Sustainability Blog

Sustainability Spotlight: Helping Captains Go Green

Over the course of the past two semesters, the Student Sustainability Commission has been rigorously working on a number of projects to act on the sustainability initiative on campus. Our goal is to implement changes across campus that enable our student body to expand sustainability in their daily lives, as well as to have a broader impact on the local community and environment around us. Currently, we have three major projects in the works, each with a designated team led by experienced members of the commission to reach progress milestones while operating along the goal of the commission as a whole. Our leaders are excited to share these projects with you, as well as share some information about themselves and provide a window into what being part of the commission looks like.

To start this project spotlight off we have Lindsey Shortt, who became a member of the SSC in January of 2022 in search of a like minded community, “I joined the commission because I wanted to give back to our community and understand sustainability and what I can do to change our campus, which would encourage me to help other students gain that knowledge.” This semester, Lindsey has been working to engage Greek Life with sustainability and provide a platform to recognize the benefit of green practices. “Right now me and my group are working on a competition between different Greek organizations on campus in order to promote the donation of unused items for later reuse.” This project, she reiterates, is important to share and unite the Greek organization members with the commission and its goals. “I hope that by the end of the semester our commission will be well known in helping our campus and the students will want to be a part of helping the earth little by little. “

Next on our list is Megan Munford, who joined the commission in the fall of 2021, is leading a team devoted to providing fun yet sustainable events for students, as well as educating the general student body about green initiatives. “My group and I are working on crafting and putting together a movie collaboration with CAB and the commission in addition to a sustainability panel that hosts a few speakers who share their own thoughts and research on different topics regarding sustainability and the environment.” Both projects speak to her reasons for joining the commission, “I joined SSC because I'm passionate about the environment and I wanted to make a difference, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. I also love teaching people new ways to be sustainable and always finding new ways to promote sustainability.” Using her personal goals for sustainability as a compass, Megan and her team have been working to integrate sustainability with fun and provide students with opportunities to interact with sustainable practices. “I think my project is important because the movie will be a fun way for students to get involved and also learn about sustainability a bit more whereas the panel will allow for students to hear from a range of individuals, including professionals in the field, about their perspective on different topics related to sustainability.”

Last but certainly not least, we have Elliana Stratton, who got involved with SSC as a senior in the fall of 2021, and who is now continuing her involvement as a masters student. Formerly a member of the team responsible for the pollinator garden on campus, Elliana and her team are dedicated to supporting the local ecosystem. “Right now we are in the final stretch of our CNU Bird Dorm initiative. We are installing 4 birdhouses on campus - 2 near the community garden and 2 on the backside of Santoro Hall facing James River Hall - with a bird bath at each location.” Additionally, her team plans to expand the pollinator garden to attract more pollinators to campus. “We are focusing on native birds, such as the Eastern Bluebird and the Northern Cardinal, rather than invasive species like the European Starling, in hopes to increase the biodiversity on our campus.” Through her involvement with the commission, Elliana has been able to act alongside environmentally-minded individuals to do her part to make a greener campus. “SSC allowed me to find these people, but also to actively create projects to make our campus more sustainable.”

The goals and activities of the Student Sustainability Commission and its members are devoted to growing CNU’s sustainability initiative, both on its campus and in the students that occupy it. While it may take time to put plans into action and make positive changes within our community, every step closer to a greener campus and more sustainable world is a step that the SSC is happy to take, and we hope our fellow Captains will take it with us.

3/21/2023

Recycling: When Trash Is Treasure

When you finish a case of seltzers, your last box of mac & cheese, or maybe even the last drop of milk; what happens to the containers? Well, simply thrown away, most of those cans, boxes, and cartons end up in landfills where their party stops forever. This motley group of trash will stay there for years, with certain items taking millenia to decompose, while releasing methane into the atmosphere for up to the first 50 years. Alternatively, these items can be remade into new products ready for your next get together, lunch, or late night bowl of cereal.

The importance of recycling is hard to understate in a world with a constant demand for materials. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines recycling as “The recovery of useful materials such as paper, glass, plastic, metals, construction and demolition, and organics from the waste stream (e.g., municipal solid waste) and the transformation of that material to make new products, resulting in a reduction in the amount of virgin raw materials needed to meet consumer demand.” While you might not be supplying the material needs of any corporations while in college, it’s always good to cultivate sustainable practices to carry on after graduation. Thankfully, CNU is equipped with recycling options throughout campus to help you watch your waste.

