Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 60.05
Liaison Jessica Thompson
Submission Date Feb. 15, 2023

STARS v2.2

Northern Michigan University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Jessica Thompson
Professor/SAC Co-Chair
Business
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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?:
Yes

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?:
Yes

Name of the campaign:
Zero Waste Challenge

A brief description of the campaign:

NMU hosts the Zero Waste Challenge in collaboration with the Marquette County Landfill during NCAA-Division I hockey games. The purpose of this event is to encourage the NMU campus and local community to create less waste and a positive impact for the future, and to bring attention to the EcoReps and Sustainability Advisory Council's goal of creating a lasting impact on the university where sustainability becomes a part of our campus culture and identity.

All game attendees were directed to the zero waste stations to sort their trash items into trash, compost or recycling. Student, faculty, and staff volunteers located throughout the venue assisted in directing attendees to sorting stations and engaged student, faculty, staff, and community attendees alike in proper recycling. In partnership with Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority, everything collected that is possible was composted and/or recycled, therefore diverting as many materials as possible from the landfill. Articles were posted in student and local newspapers to bring attention to the event. Additionally, an interview was arranged between the head of the Sustainability Advisory Council and a local news to inform the local community about the council, sustainability, and the event during the evening news.


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:

The Zero Waste Challenge is an initiative held at a sporting event where students, staff, and community members help to divert waste from the landfill. Volunteers discussed how/what to recycle and compost with 4,200+ participants attending the hockey game. The volunteers helped to divert 75% of the concession and event waste from the landfill.


Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Good For Upper Peninsula

A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):

In August 2021, NMU launched a campaign in partnership with Good for Michigan and People First Economy to help local businesses align with the UN SDGs and B Corp Assessment. The campaign was led by SHINE faculty and students. https://goodfor.org/cohort-participants/good-for-upper-peninsula


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):

In the first year of the campaign (2021), 9 businesses worked with students to pursue B Corp status, and in August 2022 another 5 businesses participated. Because of the usefulness and impressiveness of the student's projects, a private donor gave $10,000 in September 2022 to fund student internships to continue B Corp and sustainability audit projects with local businesses.


A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns:

NMU EcoReps hosted a Turn Down the Lights campaign for staff and faculty. It included information on energy conservation within administrative and academic offices. https://events.nmu.edu/event/turn_down_the_lights_effort_saves_energy. The energy consumption was tracked by our facilities and recorded. This campaign takes place every year. For example, the week before the campaign, one academic building used 6,006 kWh. During the campaign, the building decreased to 5,750 kWh. https://events.nmu.edu/event/turn_down_the_lights_effort_saves_energy


Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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