| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.50 |
| Liaison | Amy Kadrie |
| Submission Date | Jan. 31, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Rochester
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Amy
Kadrie Recycling Coordinator Facilities |
Has the institution held at least one 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 at least one 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, including how students and/or employees were engaged:
RecycleMania is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over an 8-week period each spring, colleges across the United States and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste and which schools generate the least amount of combined trash and recycling. With each week’s updated ranking, participating schools follow their performance against other colleges and use the results to rally their campus to reduce and recycle more.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
The University of Rochester did well in many categories of RecycleMania 2018, coming in 69 out of 228 schools in the Per Capita Classic and averaging 14.47 lbs. of recycling per person. Ranking 43 out of 229 schools, the University also did well in the Total Recycling category recycling and composting a net total of 399,957 lbs., an impressive number considering the University’s relative size. Finally, in the Waste Diversion category, the University of Rochester had a 24.5 recycling rate, ranking 120 out of 170 schools. The competition also generated effects more difficult to measure, such as the motivation of students, faculty, and staff to make sustainable choices and the promotion of campus awareness about sustainability issues.
The website URL where information about the campaign is available:
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged (2nd campaign):
In October of 2014, University Parking and Transportation Services launched a marketing program named UR Connections to inform people about transportation alternatives available at the University. UR Connections divides these alternatives in three different categories: “Get a Ride”, “Share a Ride”, and “Skip a Ride”.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Savings reported in September 2017:
Miles Reduced: 251,975
Gallons Gas Saved: 9,881
User Dollars Saved: $138,586
CO2 Lbs. Reduced: 191,698
Number of Users: 2241
The website URL where information about the campaign is available (2nd campaign):
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns, including measured positive impacts:
Earth Hour 2017 involved turning off ornamental & non-essential lighting during the 8:30-9:30 PM hour in the student union, Wilson Commons, and three other prominent campus buildings.
University of Rochester’s Earth Hour 2017 event drew over one hundred students and university community members. Astronomy Club gathered sixty-five signatures from individuals who pledge to lead a more sustainable lifestyle including consciously making an effort to use less energy and seek out alternative energy sources. Through anecdotal feedback, many of the students that attended the event shared that they learned a lot about the impacts of light pollution on the environment as well as on human health and that they would be more conscious of their energy consumption in the future. Feedback also included that the information presented at Earth Hour was not information that they had heard in the past, and that it made them realize the severity of the issue.
Dump and Run serves to reduce the massive amounts of unnecessary waste that would typically result from student move-out each year. It covers essentially everything else, from dorm furniture to used appliances. Grassroots then resells these items in the fall semester to students who can use them and anything not sold goes to charity.
Clothing Exchange is a program by Grassroots that allows students to come and pick out clothes that have been donated in the past in exchange for donating their own old clothes.
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.