Go Green
This is the home of Samford University's environmental stewardship efforts. You can check this site for updates on campus initiatives, Go Green facts and profiles on what is being done on campus to ensure we are good stewards of our resources. The Samford University foundational statements list one of the institution's core values as "stewardship of all resources." This effort requires the entire community, so please check this site frequently to see how you can Go Green!
Background of the Samford Go Green Initiative
Green Events
Samford To Eliminate Caf Trays Sept. 15:
Samford's traditional dining facility-- a.k.a, "the Caf"-- will go trayless starting Sept. 15.
For decades, Samford students commandeered cafeteria trays on the rare occasion the campus had enough snow for sledding. We now know that was probably the most environmentally responsible use of the trays. Recent studies have revealed that those seemingly harmless plastic helpmates, when used as intended, exact an enormous price in energy, water and wasted food.
In July the ARAMARK company, which provides dining services to many of the hundreds of U.S. colleges and universities going trayless, published a white paper titled The Business and Cultural Acceptance Case for Trayless Dining, based on two studies
One of the ARAMARK studies documented food waste at 25 colleges and universities and found that institutions reduced waste by 20-30 percent when they eliminated dining hall trays.
A second study considered the cultural implications of eliminating trays. Out of almost 100,000 students and employees of 300 universities, ARAMARK determined that 79 percent would accept the change.
Putting national findings in perspective, Mike McCormack, Director of Samford's Business Services office, said Samford must wash 3,200 trays on a normal day. In addition to the potential energy and water savings of eliminating that washing, he said, "it is estimated there might be a savings of about $40,000 in food waste [annually]."
Samford's elimination of trays starting Sept. 15 is part of its ongoing Go Green initiative. The comprehensive, university-wide initiative, launched in 2007, helps bring Samford's practices in line with other U.S. universities and colleges and reflect its commitment to good stewardship of all its resources.
-Thanks to those who came by the CommuteSmart info booth and who partipated in the emissions testing. We appreciate your support of our Go Green initiative!
For more information on CommuteSmart, you can direct your web browser to http://www.commutesmarter.org.
-Green Clean: Over the next month, Samford will be collecting and cleaning out dated materials (ie electronic equipment, furniture, books, etc.) across campus. These materials will be sorted into recyclable goods, items slated for donation to local charities, and those that can be sold in a Samford garage sale (proceeds benefiting our Go Green efforts). We will work with each building coordinator to identify pick up dates and also develop a list of items that departments would like to have collected (there will be no charge for picking up these materials). As we perfect this process, we will repeat it every semester.
Campus Sustainability Day is October 22, 2008. Click here for more information.
Picture from Samford's Green Products Fair | February 29, 2008
Green Updates
Recycle bins available on campus! Recycling bins are available behind the University Center. Click here for more information.
