AASHE 2010

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AASHE 2010 CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY AS A DRIVER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE

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AASHE 2010. CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY AS A DRIVER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE. Meet the Panelists!. Elizabeth Cole-Fay. Project Coordinator, Instructional Design Department Oversees many of Rio's sustainability initiatives  Helped develop Sustainable Food Systems Program - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of AASHE 2010

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AASHE 2010

CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY AS A DRIVER OF

SOCIAL JUSTICE

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Meet the Panelists!

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Elizabeth Cole-Fay• Project Coordinator, Instructional Design

Department – Oversees many of Rio's sustainability

initiatives  • Helped develop Sustainable Food Systems

Program• Co-chair of Pay 30 Forward, Rio's Social

Sustainability Campaign• Elizabeth is a core member of Rio's STARS team

that is tracking and reporting the college's relative progress toward sustainability

• Elizabeth holds a B.A. from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and a M.Ed. from Northern Arizona University

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Tod Scott• Waste Services Supervisor, University of Wyoming

since 2003• Manages 6 full time and 16 part time staff • Member of the Wyoming Solid Waste and Recyclers

Association since 2003• 4th year on UW’s campus sustainability committee• 4th year on UW’s staff senate, served as President in

2009• Tod holds a Bachelors and a Masters degree from the

University of Wyoming in Business Administration and Public Administration respectively

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Rob Gogan• Recycling and Waste Manager for Harvard University

– Oversees waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and disposal for most of the campus

• Serves on the Steering Committees for CURC (College & University Recycling Council), RecycleMania, and the Institution Recycling Network

• Harvard’s recycling rate has grown from 5% in 1989 to 55% in 2010 and reduction in per capita trash generation by 30% during the same period

• Rob hopes to further increase reuse of Harvard’s surplus furniture, supplies and equipment to benefit our neighbors and non-profit organizations

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The Tie that BindsBetter World Books provides ReUse/Recycling solutions that fulfill the trifecta of sustainability!

SOCIAL – ENVIRONMENTAL – ECONOMIC

We provide a FREE program to keep your campus’ books out of the waste stream, which returns revenue both for your campus programs and for our Non Profit Literacy Partners.

Booth 316 for more details…

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Campus Sustainability as a Driver of Social Justice

Elizabeth Cole-Fay, M.Ed.Project CoordinatorRio Salado College

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Rio Salado College

A Maricopa Community College

Headquarters in Tempe, ArizonaTotal annual unduplicated headcount – 52,634Total annual online learners – 40,000+

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Sustainability @ Rio Salado College

Thinking GREEN and beyond

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Core Values

SUSTAINABILITYCustomer FocusRelentless ImprovementInclusivenessProfessionalismTeamwork

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Rio’s Carbon Commitment

The college has adopted several measuresto “think GREEN” and beyond -

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Rio’s Carbon Commitment

• Charter Signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

• Charter Participant of STARS• Winner of America’s Greenest Campus (2009)• Sustainability as a college-wide goal• Programs and Degrees in Sustainability

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Triple Bottom Line Approach

Sustainability:“Meeting the needs of the presentwithout compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their needs.”

United Nations Conference, 1987

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Social Sustainability

Rio Salado College believes investing in volunteerism is good business.

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Honoring 30 Years of Service

• Pay 30 Forward launched in July 2009• Honors Rio’s 30+ years of services to the

communities we serve• All employees encouraged to volunteer 30+

hrs in the community

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College-Wide Service Campaigns

• Tools for Teachers Back to School Drive• Food Drives/Thanksgiving Turkey Drive• Crisis Nursery Telethon with 98.7 The Peak’s

Project Give• Reusable Water Bottle Drive for Summer

Hydration Stations

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Honoring Individual Service

Rio Employee Uses Vacation to Volunteer in

Haiti

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Earth Day 2010

A Book Drive…….because words are worth more than just the paper they're printed on.

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Recycling for Social Change

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A Dynamic Partnership

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Supporting Literacy

Invisible Children improves the quality of life for war-affected children by providing access to quality

education, enhanced learning environments and innovative economic opportunities for the

community.

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What Drives Rio’s Participation?

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What is the University What is the University of Wyoming doing to be of Wyoming doing to be

more sustainable?more sustainable?

