CNY Bounty Delivers to Colgate

Dozens of Colgate employees and students have recently experienced a new and exciting way to grocery shop. Once a week they visit the CNY Bounty website (www.cnybounty.com), select food items to place in their virtual shopping cart, and pick up their order between 4-5pm every Wednesday in the Coop. 

With over 900 products from over 90 local farms, there has never been an easier way to access a wide variety of locally produced, fresh food.

CNY Bounty is not only convenient for you, but also good for Central New York.

It can be painstakingly difficult for Central New York farmers to get their products to local consumers. Small farmers have less labor and less time to market, sell, and deliver their products locally. Moreover, the high-volume food distribution system in the U.S. favors large agribusiness leaving small upstate farms out of the food loop. Likewise, it can be time-consuming and frustrating for Central New York residents to seek out and purchase food from local farmers. It is much easier to plan a weekly trip to a large grocery store like Price Chopper, Big M, and Walmart to do one-stop shopping. However, they offer scant choices for food produced in Central New York.

Ordering through CNY Bounty, allows us to support our local farmers (and our local economy), it allows us year-around access to local, fresh food, and it allows us to consume food grown in an environmentally-responsible way. Ordering through CNY Bounty feels good. 

Ready to join other Colgate community members and give it a try?  It is easy. Visit the CNY Bounty website (www.cnybounty.com) and click on "New Customer" to create your account.  Select items including baking supplies, fruits, vegetables, herbs, breads, condiments, cheese, yogurt, dairy, beef, chicken, pasta and much, much more.  Place your order before noon every Monday. CNY Bounty will then deliver your food to the Coop (or another location you specify) at 4pm every Wednesday.  You can pick up your food between 4-5pm. Visit cnybounty.com for more details.

So, what are you waiting for?  See you next Wednesday at Coop!

Contact John Pumilio (jpumilio@colgate.edu; x6487) with any questions.

Grants Office Eliminates Plastic Waste from Keurig Coffee Machine

The Grants Office has recently adopted a new practice that will save money and save the environment.

Like many other offices on campus, they have a Keurig coffee machine. Each time a cup of coffee is made, it uses a small plastic disposable container. Bruce Moseley recently purchased an Eko-brew which is a container that can be used over and over again.
Here is how it works. Simply fill the Eko-brew with your favorite brand of coffee before each use. It is that easy! Instead of using a disposable plastic container for each use, you use one. It will save the office money, but more importantly, it will have a significant benefit to our sustainability program.

Price Chopper has the Eko-brew in stock. Also, here is a link to their official website: http://ekobrew.com/.

Contact Bruce Moseley (bmoseley@colgate.edu) or Ellen Rougeux (erougeux@colgate.edu) for more information.

Styrofoam: Why it is Harmful & Alternatives

Styrofoam is a major environmental problem. Used in product packages and the shipping industry, the world produces tons of it each year. The fact that Styrofoam is non-biodegradable adds to the ecological impact. Landfills are filling up at a record rate and Styrofoam is one reason. Styrofoam has the potential to affect the entire ecological system of this planet.

STATISTICS

The Earth Resource Foundation reports that Styrofoam manufacturers were the fifth largest producer of toxic waste in 1986. Over 90,000 workers face exposure to the effects of styrene, the material in Styrofoam, each year in industries such as rubber and fiberglass manufacturing companies. Health effects from exposure to styrene are irritation of the skin, eyes and respiratory tract and gastrointestinal problems. Chronic exposure affects the nervous system, causing symptoms like depression, headache, fatigue and weakness, and minor effects on kidney function and blood.

NON-BIODEGRADABLE

Styrofoam is non-biodegradable and non-recyclable. According to Washington University, Styrofoam takes 500 years to decompose; it cannot be recycled, so the Styrofoam cups dumped in landfills are there to stay. With enough Styrofoam cups produced each day to circle the earth if lined up end to end, the potential for major ecological impact is great.

POLLUTANTS

Styrene leaches into foods and drinks served in Styrofoam containers, and according to the Earth Resource Foundation, the manufacture of Styrofoam releases large amounts of ozone into the atmosphere, causing respiratory and environmental issues. In addition, with billions of Styrofoam cups used yearly in convenience stores, restaurants and lunchrooms ending up in landfills, some cities have banned the use of Styrofoam.

LANDFILLS

Styrofoam and Styrofoam products fill up 30 percent of our landfill space, and landfills are fast becoming full. A Recycling Revolution reports that packaging material makes up one-third of an average dump. The U.S. is the biggest trash producer in the world, filling America's landfills at an alarming rate. Five percent of the world's population generate 40 percent of the world's trash. On average, each one of us puts out about 5 pounds of trash a day. This adds up to about a ton of trash per person every year that eventually ends up in a landfill.

SOLUTIONS

The solution to the Styrofoam problem is finding and using alternative materials. If reusable dishes are not an option in your office, recycled paper products are the next best alternative, according to Earth Resource Foundation. Paper recycling also saves trees and contributes to an overall savings when compared to Styrofoam. Paper products are biodegradable and non-toxic to the environment. Easily recycled, paper is good for shipping and product packaging.

When ordering from vendors for your upcoming events, ask them not to use Styrofoam when you place the order! Also, consider purchasing a set of reusable dishes for your office to use at events—you can always rent the dishwasher in the ALANA Center!

