Michigan State University
EN-9: Community Partnerships

n/a

Michigan State University is part of the Regional Recycling Coordinating Committee consisting of 12 municipal and non-profit agencies throughout the tri-county region of Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties. The committee coordinates regional recycling promotion and events, including the annual Recycle Rama event where over 1 million pounds of materials have been collected from the community and diverted from landfills over the past 5 years. Michigan State University utilizes its expertise and staff to help collect and develop markets for materials collected. The committee also organizes the Tri-County Environmental Leadership Awards, celebrating businesses, non-profit organizations, schools and municipal agencies that take extraordinary measures to reduce waste. Michigan State University also has long standing participation and in the Michigan Recycling Coalition, University Surplus Property Association and College & University Recycling Coalition. Whether through Board of Director’s or committee positions, Michigan State University’s active participation and long term support of these organizations helps to create resources for our peers and drive decision making at both the national and state level.

Michigan State University is an active participant in the BIG10 & Friends Sustainability Network. Current projects include the analysis of the groups collective sustainability impact within the regional conference. The Big Ten and Friends Environmental Group began in 2009 as a result of the Big Ten Financial Officers meeting to identify and plan for long-term issues of environmental stewardship. The first meeting took place in November 2009 in Chicago, IL. Big Ten and Friends institutions came together to discuss energy initiatives and opportunities to work together to solve common challenges. In addition to the (at the time) eleven schools in the Big Ten, the University of Notre Dame, University of Chicago, and the University of California were also represented. The success of the first meeting prompted the group to organize bi-annual meetings in the spring and fall. The group expanded to include institutions such as University of Texas and the University of Nebraska. The discussion also evolved to include topics such as materials management, food, strategic planning, student engagement, and institutional metrics. The meetings have resulted in multi-institution collaborations around energy efficiency and lighting, purchasing, and bench marking.