and a sister of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. I also teach Zumba classes!
            I have always been interested in the environment and its protection. As a kid I would get upset when people did not recycle or when I saw garbage thrown into nature. As I grew older I became aware of more environmental issues as well as the solutions they required. Sometimes looking at all the environmental issues can be overwhelming and leave you feeling helpless, but you just have to remember to do your part. I believe that each individual can make a change and, as one of my favorite quotes says, “the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do”. By working as Ripon’s sustainability intern I hope I can start to make that change.
I am incredibly excited to get started with an Eco Rep program here! This will be a peer-to-peer project aimed at fostering sustainability within the dorms. I will be posting updates as the project goes along.  Working with Prof. Hamzé (the campus sustainability coordinator), we hope that this program will be taken seriously and continue to grow even once I’m graduated! If we can make sustainability something that students on this campus think about as part of everyday decisions, if we can integrate it into the very culture of this campus, I feel we will have done a great service.
Stay tuned for updates as we get the new program rolling!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Cardboard Recycling

Yesterday's post showed a spike in recycling every third month.  Did that leave you wondering why we recycle cardboard infrequently?  The College has a 30 cubic yard roll-off compactor located behind the Facilities building.  Cardboard from around campus is collected by housekeepers and other staff, transported down to the compactor, and accumulated until it is picked up.  The College earns money back from WM for each ton of cardboard which is collected and recycled.

Cardboard recycling container (right)
Also seen in this photo are 8-cu yard single-stream recycling container and 2 8-cu yard containers of waste headed to the landfill in Berlin, WI

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Need to throw something away? Fist consider if it's recyclable!

Most waste generated on campus is recyclable.  We have access to single-stream recycling,  meaning  paper, glass, aluminum, cardboard, and plastics #1-#7 can all be placed in any recycling container on campus.  However, WasteManagement, the international company contracted by the college to remove non-hazardous waste from campus, estimate that we are diverting only 30% of our waste. The majority of that diversion can be seen in the months of February and May 2013 when the cardboard compactor behind Facilities was emptied.  
Next time you need to throw something away, consider whether it is recyclable and if it is, put it in a recycling container. Can we divert 70% of our waste?


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Seeds are ripe on the Ceresco Prairie

Sex on the prairie eventually leads to seeds and fruits on the prairie.

At this time of year volunteers collect seeds on our prairie to help establish prairies elsewhere.

The first seed collecting activity occurred during Family Weekend  (9/14/13).  


There will be many more opportunities for seed collecting in September and October.




Thursday, September 12, 2013

Sodexo Intern update #2

This past week, I spent time visiting the Pub and the Terrace to see what they are doing to make the dining areas on campus as sustainable as possible. Both the Pub and Terrace, which are fast-food style locations, send out a fair amount of waste via transport containers for the food they serve. This, in many ways, is unavoidable, but the environmental impact can be minimized via the materials used to make these containers. An example of this: the large salad containers in the Terrace and the condimentcups in the Pub are currently compostable. In addition, both locations produce minimal waste since they are designed to be self-serve and made-to-order dining locations. Both locations recycle cardboard and other recyclables, such as metal cans.
In regards to the Commons, I visited the GrowSureEase (aka Fraser Farms) to talk with the owner, Dennis Meyer, about the composting collaboration between the Sodexo kitchen on campus and his farm. Organic waste (mainly the scraps from fruits and vegetables) are collected in 5-gallon buckets around the Commons’ kitchen and stored before being transported to farm once a week or so. Their operation has several compost piles that are turned to meet standards for organic food and then used in the fertilization of their plants. Fraser Farm has two greenhouses, three beehives, and several types of plants growing outdoors. It is a great place to visit and buy local produce!
In continuation, the Commons is continuing to improve recycling efforts, with the use of four designated and labeled recycling bins (with clear plastic bags to arrive soon). A paper recycling bin was also added to the office area in the Commons to increase recycling in the offices, and a system for recycling the aerosol cans (for non-stick purposes) used in the kitchen has been implemented in cooperation with the Plant department.
In other news, check out the next edition of the College Days (our campus paper) for more sustainability tips and news. There is an article by yours truly on tips to being more environmentally friendly. Until next time!

Links in order:

Monday, September 9, 2013

Beat the Peak - Day 2

If historical records are predictive, then Tuesday (9/10/13) is our day to Beat the Peak.  In both 2011 and 2012 the campus had the annual maximum electricity use on days with an 89F high.  Tuesday's high is forecast to be 89.  Reducing our electrical load just 12% during the hottest time of one day will potentially save the college over $3000 for the year! Check out the "Energy" tab on this blog for more information.

Tuesday and Wednesday, between 1 PM and 4 PM,  all members of campus are asked to make an effort to reduce their use of electricity.  These individual efforts can lead to a collective result of lower electric bills and a reduced carbon footprint for campus.
Here's what you can do to help

Students

  • Turn off your lights, fans, and all electronics before you leave your room.  
  • If you see electricity being used where it doesn't need to be, like lights on in an empty common area or classroom, turn them off! Your tuition dollars help pay the bills. Don't  be complacent and  watch your money be wasted.


Faculty and Staff

  • Close your office door so that air conditioning can work as effectively as possible.  (Perhaps post a sign "This door is closed to conserve energy, please knock".) 
  • Turn off your air conditioner before leaving for the day, of course!
  • Turn off lights  when leaving any room on campus.
  • If you have good natural lighting, consider not using lights at all.


Depending on the weather, I may post only more "Beat the Peak" reminder.  I hope to be able to share good news of reduced Peak Electricity Use when we receive our campus utility bill in October.  Let's use less so that we have more!

More. Together.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Update from Sodexo sustainability intern

Check out the update on sustainability in The Commons.  Sodexo intern, Kaitlyn Welzen, writes about initiatives already in place:  recycled napkins, fair-trade tea and coffee, trayless service; as well as programs under way:  composting and worker education and purchase of local, organic food in The Commons, and a Campus Farmers Market.  She has several opportunities for student involvement. Interested in being on the Food Council?  Get in touch with Kaitlyn <welzenk@ripon.edu> and find out more!

Recent pictures from the campus garden. Talk about local food!