PSC: Consumption Breakout Session

01:30P Weaver is a closet scientist/engineer, with a background in Environmental Engineering prior to media.

The campus climate commitment is iterative, progressing over time. The definition of sustainability is a “moving target,” according to Weaver. Over time, the process of iteration becomes an intuitive process. For consumption, our use of materials can evolve .

Pedagogy lies at the intersection of equity, ecology, economy, and justice.

1:40P Sustainable consumption is a collective action.

The “re’s” are crucial here. Typically, we hear of reduce, reuse, recycle. To this however, we need to add redesign, repurpose, and (very importantly), rethink.

How do we characterize consumption? We can track waste in categories of paper, e-trash, food, and service related categories.

Consumption can be tracked in a loop of (1) initial consumption, (2) reuse, and (3) recycling/disposal. Managing this cycle is the heart of the sustainable consumption. From and institutional level, DU can encourage proper management by crating policies to control various aspects of the cycle.

Kormacki: Sustainable DU was created to bring together stakeholders in the University to work on issues such as sustainable consumption. The organization was created to bring the formerly fragmented interests around DU to the same table for work on sustainability goals.

Pattison & Weaver: Integration of the University’s resources are vital. The consumption puzzle cuts across student life, facilities management, and institutional planning.

Weaver: What plans can we come up with? How can the work “behind the curtain” be publicized around the University? There is a dual-headed approach that must be planned for prioritization of activities. First, where does the most urgent need for reactive action lie. Later, how can we make changes in a proactive manner to avert such problems from emerging in the first place.

Reichman: At this point “mapping” the sustainability problem is a significant goal.

Audience: Recycling bins are a crucial infrastructure need. Recycling is pervasive at DCB, for example, but elsewhere on campus the recycling material stream collection needs to be improved. Place recycling bins in every office. Also, DU should spearhead the idea of eliminating bottled water usage in favor of reusable containers.

Headrick: Communication is vital to empower people by conveying the understanding that they are part of the collective problem and, by extension, must be part of the collective resolution. Why are we idling our computers all night, for example. As an academic environment, we have an opportunity to propagate the values of collective action.

Weaver: The EMAD labs require 47 tons of coal to be burnt to keep the labs on standby day and night.

Patterson: Recycling facilities (namely, bins) are only part of the problem. Education is just as important. People need to know how to use them correctly. Training should be provided at orientations. Coggeshall has implemented recycling at DCB as a small case of what could be done campus-wide. One of the key pieces at DCB is the use of single-stream recycling, which enhances convenience for using recycling.

Weaver & Audience: Recycling at the end of cycle is necessary, of course. But what do you do about departments that “must have” only the ultimate paper for printing that is not recycled? Why do we give the University an opportunity to choose the non-recyclable option.

Pattison: Recycling infrastructure was used when deployed in the undergraduate dorms.

Kormacki: There is a tangible contribution to individual contributions for recycling. This message must be delivered in creative ways. Kormacki has visited UCB and seen examples. Ralphie is everywhere, he says, and is being used to encourage all manner of recycling and energy use reduction. Branding is the key at UCB.

Audience: The fragmented University political structure is an impediment to deploying recycling infrastructure. One department wants something different from another department.

Audience: Banning the sale of plastic bottles is a quick solution that could be instantly implemented. It would force people to use reusable bottles.

Hendrick: How can we make sustainability sustainable?

Patterson: A group with only 10 students cannot do all the education. OCM must be brought into the action.

Audience: Sodexho must be brought in as a partner in this dialog.

Audience: Do we have local and/or organic food choices provided for students to eat.

Audience: Lunch today was a microcosm of everything. From a vegetarian perspective, meat consumption wastes a lot of energy.

KEY POINTS

Kormacki: The main areas that need to be addressed are staff side, cafeteria, and dormitories. By looking at each of these areas and tailoring solutions pursuant to the President’s Campus Cliamte commitment, we can better characterize and develop solutions for consumption problems. All the “re’s” must be integrated in all points of institutional life.

Reichman: We have mapped the recycling needs for years, and nothing more needs to be done for this investigation. We need to educate and implement now.

Audience: We cannot only focus on recycling, it needs to be part of a bigger picture.