| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.33 |
| Liaison | James Biesecker |
| Submission Date | Nov. 1, 2022 |
Gettysburg College
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Jim
Biesecker Associate Vice President of Facilities Planning & Management Facilities Services |
Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Name of the campaign:
A brief description of the campaign:
1) Gettysburg participates in Recyclemania, an intercollegiate competition which challenges students to measure and track all recycling generated on campus over the course of ten weeks. We have proudly participated consistently in the competition since 2007 where we were ranked 92 in the country for our recycling efforts. In 2022, we finished 6th in the country and have been in the top 10 for the last several years.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
1) The greatest impact of the Recyclemania competition has been raising awareness of the importance of recycling on campus. In 2007, student initiatives lead to the introduction of recycling bins in each residential room.. In 2012 we added trash cans to every residence hall room so there was a clear program. In 2009 the college introduced single-stream recycling, eliminating the need to sort plastics, paper, and other materials.
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Since 2004, at the end of each academic year, Gettysburg College Facilities Services and the United Way of Adams County coordinate the Gettysburg United Give It Up for Good Sale. As students move out at the end of the spring semester, they are able to donate all their reusable items rather than discard them. Gettysburg College also donates our retired res hall furniture, office furniture and micro fridges. Sustainability interns working with the Facilities Services Department and volunteers from the United Way collect, organize, and resell the items to the community. Sale is held annually on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend! All proceeds benefit the United Way.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
In the 17 years of the program the College and surrounding Gettysburg Community have seen many positive impacts.
Diverting items from the waste stream was the primary goal for creating this program. Creating a partnership with the United Way was a great bi-product of this challenge. Annually we average over 25 tons of items that we have diverted from the waste stream and has a chance at a 2nd life.. Nearly 450 tons have been diverted during the program.
Building Community is the 3rd biggest impact! Employees from the College volunteer their time to sort the donations and work the sale. They join other community volunteers to prepare for the sale. Nearly 800 volunteer hours happen to collect, sort and sell the items. Part of building community is the fact that over 800 community members come to the sale annually, with nearly 500 lined up for when the doors open!
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.