| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.76 |
| Liaison | Aurora Sharrard |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Pittsburgh
IN-25: Innovation B
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Richard
Heller Senior Electrical Engineer Facilities Management |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
The BYO[Bag] (Bring Your Own Bag) program launched through Pitt Housing & Dining in 2014 after more than five years of student initiatives to reduce plastic bag use on campus including a campaign that collected and recycled more than 20,000 plastic bags from students.
After the add/drop period at the beginning of each semester students are charged $0.25 for every plastic bag they use when shopping at dining locations on campus. This fee is completely avoidable – all you have to do is BYO[Bag]!
The best part of the BYO[Bag] program is that 50% of the proceeds from the bag fee as well as 50% of the sales from the BYO[Bag] reusable bags will be donated to the Pitt Green Fund to support other student sustainability initiatives like BYO[Bag]. More information about the Pitt Green Fund can be found here: http://pittgreenfund.com/
Since the program began in 2014 the University has prevented more than 1,000,000 plastic bags from being used and has raised more than $3,700 for the Pitt Green Fund. In January 2017 the University Store on Fifth and the Pitt Shop adopted the BYO[Bag] policy.
Following the success of the BYO[Bag] campaign, Dining Services has relaunched it's reusable mug program as BYO[Mug]. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors are encouraged to use a reusable mug to reduce disposable cup waste and reduce their environmental impact. Customers can save 25 cents on espresso beverages when they use a reusable mug or pay just 99 cents for brewed coffee (hot or iced).
Which of the following impact areas does the innovation most closely relate to? (select up to three):
Waste
Fundraising for other sustainability initiatives
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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.