Sustainability

Recent Campus Initiatives

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Energy & Water Transporation Dining Academics Recycling Students

Greenhouse Gas Inventory & Climate Action Plan-

As a Presidents Climate Commitment Signatory, RU completed a campus wide assessment determining its carbon footprint; now, RU is prioritizing its future efforts by setting short-term & long-term carbon reduction goals, planning conservation measures, and tracking its progress along the way, also known as a Climate Action Plan.

Energy & Water-

Green Seal-certified Cleaning efforts across campus. To learn more, see the RU News Release.
Energy, water, & steam monitoring efforts continue as digital meters have been installed & RU partcipated in the 1st Campus Conservation Nationals 2010 energy & water reduction competition.
Filtered water bottle-filling stations have been installed in several areas on campus.
Low-flow showerheads and water-saving faucet aerators have been installed in many Residence Halls to help conserve water usage and reduce the associated costs.
Energy Star Buildings- Two academic buildings & three residence halls have received the Energy Star Certification so far, see the latest media release at Energy Star.
Vending Misers & Snack Misers- Vending Misers & Snack Misers have been installed on campus vending machines to help conserve energy and protect the environment.

Transportation-

Radford Transit- the newest & latest addition to transportation options for RU students, faculty, & staff. Best of all...it's FREE!
Biodiesel- diesel equipment on campus is running on a fuel blend that is more sustainable and helps to reduce harmful emissions.
Electric Vehicles- RU purchased 6 battery-electric vehicles during the 2008 summer. By not producing tailpipe emissions, this helps improve the environment and makes them an excellent transportation solution around campus.

Radford Transit Vehicle recycling electric car

Dining Services-

Trayless Dining- RU began offering trayless dining during the 2007 Earth Week to help reduce food wastes and water costs. It went so well, that RU is now trayless all the time & saves ~5000 lbs. a week.
Sustainable Coffees- Green Mountain & Starbucks, have sustainable options- take a more sustainable approach by purchasing only 100% Fair Trade, organic, shade-grown coffee, organic teas & cocoas, helping to ensure that farmers around the world receive a fair wage and can support their families, and that the natural habitat they live and work in is preserved. Don't Forget!- reusable mugs are sold in Au Bon Pain & Starbucks, beverages are discounted 10% for anyone using a reusable mug
Not to mention the Cage-Free Eggs, Sustainable Seafood-partnered with the Monterey Bay Sea Aquarium to shift purchasing standards toward sustainable seafood sources; local Growth Hormone-Free Milk; Trans-Fat Free Oils & more.

Academics-

Radford University hosts a number of speakers, movie showings, and other events to help educate & inspire individuals about sustainability issues. Recently, RU hosted author Paul Rogat Loeb for a free lecture on October 18, 2010. Loeb is the author of Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times and will discussed how to act on our deepest beliefs to make a difference despite obstacles, getting others involved in working for change and avoiding burnout, among other aspects of social change and personal responsibility. The lecture was part of RU’s Campus Sustainability Day & University 100 activities and was sponsored by the Offices of SustainABILITY, Academic Engagement & Community Partnerships, and New Student Programs.
Peer Service Leaders-whose main responsibility is to get more RU students out into the community and area through service outings, field trips, alternative weekends and breaks, etc.
Chemistry Students competed in the EPA's 2008 P3 competition & won a Honorable Mention Award- click on the link to watch the video.
Faculty Development Center- "Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America" & "Strange As This Weather Has Been" by Ann Pancake, have been past book discussion groups.
RU Environmental Center's list of related sustainability & environmental courses & more
RU Stormwater Remediation Wetland Project
There are various clubs and events that you can take part in so be sure to check out the Get Involved or News & Events pages for more info and to see how you can be a part of creating a more sustainable campus culture.

Recycling-

Battery Recycling is available in all the residence halls and other areas across campus. Both rechargeable and nonrechargeable bins are available with residence life staff.
Online Recycling Bin Request is available on the Recycling website now.
Zero Waste Events-Radford University hosted its first zero-waste event as part of Welcome Back Reunion Weekend on Oct. 2, 2011, and ended the occasion with less than a pound of trash destined for the landfill.
RecycleMania- is a 10-week friendly competition for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. The dates for this year's competition will be January through March 2011.
Y-Toss?- Move out program to divert unwanted items (food, clothes, furnitures, & more) from the landfill to a local charity.
RU Recycling- RU continues to increase its recycling efforts by working with Residential Life to add new mixed paper containers to all residence hall rooms & providing updated resources on its website. But we still need your help to make it a success. If you have any recycling questions, ideas, or want to know how you can help, feel free to contact the Recycling Coordinator.