For more information, please visit: http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Styrofoam_is_Bad_for_the_Environment

Grants Office Reduces Paper Consumption

Last year, Colgate reduced its campus-wide use of paper by nearly four million sheets of paper or by one-third of our total in 2009. This was accomplished through duplex printing, print release stations in our public print areas, and many individual efforts such as the Grants Office.

The Grants Office recently started a new practice to cut down on the use of paper. Typically, an average of 42 grants are processed each year. For each grant, a hard copy was distributed to the department, division, dean of faculty, and the project director/principal investigator; approximately 30 doubled-sided sheets of paper were used per document. Approximately 5,400 sheets of paper were used per year to process grant proposals. A small amount of additional paper was used for distribution of award letters.

Now, the Grants Office is distributing these proposals as pdfs saving nearly 11 reams of paper per year! Congratulations to the Grants Office for doing their part to advance sustainability at Colgate.

Recycling 411 in Madison County

On Friday, October 21, a small group students joined members of Colgate’s Sustainability Office on a field trip to the Madison County landfill and recycling center. Our goal was to become more familiar with where our waste goes and learn tips on how to better recycle. We learned that Madison County residents recycle approximately 6,000 tons worth of material each year. Additionally, the Madison County facility has implemented some really innovative projects pertaining to sustainable development and renewable energy. We wanted to share with you what we learned from our trip.

The Basics

Madison County has a two stream recycling center. Thus, as the name implies, we must separate our recyclables into two streams: 1) Paper and paper-based products must go in one container (to keep it dry and clean) and 2) aluminum, metal, glass, and plastic products must go in another container.

Paper and Cardboard

The golden rule of cardboard recycling: if it sits in your cupboard, it’s the perfect recyclable material! For example, cereal and granola bar boxes and even greasy pizza boxes can all be recycled. If you store it in the fridge or freezer, keep it out! This is because these cardboard products contain a plastic-like material that prevents them from falling apart when they become moist. Unfortunately, this material also contaminates paper recycling. For example, soda/beer boxes and cardboard milk containers must be thrown in the trash.

PHOTO: Paper products collected for recycling.

PHOTO: Paper products bailed and ready for recycling.

Aluminum, Metal, Glass and Plastic

The Madison County facility is able to recycle all 1-7 plastic products. But, before you throw your plastic in the recycle bin, make sure is “squeezable.” Another golden rule: if you squeeze it and it cracks, it’s trash; if you squeeze it and it’s pliable, it’s recyclable!

A few other tips: make sure to keep all Styrofoam products out of your recycling bin, clean your containers before discarding them and spend the extra second to drain your bottles and take the tops off (otherwise, someone else has to do it for you- think about unscrewing the caps off of hundreds of bottles a day).

PHOTO: Glass/metal/plastic products collected for recycling.

PHOTO: Glass/metal/plastic products bailed and ready for recycling.

Other Recycling Products

Yes, you can recycle your plastic bags from the grocery store. That is, if you aren’t already using a reusable one or reusing them yourself. Fill up one bag with others and put them in with your paper recycling bin. Also, you can recycle old clothing (shirts and shorts – yes; socks and underwear – no!). These products donated or used to make rags and other products. Once again, keep these in a dry bag and place them in your paper recycling bin. Lastly, if you have any old pots and pans, feel free to put them to good use! Throw them in a separate bag or put them in with the paper.

Recycling Solid Waste for Energy

The Madison County facility is at the forefront of utilizing renewable energy technologies. The facility has topped the landfill with thin and flexible solar panels.

PHOTO: Flexible solar PV array on capped landfill cell.

This solar PV array is estimated to generate 40,000 kWh’s of power per year; that’s enough to provide electricity to approximately 30,000 homes. In addition to this new project, the landfill is capturing the methane that is produced from the breakdown of solid waste. The methane is piped and combusted to provide 1,000 kilowatts of electricity per hour; that is enough to heat 200 homes per year. Moreover, the by-product is heat that is used to heat all of the facilities buildings!

If any of your basic recycling questions have not been answered, be on the look out for the first-ever Colgate Recyclepedia! Also, be sure to keep others informed! Education and awareness are the first steps towards a more sustainable future.

Colgate targets 2019 bicentennial for carbon neutrality

Colgate has set an ambitious target date to become carbon neutral by 2019, the university's 200th anniversary. In so doing, President Jeffrey Herbst again confirmed the high priority of sustainability practices on campus.

That aggressive target date will be attained through the implementation of 27 proposed on-campus mitigation projects, each outlined in Colgate's Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, submitted to the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

For purposes of the ACUPCC, climate neutrality is defined as having no net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, to be achieved by minimizing GHG emissions as much as possible, and using carbon offsets or other measures to mitigate the remaining emissions.

"Our aggressive time frame makes sense in terms of good global citizenship as well as Colgate's academic mission," said Herbst, "and it is also fiscally responsible."

Click here to learn more.

Colgate enters innovative carbon offsets agreement

As part of its aggressive push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance sustainability, Colgate has signed a 15-year commitment with Patagonia Sur to purchase forestry-based carbon offsets. Under the agreement, a total of 225,000 native-species trees will be planted on 430 acres of land in Chile's Aysén Region of Patagonia.

The Colgate University Forest, as the land will be known, will meet or exceed global verified carbon standard requirements. Annually, the forest will offset approximately 5,000 tons, or about one-third of Colgate's present carbon footprint.

Click here to learn more.