Tag: sustainability

Nicole Hudson, Lead Catalyst (executive director) of  Forward through Ferguson, the non- profit charged by the Ferguson Commission to facilitate implementation of the Ferguson Commission report, will deliver the opening address at the second annual Impact Investing Symposium, Friday, Feb. 24, 1:00-5:00 p.m. in Bauer Hall.

Nicole Hudson

Panel discussions with representatives of the investment community, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, banking, and local foundations will complete the afternoon’s agenda.

Register for symposium here.

“Olin Net Impact is the Washington University chapter of Net Impact, a community of more than 30,000 change makers who are using our jobs to tackle the world’s toughest problems. We put our business skills to work for good throughout every sector, showing the world that it’s possible to make a net impact that benefits not just the bottom line, but people and planet too.”

I thought I was doing the the right thing by dutifully throwing my empty Starbucks coffee cups into the recycling bin. But thanks to WashU’s Recycling Geniuses, I have seen the error of my ways.

Abbie and Hanusia (pictured above), Recycling Geniuses from the Office of Sustainability, shared their wisdom near a recycling bin in Bauer Hall before semester break. I felt terribly guilty when I learned that I have been contaminating the recycling process, but they assured me I was not alone. In fact, a lot of people on campus have been confused by the multiple options for discarding waste, according to our resident Geniuses.

Unfortunately, the confusion has lead to heavy contamination of campus waste – so much so that the hauling company has rejected our trash on a regular basis. And that leads to expensive fees and undermines our waste diversion efforts.

As much as half of our sorted recycling and compost is being routed to the landfill due to high contamination!

To clear up the confusion and clean up our recycling habits, the Office of Sustainability has created new, easy to decipher signs and recycling guidelines.  You can also find downloadable signs that can be posted in offices and other areas at this link.

One simple rule: Recycling bins should be filled with clean, dry waste. That means no products containing food, liquid or ice. Paper-based soda cups, coffee cups or plastic utensils also cannot be recycled.

Some of the big changes you will notice are that paper to-go cups and boxes are NOT recyclable and should be put in landfill (although to-go boxes should be composted, if composting is available). As a reminder, food and liquids are the primary contaminant in the recycling loads, so always make sure your containers are empty before recycling them.

It’s a new year – let’s all try to follow the new recycling guidelines and develop new habits during “Recyclemania,” – the nationwide challenge where hundreds of universities vie to recycle the largest percent of school waste. Recyclemania kicks off Feb. 5 and runs for eight weeks.

To say I was inspired by those around me at the Net Impact Conference would be an understatement. Graduate and undergraduate students from around the globe gathered to learn, network, and arm themselves with tools to strengthen and grow their Net Impact chapters.

“We should be inspired by people…who show that human beings can be kind, brave, generous, beautiful, strong- even in the most difficult circumstances.”

The Career Expo buzzed as students and employers met to discuss careers focused on impact work and companies who invested capital and energy into making an impact within their firms and their communities.

The Co-Founder of #BlackLivesMatter illustrated how the challenges we face cannot be solved alone. We need to engage one another. Senior leadership from major corporations like Toyota, Walmart, and Campbell’s explained their 10-year plans on a variety of challenges and then discussed how those goals would affect our world. To hear from the change-makers themselves is powerful enough to send chills down your spine.

However, my most poignant realization at the conference came when I realized who surrounded me in the audience. In particular, those sitting within my row. Of course everyone at the Net Impact Conference had the passion, energy, and ability to make communities stronger and the world a better place. But some of the biggest heroes in my life are the ones that I see on the frontlines every day, working to continue shaping the Olin Business School, the Washington University community, and the city of St. Louis.

As I listened to some of the keynote speakers deliver their messages, I can assure you there is no denying they have a gift for communication. But I see that same gift in my fellow classmates who joined me for the Net Impact Conference. It was an honor to attend the NI Conference on behalf of Olin and WashU; but it was even more of an honor to sit with my fellow classmates, who I know are the change-makers in the ‘now’; not the “change-makers of tomorrow”—a moniker often given to millennials.

