Mini Summary (30-second read):

• Fast fashion = inexpensive clothing produced rapidly in response to the latest clothing trends

• Over the last 15 years, global clothing production has doubled

• Textile production is one of the most polluting industries, producing 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per year

• 16 million tons of textile waste is produced each year by the U.S. (that is about one full garbage truck of clothing every 30 seconds)

• Please become a conscious clothing consumer

Full Summary (3-min read):

This week we are taking a look at the fast fashion industry. If this is a term you are unfamiliar with, no worries! Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest clothing trends.

The fast fashion industry has severe negative impacts on the environment, and the production of these clothing items contributes to a number of social issues as well.

Here are some fast facts about the environmental impacts of fast fashion

• Fast fashion currently generates 5% of all carbon emissions

• Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined

• The industry emits 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually

• Fast fashion production accounts for 20% of the world's wastewater

• 3 out of 5 fast fashion items end up in a landfill

• Chemicals found in fast fashion garments have been proven to contain hazardous materials and cancer-causing dyes

• 16 million tons of textile waste is produced each year by the U.S. (that is about one full garbage truck of clothing every 30 seconds)

Over the last 15 years, global clothing production has doubled as consumers' demand for new and trendy clothing items has increased. The industry does not currently focus on a circular and regenerative fashion model that would make it more sustainable. Instead, it focuses on a make-take-waste model that allows for mass production at a very low cost and results in environmental damage.

Now that you are more familiar with some of the effects of fast fashion and clothing on the environment, I encourage you to become a conscious clothing consumer.

CHALLENGES:

• Check out the website Good on You and visit their brand rating tab to find out how your favorite clothing brands rank on a sustainability rating scale. You might also discover some new sustainable brands you love! This website has a number of great articles related to sustainable fashion as well.

• Restyle an item in your closet before tossing it out! Over 70 pounds of clothing are thrown away by each American every year. Try and lower that number by taking an item you don’t wear as often and finding a way to restyle it in a new way.

Good Morning!

Additional note about sustainable food options (from last week):

- Skip the grocery stores altogether

- Buy directly from the farmers who raise the food locally

- Boise Farmers' Market is a great option

- Pre-order drive-thru option drive-thru market

- Indoor winter market space walk-thru market

Here are some tips to reduce your water use:

- Turn off the water when brushing teeth (turning off the water when brushing teeth can save 8 gallons of water per day)

- Shower for 10 minutes or less or use a low-flow head (most showers use 2.5 gallons of water per minute!)

- Use natural hair and body products (many of our hygiene products contain chemicals that are harmful when washed into our water supply)

- Consider xeriscaping (using native and water-wise plants in your yard will greatly reduce your water use)

- Use the dishwasher instead of washing by hand (your dishwasher is much more efficient at using water to clean, as long as you run a full load each time)

- Clean up pet waste (pet waste can contaminate our stormwater and will end up in the Boise River!)

A few weeks ago we looked at our eco-footprints, so this week, I’ve provided you with a site that calculates just your water footprint. It is very interesting to see what our actual and virtual water footprints are based on our daily decisions.

Next week, we will take a look at Boise State’s water use.

CHALLENGE:

Incorporate one of the water conservation tips above into your life!

COOL THINGS:

The Boise Watershed is the first water and climate education center in the country! The Watershed is open year-round, boasts many interactive exhibits, and also gives free tours of the renewal process. Plan your visit here.

One of the easiest ways to begin living a more sustainable lifestyle is to focus on not only what you’re eating, but how and where your food is being made. When you go to large chain supermarkets, a fair amount of the produce that’s stocked on the shelves comes from industrial agriculture. These large-scale farms have been developed to increase production and efficiency but are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution to air and water. So, what can you do to avoid making more of a contribution? Here are some recommendations:

• Meatless Mondays: This campaign was started to encourage individuals to reduce their carbon footprint by ditching meat once-per-week. It’s a great way to start a chain of positive change!

• Eat with the seasons: This is a great way to minimize your exposure to preservatives, get more nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables and reduce your carbon footprint. Usually locally-grown food that’s in season in your area is so much more tasty! Here is a chart that breaks down what is in season in Idaho specifically.

• Eat local: One last impactful way to reduce your footprint. Supporting local restaurants and grocery stores strengthens our local community and environment! Here are a few restaurants in Boise you might want to visit that have some locally sourced ingredients:

• Eureka

• 10 Barrel

• Bittercreek Alehouse

• Juniper

CHALLENGE:

This week, try to find in-season fruits and vegetables from a local vendor!

