What Texas State is doing to Become Greener

Texas State University has made it one of its missions to go green. The ways this goal is being achieved are many and varied. From energy-efficient equipment purchases to composting, Texas State supports many different ways of going green.

Equipment and Individual Responsibilities

One way of going green is all Texas State equipment purchases need to be Energy Star-rated, meaning that all new equipment purchased has to be energy-efficient.
In addition all areas controlled by Texas State’s energy management system have their indoor temperatures set at 68°-70°F during times when it’s cold outside and at 74°-76°F during the times when it’s hot. Also, as seen on signs near the light switch in classrooms, people are meant to turn off lights when exiting rooms that are no longer being used. Faculty members are also responsible for turning off equipment in their office at the end of the day.

Environmental Service Committee

The Environmental Service Committee at Texas State also plays a big part in helping to keep things green. “The Environmental Service Committee (ESC) strives to make positive changes to the physical environment at Texas State University and in the greater San Marcos area.
The ESC distributes funds collected from the Environmental Service Fee to start or continue environmental improvement projects,” according to the Environmental Service Committee website. Having only been around since 2004, the Environmental Service Committee has made incredible steps toward the goal of making Texas State University sustainable. The ESC has supported many green projects that help Texas State. “The ESC is making Texas State greener by sponsoring annual river clean ups and bike to school days. We have also sponsored an E-Waste event where students brought in their old computers, TV's, cell phones, etc. The money generated by this project was given to the Bike Cave program. Another one of our projects was the installation of a 10,000 gallon rain water collection tank on campus,” said Environmental Service Committee Chair John Montoya.
Currently the big ESC project is Bobcat Blend and that project is really what the environmental service fee is going to this year but there will be more on that later in this blog. Though, the ESC is always looking for new environmental projects to undertake. One such new project the ESC is going ahead with would make the energy used while exercising actually applicable. “We are currently reviewing an application to install devices in the cardio machines at the Student Recreation center so that the energy produced by an individual while working out is stored and used instead of wasted,” said Environmental Service Committee Chair John Montoya. These special machines will be found in the Student Recreation Center starting December 2009.

Recycling

The Texas State Recycling Program has made a lot progress over the years and it is a huge component of what is making Texas State greener. Recycling bins of all sorts can be seen everywhere on campus from dining halls, to dorms, classrooms and even in the quad. Texas State also sponsors many recycling events, including Texas Recycles Day.
“Texas Recycles Day is a statewide campaign aimed towards education and awareness about the benefits of waste reduction and recycling,” as said by the Texas State Recycling and Waste Management website. Texas State also supports the Cardboard Collection Campaign which is an organized endeavor to collect as much cardboard as they can during the time students are moving into the dorms.
Recycling can be done in many ways on campus, the bins in the quad will recycle mainly aluminum cans and plastic bottles, classroom boxes will recycle paper. The dorms will recycle most items for the people who live in them such as cardboard, paper, aluminum cans and plastic bottles. For students, recycling on campus has become a lot easier. “It is very convenient to recycle on campus because my classes are in buildings where the recycle bins are,” said history senior Susan Wise. For the non-believers who think one person recycling can’t possibly do anything, let it be known that according to the Texas State Recycling and Waste Management website, “Every bit of recycling makes a difference. For example, one year of recycling on just one college campus, (Stanford University), saved the equivalent of 33,913 trees and the need for 636 tons of iron ore, coal, and limestone.” Apparently, one person and one campus can make a difference.

Harris Dining Hall

Harris dining hall is also doing its part to be greener when it went tray-less last year in an effort to reduce the amount of food wasted by students. The fewer trays that are used means there are less trays that need to be washed. Chartwells is also putting into motion Project Clean Plate. Project Clean Plate is a program meant to educate students on taking only as much food as they believe they can consume, thus reducing the amount of food that is wasted. Not only does going tray-less help the environment, it also helps the community. Due to the success of Harris, donations of non-perishable foods to the Hays County Food Bank are being made based on how much food is saved each week.

Bobcat Blend

Last but not least Bobcat Blend is a brand new project that is being put into practice this year. Bobcat Blend is a composting program that starts off in the dining area of the student center. It involves recycling bins that are divided into paper, plastic and organic waste. The paper and plastic are recycled while volunteers take the spoiled paper waste and the organic waste to the full-size composting site at Texas State’s Muller Farm. Once a sufficient amount of the compost has been formed, it will be reapplied back on campus grounds “The efforts that Bobcat Blend will have on campus are tremendous. We will instill environmental stewardship amongst the students and we will beatify our campus by bringing the finished compost back to the flower and tree beds, athletic fields, and other green spaces around campus,” said Bobcat Blend Coordinator Jason Sanders..
Before the students at Texas State know it, they could be sitting under a tree that was helped to grow with compost the students themselves actually contributed too. The Bobcat Blend program is already seeing results in the amount of waste reduced Although the impact that Bobcat Blend has on campus is seen in more than just the reduction of waste. “The major effect that this program has on Texas State is the educational aspect. We are educating students everyday about their waste. We demonstrate on how waste is a matter of choice. If we give them an alternative to one trash can, then they have the choice to decide what is wasted. We are teaching them sustainable actions with their waste, and the students seem to be very happy with this program,” said Bobcat Blend Coordinator Jason Sanders.

What Else Can Be Done

Although Texas State University has done a lot to lessen its impact on the environment, there is always more that can be done. Recycling bins could always be put in the Jones Dining Hall and places to recycle glass could be made more convenient for students. Even so, Texas State is making great strides in making this University a much greener place.

Photos courtesy of Mackenzie Smith, John Montoya and The Environmental Service Committee


http://www.txstate.edu/

http://www.news8austin.com/shared/video/video_pop.asp?destlist=71554

www.txstate.edu/esc

http://www.recycling.facilities.txstate.edu/