I submit that my classmates are making this community and world a better place. Maybe they do not have the megaphone to bring to light what they are doing. Or maybe they do not have the traction or manpower necessary to create a revolution. But I know they will prove me right as they continue on their missions.

Heather Reinhardt, MBA’17, is a former Walmart intern who introduced CEO Doug McMillon prior to his remarks at the 2016 Net Impact Conference in Philadelphia. At the event, McMillon outlined a series of commitments that will benefit customers and communities – learn more about his speech here.

About Net Impact:

Net Impact is a global community of students and professionals who aspire to be effective drivers of social and environmental change. Visit www.netimpact.org.

Sales of bottled beverages at Washington University in St. Louis have plummeted 39 percent since 2009, when the university became the first in the nation to ban the sale of plastic single-use water bottles. The school initiated the ban as part of its comprehensive efforts to reduce its environmental impact.

Soda fountain sales also have dropped during that timespan. That means Washington University students, staff and faculty members are not replacing bottled water with sugary soft drinks, as some observers feared.

“Our research shows the ban has been wildly successful,” said Phil Valko, assistant vice chancellor for sustainability. “We have achieved an important university goal — reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions — and have done so while also seeing a major reduction in the consumption of bottled and fountain sugar-sweetened products.”

Research from the Office of Sustainability shows the university purchased 871,776 bottles of sodas, energy drinks and juices during the 2014-15 academic year, down from 1,439,088 bottled beverages in 2008-09. That’s a reduction of 567,000 bottles in a single year. Just as significant, the university purchased 46 percent fewer gallons of fountain drink syrup in 2014-15 academic year compared to the 2009-2010  academic year.

Washington University’s results run counter to those found at the University of Vermont, the first public university to enact a ban. In a widely reported study, researchers found students replaced bottled water with soft drinks.

“Many people in the sustainability community were concerned with the unintended consequences identified in the Vermont study,” Valko said. “There is consensus that single-use plastic bottles aren’t good for the environment and the Vermont study raised questions about the efficacy of bottled water bans, a primary strategy many institutions are using to reduce plastic bottle use. Fortunately, Washington University’s data tells a very different and very positive story about the impacts that a bottled water ban can have.”

Valko credits Washington University’s three-pronged approach for the ban’s success:

• One, the university retrofitted more than 100 existing water fountains and added new filling stations across campus. Indeed, inadequate filling stations may have been a factor at Vermont. Reports indicate that administrators there are installing even more filling stations for thirsty students.
• Two, the university supports a number of initiatives that promote good nutrition. Washington University Dining Services consistently ranks at the top of nationwide polls for its fresh and healthy food. Valko speculates nutritious dining options and nutrition education lead to healthy beverage choices.
• And three, the campus boasts a strong sustainability culture. Students initially called for the ban and continue to support it.

“Many students arrive having heard of the ban because we promote it as part of the campus culture,” Valko said. “They know that sustainability is a priority at Wash U and they want to be part of our efforts to tackle climate change and improve human health.”

Click here to read the full Washington University report.

Text from the Washington University in St. Louis Newsroom

Walk. Run. Bike. Carpool. WashU’s Office of Sustainability is daring you or your team to rethink how you get around town and participate in its Active Transportation Challenge.

FRIDAY, APRIL 1
Active Transportation Month Kickoff
11a-2p, Danforth’s Edison Courtyard

Participants will receive a free T-shirt and an invitation to the awards ceremony lunch; teams may win prizes and trophies. The kickoff is from 11am-2pm April 1 at Danforth’s Edison Courtyard. Email sustainability coordinator Jen Carter with any questions.

Please visit Trailnet’s http://ShiftYourCommute.com to sign-up as a team and log your commutes during the Active Transportation Challenge. This semester’s Challenge starts Monday, April 4, and ends Friday, April 29. We encourage you to track your mileage on the Shift Your Commute site daily so we can include your totals in weekly standing reports. We will share standings so teams can see their progress and set goals accordingly!