COOL THINGS:

• This is an awesome video highlighting some local restaurants in Boise!

ROOTS is the first full-service zero waste grocery store and café in the U.S. and it’s not too far away! It has locally sourced dairy products and fruits/vegetables, sustainable hygiene products and a café.

Summary (1-min read):

• Appliances that are off can still use power if they are plugged in

• Power Drain (washing machines, televisions, cable boxes, and computer or phone chargers) = these devices drain your electricity even when we might consider them off

• Always On (routers, modems, and televisions) = these devices are always connected and on standby to send or receive a signal

• Part-Time Hogs (coffee makers, toasters, electric kettles, and fans) = using these classic appliances for even 5-10 minutes consume an abundance of energy

• Reduce energy consumption by using a power strip with an on/off switch

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Reducing Energy Usage (5-min read):

We use energy to cook our food, warm and cool our houses, wash our laundry and keep our devices charged. But how much energy is being used when our devices and appliances are “off?”

All of the appliances and devices in our homes and offices that stay plugged in such as a television, microwave, or washing machine, are still using electricity when we would consider them off. According to The New York Times, there are three categories of appliances/devices: Power Drains, Always On, and Part-Time Hogs. Power Drain electronics include washing machines, televisions, cable boxes, and computer or phone chargers. These devices drain your electricity even when we might consider them off. Think of your TV or cable box, even if it is “off” it might be recording a show or waiting to receive a signal from the remote to turn on. If it is plugged into an outlet, the TV will always be waiting to receive a signal, making it a Power Drain.

The Always On category includes devices such as routers, modems, and televisions. Televisions are included in this category as a stand-alone devices, whereas the device that connects it to the internet or cable is in the Power Drains category. These devices are considered to never be off because they are always connected and on standby to send or receive a signal. Although they use less energy than the Power Drains, they are still using energy because they are on or on standby.

Even though it seems that appliances are getting smarter, it seems that we still end up with more of them as the years go by. Many of the Part-Time Hogs that are in your house are the ones that you’ve had the longest. Your coffee maker, toaster, electric kettle, and fans are considered part of this category. Even though these appliances are on for short amounts of time, they draw a lot more than you’d expect. It takes about ten minutes to brew a pot of coffee, but for those ten minutes, the appliance is drawing much more energy because not many advancements have been made to these classic appliances.

The easiest way for you to reduce your energy consumption is to use a power strip with an on/off switch. Plugging in your TV, speakers, DVD player, and streaming devices to a power strip can allow you to cut the power completely to those devices until you want to use them. Sometimes this might put some extra effort on you if these devices require you to log in or connect to the internet if they’ve been turned off, so that extra hassle is up to you. Maybe you choose to keep your TV plugged in, but you connect your gaming console to a power strip because it isn’t used every day.

Challenge:

My challenge for you this week is to plug in at least two devices/appliances to a power strip either at home or in your office. It’s your choice on which ones you choose, whether it be the coffee pot, television, or toaster, but please do not choose your fridge!

Learn More:

To learn more about the statistics of energy consumed by “off” electronics, check out the New York Times article I referred to above. To learn more about other ways to save energy, check out this article.

Campus Sustainability is a department at Boise State whose goal is to build empowered, equitable, resilient communities by facilitating education, diverse collaboration, and civic engagement to create an ever-growing, healthy and sustainable university. We are a team of staff and students who work on sustainability initiatives and programs throughout campus. Here is what we are currently working on:

RecycleFest:

• RecycleFest started last week and will run through October 27th. The goal of this program is to educate students living on campus about specific recycling guidelines. The program features educational events in each residence hall, a recycling competition, and waste assessments of recycling bins in each hall. Through this program, we hope to educate students and improve the contamination rates of recycling streams on campus with their help. To learn more and find out which residence hall has the lowest recycling contamination rate, follow us on Instagram @sustainableboisestate.

Eco-Reps

• We are happy to have welcomed four new students onto our team through our Eco-Rep program this semester. Eco-Reps serve as sustainability ambassadors to the University and participate in activities focused on making a positive environmental impact in the Boise State community and beyond. These students are currently in the process of brainstorming new educational tabling events and will each move forward to implement a small event on campus.

