Greening Up Your Graduation



Dreamstime Stock Photos / Graduation Robe © Uciekinier  ID: 5257063

Congratulations graduates! Graduation is here and so are the graduation celebrations. There are many things you, your family and friends can do to green up your festivities!

 

Whether you are graduating from high school or college, jobs are probably one of the things you’re thinking about. Did you know that your bottle really means jobs? Recently, the Carolina Plastics Recycling Council created the Your Bottle Means Jobs campaign which was launched in the Carolinas. The goal is to capture more of the 3 billion plastic bottles thrown in the trash each year. By recycling only two more bottles a week you’ll help create jobs, grow the economy, support local businesses, reduce energy and other natural resources, and save valuable landfill space right here in your own backyard.

Chances are you might be wearing some of the fruits of your recycling efforts to your graduation. North Carolina based company Unifi Incorporated, creator of REPREVE ® recycled fiber, in partnership with Oak HallCap & Gown have created green graduation gowns. Each Oak Hall GreenWeaver® and NuHorizon® gown is made from about 27 post-consumer plastic bottles. As of today, over 87.7 million plastic bottles were recycled and made into new, recyclable graduation gowns. Now that’s getting off to a green start for your next journey!

Don’t stop there! Greening up your graduation festivities starts with the invitations and announcements. Consider emailing...not only will it save you on postage, it will save money from ordering the paper invitations as well. Do you still want to go the paper route? That’s ok! Be sure to ask everyone to recycle the announcements and invitations when they no longer need them.

Dreamstime Stock Photos | Wild Flowers Including Daisies And Corn Flowers

ID: 82988084 | © creativecommonsstockphotos

Decorating can be beautiful and environmentally friendly. Instead of buying new decorations, ask family or friends if they have any you could reuse. If they don’t, try incorporating nature into your decorations with greenery, flowers, shells or other natural materials.

Dreamstime Stock Photos Free Picture | Fruit Market

ID: 4369081 | © Michael Zysman 

A little preparation can go a long way! When you are planning the meal, first get a list together. Then try incorporating local foods into the menu. Local farmer’s markets are a great source of local food. Once the meal is over, don’t throw away those leftovers, reinvent them into other meals or compost them.

Dreamstime Stock Photos | Festive Table Setting

ID: 84940824 | © creativecommonsstockphotos 

Take steps to reduce the waste from your celebration. At your party, consider reusable dining ware and cloth napkins and table cloths. Can’t get away from using disposable items? Use one-time use items made from biodegradable or compostable materials where possible. Recycle all other materials such as plastic, aluminum, paper, and if possible try to avoid using Styrofoam.

Whew! Now that the festivities are over it’s time to clean it all up. Clean post-graduation messes with environmentally friendly cleaning products. Carefully pack away any decorations and excess supplies that may be used again.

 

As always, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle as much as possible. Now got get ‘em graduates: the world is your [recyclable] oyster! 

Dreamstime Stock Photos | Graduates Throwing Graduation Caps

ID: 84994878 | © creativecommonsstockphotos 

 

Our First Recycling Outreach Event

Guest Bloggers: Addie Thornton and Danielle Peacock

Addie and Danielle are both interns with DENR’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach. Addie is a senior at N.C. State University, majoring in natural resources with a concentration in policy and administration. Danielle is a 2011 Master of Public Administration candidate at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Our first recycling outreach event was at N.C. Central University for the Pro-Am College Basketball Tournament. We were not sure what to expect since we don’t regularly work in outreach. DEAO’s Kelley Dennings prepared us well with anecdotes on outreach and lots of stickers, bottle openers, brochures and surveys packed up and ready to go.

After we packed our car with supplies, a table and some chairs, we headed to Durham. We experienced the first of many hurdles in outreach: getting to the event! We were relieved to get to the gymnasium with no problems, and even got a parking space close by. This was a huge blessing since we had so much to carry, and it was raining when we left. We set up near the trophy case, hoping to catch peoples’ eyes as they walked by to tell them about recycling.

Some visitors did not want anything to do with us. We didn’t have very many people walk up to us on their own, but when we reached out, some would stop. It reminded us of avoiding kiosks in shopping malls. If you stop to take a free sample or demonstration, they suck you in and won’t let you leave. It seemed like some of the Pro-Am visitors viewed us in the same way. Naturally, some people just didn’t want to talk with us.

