Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Message Archive

Thursday, August 25, 2011

 

From:   Mindy Engle-Friedman, Chair, Baruch College Task Force on Sustainability

Gabriel Eszterhas, Baruch College Vice President for Administration and Finance

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

We hope you had an enjoyable summer and that you are looking forward to the fall 2011 semester. 

 

Baruch College has initiated a new recycling program in the classrooms of the Newman Vertical Campus.  Waste and recycling receptacles have been removed from all NVC classrooms.  Students and faculty are instructed via signage to dispose of their waste in communal receptacles in the atrium area on each floor.  We would like to describe this important initiative in more detail and present the rationale for its implementation.  We ask you to help us educate the College community to effectively separate and recycle our trash.

 

Rationale

 

Last year’s waste audit conducted by students, faculty and staff showed a large gap between the amount of trash we actually recycle and the amount we can recycle. With that in mind, we conducted a pilot project on the 10^th floor of the NVC in which trash bins were removed from the classrooms, signage was placed on the classroom walls and communal bins were set up in the atrium areas. The pilot showed marked success with regard to effective waste separation and recycling and the limited amount of trash left behind in the classrooms.

 

We have now instituted this plan throughout the classroom wing of the Newman Vertical Campus. Trash containers have been removed from the classrooms and signs have been mounted to direct waste disposal.  The built-in refuse bins in the atrium hallway across from the student bathrooms and/or free standing trash cans near the bathrooms now serve as communal bins into which separated waste can be discarded. The Baruch Custodial Services has been trained and is participating in this initiative.  

 

With our combined efforts, good communication, accessible receptacles and clear signage, Baruch can double its recycling rate.   According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Reduction Model, if Baruch effectively recycled half of all recyclable materials we currently send to the landfill, we would be removing the equivalent of 189 passenger cars from the roadway each year.

 

Your Role

 

We need your help to share this information and model effective recycling behavior for your students.  Please introduce this initiative and share its importance with your classes.  Your support of the program will enhance its effectiveness.  

 

Announcing the Initiative

• Please discuss the initiative and its purpose with your students
• Please direct your students’ attention to the poster on the classroom wall where trash bins had been located
• Please direct your students to use the built-in receptacles in the atrium hallway across from the student bathrooms
• Please remind students to take their trash with them before they leave

 

The Door

• Oftentimes, trash cans have been used to keep doors ajar to permit easy access to the classroom
• The classrooms no longer have these cans
• To keep your door unlocked, use your Baruch ID
• Swipe your ID card each time you enter the class to keep the door unlocked
• Classroom doors will automatically lock 45 minutes after classes begin.

 

Class discussions initiated by faculty members about environmental protection and stewardship are critical for educating students about our use of resources.  We hope your participation and the participation of your class in the recycling project will increase the quantity of materials diverted from the landfill, our community’s awareness of sustainability and engagement in protecting our planet.

 

Please send comments to Prof. Mindy Engle-Friedman:  mindy.engle-friedman@baruch.cuny.edu.

 

We thank you in advance for your involvement. 

 

Sincerely,

Mindy Engle-Friedman, Chair, Baruch College Task Force on Sustainability

Gabriel Eszterhas, Baruch College Vice President for Administration and Finance