Stars Report

• Currently, we are working towards completing our second Stars Report. Stars is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. Boise State currently holds a silver rating from our first report, submitted in 2021. We are hoping to improve our rating to gold and will submit our report in 2023. If you want to learn more about what got us our silver rating, check out our website: https://www.boisestate.edu/sustainability/stars/#engagement-

Trash Fashion Exhibit

• Campus Sustainability is happy to partner with Albertsons Library on their Trash Fashion Exhibit which runs October 24th through November 18th in the library. The exhibit features the work of Shaun Muscolo, a local artist, who makes wearable garments from trash materials typically destined for landfills or recycling centers. The event’s first week also coincides with International Open Access Week. The worldwide, annual initiative is an opportunity to connect, collaborate and share knowledge. Stop by the library to see Shaun’s amazing work!

Sustainability Tours

• Our first tour of the semester was a big success! Thank you to everyone who attended! We have two more tours scheduled for this semester on October 17th at 10:30 am and November 17th at 11:00 am. Sustainability tours are here to inform you of all of the sustainable practices and efforts happening around campus. Come learn about food digesters, bee apiaries, geothermal and more!

Recycling Volunteering:

• Campus Sustainability partners with Service Learning students and the ExtraMile Arena staff to ensure proper recycling practices are occurring during concerts and games at the ExtraMile Arena. So far our team has attended one concert, but there are many more coming up! If you’d like to volunteer to help recycle at concerts or basketball games, let us know at sustainability@boisestate.edu

Thank you for reading about what we are doing on campus! If you have any questions or would like to learn more about a specific topic, please feel free to contact us at sustainability@boisestate.edu

Summary (30-second read):

- you can earn rewards by taking alternative transportation

- reducing vehicles can have a positive impact on air quality

- alternative transportation includes the bus, shuttle, or biking

- BSU offers bike rental and maintenance workshops

- Challenge: Use alternative transportation 2X this month!

Full Transportation Tips (3-min read):

Did you know that Share The Ride Idaho rewards Boise commuters for taking alternative forms of transportation such as biking, walking, carpooling, and public transportation? You can log your “green” commutes on their website to earn rewards and find carpool routes as well!

Transportation is a large contributor to air pollution, noise pollution, and the release of harmful chemicals into our communities. Reducing the number of cars on the road will have a positive impact on human health in our communities by decreasing the amount of smog being inhaled. Smog can lead to respiratory issues like asthma and sometimes cancer.

There are many sustainable forms of transportation available on campus including the bronco shuttle, city bus routes, and bike rentals!

• The bronco shuttle can take students, faculty, and staff around campus or downtown for free. The Orange Route travels downtown while the Blue Route stays on campus. Be careful though, a lot of times the color of the bus does not match the route color! It is easy to track the shuttles and determine arrival times through the Bronco Shuttle Tracker.

• The city buses stop outside of the Student Union on the Overland Route and the Harris Ranch via the Park Center route. Other routes such as Caldwell Express, Nampa/Meridian Express, and Vista stop at the edges of the campus too. More bus route information can be found here.

• The Cycle Learning Center on campus offers bike rentals at an affordable cost of $120 per semester or $180 per academic year. They also offer bike maintenance workshops at lunch on the first Wednesday of each month! Check out more on the Cycle Learning Center’s website.

CHALLENGE:

Our challenge for you is to take a greener form of transportation at least twice during the month of October! Start small by walking to the grocery store, biking to coffee, or finding a carpool buddy that lives near you!

COOL THINGS:

Did you know that Valley Regional Transit is going electric? They currently have four electric buses in their fleet to get riders where they need to go. Their goal is to keep the air clean and the roads clear, and they even have a comic book about their electric fleet! You can find the comic book and more information here!

Although the city has a wider range of recyclables, there are still some materials that require a specific service or that can’t be recycled at all. All water bottles and to-go containers must go in the trash as well as anything with a wax coat. Glass recycling requires its own service by request. Glass pick-up services occur every four weeks and cost a small extra fee. Glass drop-off locations are also available.

Recycling requires a lot of hands-on work for cities and their citizens. Recycling materials according to guidelines makes it much easier on waste systems and ensures more materials actually get recycled. The downside of specific guidelines is that it deters some people from recycling completely because it must be thought about and takes a small amount of extra time.

Challenge: This week, please check your office or building for correct recycling signage. The signs are identical to the first visual included in this email. If you need up-to-date signs, please email sustainabiltiy@boisestate.edu with how many signs you need and which office or building needs them. We will come and put them up for you!