We did succeed in handing out some bottle openers to adults and stickers to little kids. Some played the game “What’s in the box?” They were amused by the game and surprised to pull out “wood” made of recycled plastic. We made sure to remind people to “please recycle!” One thing we noticed was we had nothing to give 13 to 20 -year -olds. This group was too old for stickers, but we did not feel appropriate handing them bottle openers. We spent some time brainstorming items for that group, but it is difficult to come up with affordable items on a publicly-funded budget.

Overall, it was a very good experience that we both enjoyed. We got to interact with the public directly and promote recycling with face to face contact. Recently, we both got to work another outreach event at the North Carolina State Fair. We volunteered at the RE3 recycling booth in the Green NC tent and reached out to thousands through surveys, recycling pledges, pictures with the RE3 avatars and Can Guy from Recycle Guys, free bottle openers and much more! If you didn’t get a chance to come by the recycling booth, make sure you stop in next year at the N.C. State Fair!

The team (who really does all the work)

We have a couple of new summer interns at N.C. DPPEA. These folks are the heart and soul of the education and outreach marketing team. I’ve asked them to introduce themselves via this blog over the next couple of weeks. Some you’ll recognize, since they’ve been with us for a couple of years (and are looking for full-time jobs – hint, hint) and others are still learning the ropes.

Let me take this time also, to thank all the interns I’ve had.
- Trina – She was my first DPPEA intern. She’s a great analyst and landed a plum job in the “private sector.”
- Dwight was my first design intern. He taught me all about typography and white space. I’ve never been the same since.
- Ellen helped us make our first social media pages. She was instrumental in starting our MySpace and YouTube accounts.
- Dakota and Hannah came as a set. They were friends and made a great team. Dakota was the design intern and Hannah was a marketing student. They have each had exciting lives in big cities on opposite ends of the U.S. since graduating.
- Lindsay was our summer videographer. She helped create some of our great training videos.
- Mary – Regular blog readers might know her as Michigan Mary. She was looking for an adventure and moved to N.C. for the semester (just for our internship – it’s that competitive – JK).
- Margaret – She was my second intern from N.C. State’s Marketing Department. I love this group of students. She, too, moved and got a full-time job. We must train them well.
- Chelsea – This was our first Chelsea (but not our last). She was an excellent worker and moved on to a full-time gig.
- Wambui dug in and helped when asked. She conducted outreach events for me throughout the summer!
- Leigh – This girl can design. Watch out, she’ll be working for Oprah one day – I just know it. Leigh moved to Florida and is employed by a design firm.
- Jessica just graduated and is looking for a full-time marketing job. Know of one? She kicked butt doing research, writing and conducting a webinar. Quite a catch.

Basketball and Recycling - Go hand in hand

RE3.org just completed a month-long outreach program at the SJG Greater N.C. Pro-Am Basketball Tournament at N.C. Central University. Talk about fun! Not only did we talk to hundreds of people about recycling, we also saw some good basketball and met some great players. Check out our pictures here.

Duke fans – see Mason Plumlee. State fans – see Julius Mays.

As always, we had a survey for attendees to complete. We’ll post the results shortly.

N.C. Central Revamps Recycling

Guest Blogger – Wambui, Summer Intern
According to an article in Campus Echo, N.C. Central University, in conjunction with Orange Recycling Services, started a recycling program in November of 2008. But will the momentum catch on?

This past semester I remember seeing the big blue bins in the narrow school corridors. The bins were annoying as students had to share the narrow corridor. At the back of my mind, I had always known that recycling was important, but I did not understand how the process worked.

This summer, I am interning with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. I have learned a lot which has changed my recycling habits. I look forward to spreading this helpful information to my fellow students.

Our office initiated a program with the NCCU gym during the Pro-Am Basketball Tournament. We will be helping spread the recycling message to the whole community. NCCU has come a long way since the 2004 Campus Echo article by Marcus Roundtree. In his article, Roundtree calls attention to the fact that NCCU is not recycling as much as it should. I believe these efforts will sensitize the students to participate fully in the program that has already been put in place. Let us all be the change that we want to see!

Survey Results – Raleigh, N.C. via N.C. State Students – Spring 2009

Input from Guest Blogger – Bianca Howard

This past spring semester, N.C. State Pack Promotions (Communications and Marketing Student Group) administered a 25-question survey that received 237 responses. The survey was sent to acquaintances of Pack Promotions members through Survey Monkey (an online tool) and through a hard copy form.

