Sustainable YouNH
Katie Mack
Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: Commentary
Greetings from Boston! I am writing this column as I work my way back to UNH after an inspiring day at the Interfaith Walk for Climate Rescue. A group of our peers from Students for New Hampshire Public Interest Research Group (NHPIRG) and I traveled to Cambridge, Mass. last Saturday to walk in the march to stop global warming that took us from Cambridge to Back Bay, Boston. The walk was a part of Climate Rescue Day, which concluded with a large rally for climate change in Copley Square. I just want to take this opportunity to acknowledge those from UNH who comprised the approximately 800-person crowd at this historic event.
While it is great to observe that much is happening on a national level to fight climate change, it is my hope that Chris Skoglund and I can inform the UNH community about the university's efforts to embrace sustainability. Therefore, this week's column will do just that in regards the three big "R"s: reduce, reuse, and recycle! So read on to learn about how the university is watching its waste.
UNH has both indoor and outdoor recycling containers all over campus for the collection of paperboard, mixed paper, glass, metal, and plastic containers. In 2006, UNH recycled more than 130 tons of trash, according to the 2006 Annual Report for the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. In Jan. 2007, UNH began a pilot project to install outdoor recycling containers adjacent to trash receptacles for glass, plastic, and aluminum containers. Fourteen containers were installed as Phase 1 with more to be installed as part of the Main Street project in summer 2007, so look for these recycling containers as you dispose of your trash around campus!
Did you know that more than 17,500 lbs of food waste is composted monthly from UNH dining halls? When you place your tray on one of the rotating dish shelves in Holloway, your food waste is separated from the non-food waste items on the tray and pushed into a liquid waste stream. The water is eventually removed and the remaining solid food waste is processed by a "pulper." The solid food waste is sent to Kingman Farm to be composted and used for fertilizer. In 2005, 218,292 lbs of compost were generated from all the UNH dining halls.
While it is great to observe that much is happening on a national level to fight climate change, it is my hope that Chris Skoglund and I can inform the UNH community about the university's efforts to embrace sustainability. Therefore, this week's column will do just that in regards the three big "R"s: reduce, reuse, and recycle! So read on to learn about how the university is watching its waste.
UNH has both indoor and outdoor recycling containers all over campus for the collection of paperboard, mixed paper, glass, metal, and plastic containers. In 2006, UNH recycled more than 130 tons of trash, according to the 2006 Annual Report for the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. In Jan. 2007, UNH began a pilot project to install outdoor recycling containers adjacent to trash receptacles for glass, plastic, and aluminum containers. Fourteen containers were installed as Phase 1 with more to be installed as part of the Main Street project in summer 2007, so look for these recycling containers as you dispose of your trash around campus!
Did you know that more than 17,500 lbs of food waste is composted monthly from UNH dining halls? When you place your tray on one of the rotating dish shelves in Holloway, your food waste is separated from the non-food waste items on the tray and pushed into a liquid waste stream. The water is eventually removed and the remaining solid food waste is processed by a "pulper." The solid food waste is sent to Kingman Farm to be composted and used for fertilizer. In 2005, 218,292 lbs of compost were generated from all the UNH dining halls.
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