Don’t live in Boise, here are some resources for other city’s recycling guidelines:

• Garden City: https://gardencityidaho.org/index.asp?SEC=F4AB93AE-2AD4-4DD9-BAAA-0662FE96AD3F

• Eagle: https://www.cityofeagle.org/300/Recycling-Trash-Services

• Nampa: https://www.cityofnampa.us/DocumentCenter/View/8724/Recycling-Information

• Meridian: https://meridiancity.org/environmental/img/Managing%20Plastics%20REDO.PNG

• Caldwell: https://recyclingsimplified.com/

30-second summary:

- read Waste Report

- dumpsters are rarely full on campus, often emptied too frequently

- recycling dumpsters often contain contamination

- food digester coming to campus soon

5-min read:

Last week, you read about the AASHE Stars reporting, and one of the big subgroups of the Stars report is Waste Diversion, the process of diverting waste from entering landfills. This process can take many forms. Composting food scraps, reusing woods and metals from demolitions, reusing materials in your houses such as jars and old shirts, and recycling. In order to divert waste from landfills, one must first look at what they’re putting into landfills.

At Boise State, there are many different groups of people who contribute waste to the dumpsters on campus. Students, staff, and faculty throw trash in cans located around campus which eventually is added to the many dumpsters located around campus. The trash is then picked up on a fairly frequent basis. But how much are our dumpsters really being used? And are they really being used properly and effectively?

Last year, a BSU student decided to find out and created the BSU Waste Diversion Study. The study goes into many aspects of waste streams on campus and what could be altered in order to save money and resources.

CHALLENGE:

This week I challenge you to read through the study to find out more about waste on campus and to check to see if your building’s dumpsters are full at any time this week. Take a glance at the dumpsters on your way to work, or take a quick walk during lunch to check them out!

COOL THINGS:

More waste is being diverted from the landfill at BSU! Check out this article about the food digester that will be coming to campus soon!

1-min summary:

- In summer 2021 BSU received a silver rating on the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS)

- Sustainability Governance Council (SGC) implemented 6 working groups to promote sustainability on campus

- Working groups are open to faculty, staff, and students, consider joining one by sending an email to the group's chair.

3-min summary:

This week, we’ll be looking at AASHE STARS and the Sustainability Governance Council.

AASHE stands for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. One program they run is the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS). This rating system allows universities to measure their sustainability performances in categories such as transportation, dining, waste, academics, engagement, and more using a points system. Once scored, universities will receive a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum rating.

In February of 2020, President Tromp created the Sustainability Governance Council (SGC) and tasked it with submitting the University's first STARS report. After a year of hard work, the council submitted the report in the summer of 2021 and received a silver rating. That report can be reviewed here, and highlights from that report can be reviewed here.

After submitting the report, the SGC created a Sustainability Action Plan. A draft of this plan has been submitted to the president's office. While waiting for feedback on the Sustainability Action Plan, the SGC continues to run and implement programs to increase Boise State’s STARS rating for the 2024 STARS submission. Below are the six working groups and their chairs.

Academics and Research: Tracking sustainability in courses and research, student success and literacy in sustainability, curriculum recommendations for sustainability across subjects

Shay Gillette: shaygillette@boisestate.edu

The Built Environment: Buildings, energy, and water: Analyzing Boise State’s carbon future, developing sustainable landscapes and rainwater management infrastructure

Brian Emtman: brianemtman@boisestate.edu

Transportation: Create a plan for the future of electric vehicles on campus, expand public transit opportunities for campus users, continue to encourage active transportation, and nurture robust bike culture

Gabe Finkelstein: gabefinkelstein@boisestate.edu

Waste Management and Events: Create campus standards for sustainable options in events and dining that seek to reduce waste and increase visibility and engagement of sustainable culture on campus

Katie Matthews: katiematthews@boisestate.edu

Green Finance and Investment: Assess green investment fund opportunities, review endowment portfolio and make recommendations, create a campus standard for procurement and purchasing that prioritizes sustainable supply chain management

Will Reynolds: willreynolds@bosiestate.edu

Engagement: Increase staff interaction and assessment of sustainability culture on campus through the development of programming and volunteer opportunities such as the development of a green office certification, office sustainability champion, and integration of sustainability into on-campus competitions

Arie Weidemaier arieweidemaier@boisestate.edu

CHALLENGE:

• Consider joining one of the working groups by reaching out to one of the chairs, groups are open to students, staff, and faculty.

COOL THINGS:

• Some newer projects that will be counted in our next STARS submission include:

  • The school was awarded a $73,200 grant by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to purchase a food waste digester for on-campus dining waste. This will increase the amount of waste diverted from the landfill produced by dining on campus.

  • The Albertsons Library was awarded the 2022 State of Idaho Leadership in Energy Efficiency Award for Buildings from the Governor's Office of Energy and Mineral Resources for LED and HVAC upgrades.