Demographic information: 59% = female and 38% = male, (3% did not answer this question)
68% of participants were 18 to 29-years-old, 14% were 30 to 39-years-old, 6% were 40 to 49-years-old and 9% responded were 50 or older. (3% did not answer).

Focus group results and open ended survey results:
- Text messaging and other reminders
- Use the Internet to communicate
- “Recycling is inconvenient”
- “I’m unsure of which items can be recycled”

Q: Did you know that there are three items (oyster shells, plastic bottles, wooden pallets) that will no longer be accepted in the landfill beginning October, 2009? 93% said no.
We have our work cut out for us!

Q: Do you consider yourself an active recycler? 64% said yes.

Q: Have you heard of the Recycle Guys before? 72% said yes.

When asked “Which outlets do you rely on for recycling information? Please check all that apply,” the majority of respondents (36%) said that television was their main form of communication. Other main categories included: 33% indicated friends, 29% from newspapers, 26% said family and 25% said they got their information from the Internet.

So Bianca posed the question – Why is TV number one in this survey as the main form of recycling communication, when over the past few years RE3.org surveys show the Internet as the main avenue for information and communication?

I’m not sure, exactly, but it could be that the question was phrased slightly different, that ~30% of the survey respondents were more than 30 years old and/or 60% were female. We often get data that shows 35 to 55-year-olds watch more TV and that females get information more from TV than males.

What do you think? What is the best mode of communication in your town?

GreenStudentU.com

Guest Blogger - Clare

GreenStudentU.com is a college student-geared blog dedicated to offering students “green information” and the latest in green topics and worldwide green events. It has different blog sections for separate topics including one geared specifically to living green while on campus, which can be a hassle. I recently took a whirl around the site and found it to be very informative. I especially liked the “encyclopedia” tab, where you can find detailed information and guides about many green topics, including the “Green Vehicle Guide” that actually explains the differences among “green” cars. Plus, they have a link to the UN’s “Free Rice” game that’s great for procrastinators like me (I don’t feel so guilty putting off that research paper if I can help reduce world hunger).

Clare's Comments

Clare, our intern, has been posting blogs right and left. Check some of them out below.

Paper That Self Erases After 24 Hours
Recycling is better than tossing a sheet of paper in the trash. Better yet is not printing anything in the first place. But sometimes for convenience sake (not to mention your vision) it’s easier to print out something you could otherwise read on the computer. This is where Xerox’s Self Erasing Paper concept is brilliant. Special ink disappears after 24 hours on the paper, and the paper is reusable again and again. Saves printing costs AND prevents waste. It’s still a concept, but I doubt the idea will disappear (ZING!).

Local Greeks Going Green
Organizations everywhere are stepping up and going green, including local fraternities and sororities. The Phi Gamma Delta, Epsilon Chapter of UNC-Chapel Hill has gone green - and beyond. Earlier this year the brothers of Phi Gam realized that not only would it be economically sound to cut energy costs, but also “goin’ green” would aid the environment AND foster a positive image for Greek life at UNC-Chapel Hill. The Phi Gam brothers have been doing a great job, but they understand the difficulties of trying to get people to change their behaviors: something we here at RE3.org try to tackle by using social marketing techniques (like this blog…so keep reading!). Check out Phi Gam’s Web site dedicated entirely to their Green Campaign at http://tarheelgreen.com.

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

Guest blog post - Clare

The Sustainable Endowments Institute recently released their “College Sustainability Report Card” for 2008. Universities were graded on seven areas, including Climate Change and Energy, Food and Recycling, and Transportation. Three of the Triangle’s colleges (Duke University, North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill) were included in the profile. Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill both received grades above average, receiving a B+ and B- respectively, and improved their records from last year. NC State did not boast the same eco-friendly grades as the other Triangle schools, obtaining an overall D grade and failing in three of the seven areas. As a former student of UNC-Chapel Hill and current student of NC State, I can personally see discrepancies, most notably in transportation. What I wouldn’t give for a comprehensive transit system for both NC State and Raleigh (no offense, Wolfline, but you just don’t cut it). And I’m still waiting on my light rail ala Charlotte.

For more information on the Endowment Institute or the College Sustainability Report Card, visit http://www.endowmentinstitute.org.