The easiest options for on-campus residents are the recycling bins located in their Residence Hall trash rooms. These are close by and can take most recyclables. If you happen to find yourself outside of your dorm building, you can look for recycling bins in the academic halls, library, and DSU. These are identifiable by either a QR code linked to the CNU Sustainability page, which has information on what items can be recycled, or by saturn-shaped holes in the cans’ lids.  Recyclable items include beverage and food cans, glass and plastic (#1 and #2 only) bottles, jugs, and jars, and paper and cardboard. Some items are a little more unique in the process required to recycle them, so hard-to-recycle bins are available on the first floor of the library and Freemen Center for ink cartridges, plastic bags, and batteries. 

Unfortunately, not all waste is created equal, and certain items can’t be recycled because they’re infused with residues or simply aren’t recyclable and will contaminate recycling. This includes greasy pizza boxes, coffee cups, used napkins/paper towels and tissues, and non #1 and #2 plastics. When preparing items for recycling, it’s important to make sure they’re clean, dry, and free of any stickers or sticky residues that could contaminate the recycling batch. Using a dedicated recycling bin for storage is an easy way to organize your recyclables and keep them separate from waste items. Another simple way to store and transfer recyclables is to collect them in paper grocery bags and toss them directly into a recycling bin once full, bag included. Regardless of how you transport them, the process of keeping these valuable materials on the line of duty is easy at CNU.

2/27/2023

Sustainability Spotlight: Thrifting with Lauren Heine and Maysie Casper 

Thrifting is a great opportunity to find unique clothing in a sustainable way. Students on CNU’s campus have used social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to create online thrifting stores. These CNU centered pages give students the opportunity to swap pieces they no longer have use for and add new pieces to their collection.

Lauren Heine, a CNU alumni, started the cnu thrift! Facebook page. She noticed how CNU didn’t have a central place for students to buy and sell things on campus. Having gone to William and Mary a few times to get a few items, Heine realized how unsustainable this solution was. Inspired by W&M Facebook thrift store, she created a Facebook page and brought that idea to CNU’s campus. Heine describes the page as a sort of goodwill campus thrift store where students can sell clothing, furniture, and more. The page allows for a centralized place for any student to sell their own items to other students.

Maysie Casper, a CNU senior, is the owner of @shopthegreenbee on instagram. She recounts how her online thrifting store got started and why she enjoys running her thrifting page. Casper stated, “I started selling my clothes during the beginning of the pandemic as a way to make a little extra cash on the side. I figured out I really loved the hustle and the thrill of making sales and started asking family and friends if they had anything they wanted me to sell for them. I started on Facebook Marketplace in 2020, then joined other second hand clothing apps like Mercari and Poshmark. Then, this past November, I had the idea to leave behind those apps (due to high seller fees) and sell on my own! Not only do I still enjoy the side hustle, but thrifting & reselling is one of my favorite hobbies!”

Casper’s goal for starting @shopthegreenbee was to take the traditional thrifting store structure and transform it to an online platform. She uses social media to slow down the constant production of clothing that resulted from “fast fashion” and shift CNU students' mindset to look more at second hand items. 

There are countless CNU centered online thrifting platforms, including the two mentioned above. Each has their own structure and culture, but all center around the goal of reducing clothing or other material waste and giving items a second life. So next time you’re searching for a new piece for your closet or trying to clear out some space, connect with your community and shop second hand!

2/13/2023

Composting: From Trash to Treasure

Sustainable practices are often portrayed as involving a significant change to your daily life, however, this isn’t always true. One of the most significant ways you can practice having a greener footprint is as easy as reducing the amount of waste that ends up going to a landfill. One often overlooked method to reduce your carbon footprint is making sure that food scraps are properly taken care of once you’re done with them. While it’s best to manage waste by reducing the amount of excess food created or by donating any extra food, composting is an effective tool in the sustainability toolbox to ensure that your scraps don’t go to waste. Whether it’s uneaten leftovers, wilted greens, scraps from your cutting board, or rotten produce; food waste is a wonderful and renewable resource you don’t want to throw away.

Composting is an effective green practice for a number of reasons thanks to the incredible potential in leftover food. Decomposed materials can be used to enrich the soil used by farmers for crop growth and even as a fertilizer for personal garden projects. Composting preserves the nutritional value present in food waste as it breaks down, allowing those nutrients to be converted back to their mineral forms and reintegrated into the earth as a superfood for new plants to consume. All organisms rely on the mineral composition in the soil, starting with microorganisms and plants who support the higher levels of the food chain, making the return of those nutrients to the ground a vital part of renewable resourcing. Simply throwing away food scraps means they end up in landfills where they’re compacted with other trash and lose access to oxygen, an essential component of the biodegrading process. Without oxygen, your leftover scraps rot and release methane gas, adding to the greenhouse gasses warming our atmosphere. So rather than scraping your plate into the trash, compost it, and include our sprouting friends in your next meal!

1/30/2023