Going trayless (not topless)

Have you heard about this new trend on college campuses? School cafeterias are doing away with trays. Thus saving water and energy and reducing food waste. I know this guy in college who used to just use his skateboard as his tray. How’s that for thinking outside the tray?

Read about it here.
See a video here.



Are there any colleges in NC doing this you ask? Well some. See the list here.
-North Carolina A&T State
-North Carolina Central University
-North Carolina Wesleyan-Café
-Presbyterian College-Greenville (maybe Greenville, SC?)
-Saint Mary’s College
-Warren Wilson College

Earth Day Memories

When I was in college, our university’s Environmental Club participated in an Earth Day celebration in downtown Raleigh. The best thing that came from that event was meeting someone from the local music amphitheater who asked our Environmental Club to collect aluminum cans from the tailgaters in the parking lot before each show. Then we got to see the headlining band. Those were the days!

I bring this up because I was at a number of Earth Day events the last couple of weeks. Don’t these pictures tell a story?




Top - Dottie Bottle tattoo on head
Bottom - Dottie Bottle with Carolina Rollergirl

Six Ways College Students Can Help the Environment

Guest Blogger - Hannah

As a college student I know how busy life can get. I know what its like to “forget” to do simple acts that matter. Like recycling your vast array of bottles and cans. Check out this blog for six ways college students can help save the environment and start remembering how important the small steps really are!

Food Waste Blog has a good tactic

Food waste at colleges (or any all-you-can eat cafeteria) can reach upwards of one pound per person per meal.

Rutgers University dining services posted a sign asking students to take only what they’ll eat. But JP Kemmick, a graduating senior at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., has done them one better:

He and other students created a program called “Are you Going to Eat That?” A group of students, including Kemmick, stood at the trash cans in the cafeteria, eating food off diners’ plates to point out how much they wasted.

While participating students are taking a bit of a health risk, that kind of in-your-face awareness will make students’ recognize their food waste. The same tactic could be used more safely to collect wasted food for to compost or feed animals.

Either way, a little guilt can be a powerful tool. And I love a group that targets food waste while their name reminds me of my practical, omnivorous grandpa.

*The RE3.org campaign tries not to use guilt messaging. I wonder how much is too much?

Student podcasts at the University of Minnesota

Thanks to a post I saw on Craig Lefebvres’ blog I heard about a great university campaign that is using social networking techniques to promote student health. We could easily emulate this for recycling. Anyone interested?

VIDEOS OF THE WEEK – Collegiate recycling videos

I’ve gotten news about two universities creating short recycling videos. Check them out here:
Wake Forest University
University of Tennessee

COLLEGE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT CARD - A review of campus and endowment policies at leading institutions

Jan 31, 2007, CHAPEL HILL -- Duke University got a "B" grade and UNC-Chapel Hill got a "C" on the new College Sustainability Report Card, which rates 100 colleges on campus greening practices and endowment policies.

Four institutions -- Harvard and Stanford universities and Dartmouth and Williams colleges -- got "A-" grades in the report, released by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, a Cambridge, Mass.-based research group.

Universities were graded in seven areas: administration; climate change and energy; food and recycling; green building; endowment transparency; investment priorities and shareholder engagement.

UNC got grades of "A," "B," "C," "B," "F," "C" and "F," respectively.

Duke got an "F" in endowment transparency, a "D" in shareholder engagement and "A" grades in the other categories.

UNC was praised for hiring a variety of staff members to promote sustainability, but got a "C" in the investment category for not making statements about investing in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

Giving Duke an "A" in the energy category, report authors call Duke one of the country's largest higher-education purchasers of green power. Hydro- and wind power is used for 31 percent of Duke's needs, the report said.

In investment priorities, Duke was commended for its $5 million investment in the Latino Community Credit Union in Durham.

RecycleMania

Posts this week will include a compilation of collegiate environmental and social marketing campaigns and projects.

RecycleMania is a friendly competition among college and university recycling programs in the United States that provides the campus community with a fun, proactive activity in waste reduction. Over a 10-week period, campuses compete in contests to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita or have the highest recycling rate.

The main goal of this event is to increase student awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization. All participating schools are required to report measurements on a weekly basis in pounds.

RecycleMania provides many ways to gain recognition, including RecycleMania trophies, awards and participant certificates. RecycleMania ultimately helps all participating colleges and universities make achievements in recycling and waste reduction!