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Presidents Climate Presidents Climate CommitmentCommitment

In September 2007, President Buchanan signed the American In September 2007, President Buchanan signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, committing UW to reducing its carbon emissions over the committing UW to reducing its carbon emissions over the coming decades, and to eventually become carbon neutral. coming decades, and to eventually become carbon neutral. As part of the commitment, UW has now completed its As part of the commitment, UW has now completed its Climate Action Plan, the document to guide the institution in Climate Action Plan, the document to guide the institution in achieving its sustainability goals. The Climate Action Plan is achieving its sustainability goals. The Climate Action Plan is a joint effort of University administrators, faculty, staff and a joint effort of University administrators, faculty, staff and students.students.

http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/http://www.uwyo.edu/sustainability/

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Accomplishments in Accomplishments in SustainabilitySustainability

Energy Efficiency Energy Efficiency LEED Silver Standard (new construction)LEED Silver Standard (new construction)

Shuttle ServiceShuttle Service Bike Loan ProgramBike Loan Program

Composting Program for Dining ServicesComposting Program for Dining Services Energy Star Purchasing PolicyEnergy Star Purchasing Policy

Courses, Seminars, Lectures and Events Courses, Seminars, Lectures and Events RecycleMania Participant (top 30%)RecycleMania Participant (top 30%) Creative Waste Diversion StrategiesCreative Waste Diversion Strategies

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RecycleMania 2010RecycleMania 2010

Over 600 Schools Nationwide Over 600 Schools Nationwide competed in this competition last competed in this competition last

year. year. UW has placed among the top 30% of UW has placed among the top 30% of

schools participating.schools participating. The contest Measured the amount of trash & recycled The contest Measured the amount of trash & recycled

materials collected to determine which participants had the materials collected to determine which participants had the highest recycling rate.highest recycling rate.

And the participating colleges collected more than 84 Million And the participating colleges collected more than 84 Million pounds of materials during the 10 week competition.pounds of materials during the 10 week competition.

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UW Recycling FactsUW Recycling Facts UW last year had a full time equivalent UW last year had a full time equivalent

campus population of 13,192.campus population of 13,192. Collected:Collected:

65,520 pounds of containers 65,520 pounds of containers 303,641 pounds of cardboard303,641 pounds of cardboard 544,492 pounds of paper544,492 pounds of paper 913,653 total pounds in FY10913,653 total pounds in FY10 Increase from 781,194 total pounds in FY09Increase from 781,194 total pounds in FY09

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Waste Diversion - BooksWaste Diversion - Books Sent over 12,000 books to Better Sent over 12,000 books to Better

World Books in the last two yearsWorld Books in the last two years Books sourced from Academic Books sourced from Academic

Library, Students and FacultyLibrary, Students and Faculty Books are either ReUsed through the Books are either ReUsed through the

online sale, ReUsed through donation online sale, ReUsed through donation or Recycledor Recycled

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ReUse of Books 75% of the books sent were sold which 75% of the books sent were sold which

makes the program (economically makes the program (economically sustainable). sustainable).

Each book sold means funds are returned to Each book sold means funds are returned to UW as well as 501c3, nonprofit literacy UW as well as 501c3, nonprofit literacy initiatives (socially sustainable) .initiatives (socially sustainable) .

Of the 3,000 books not sold, 20% were Of the 3,000 books not sold, 20% were donated to partners like Books for Africa and donated to partners like Books for Africa and Feed the Children (more social impact!)Feed the Children (more social impact!)

The remainder were recycled (more The remainder were recycled (more environmental impact!)environmental impact!)

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Book ReUse continuedBook ReUse continued UW also sends books that Better UW also sends books that Better

World Books can not accept to Books World Books can not accept to Books Beyond Borders to help them build Beyond Borders to help them build schools in third world countries.schools in third world countries.

Material that neither book buyer is Material that neither book buyer is interested in are cut up and the interested in are cut up and the paper is recycled.paper is recycled.

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Social Benefits Less books in the local landfills More funding for UW Recycling

Program ReUse funds worldwide literacy

initiatives

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ACRES: ACRES: AAgricultural gricultural CCommunity ommunity RResources for esources for EEveryday veryday SSustainabilityustainability

UW ACRES (Agricultural Community UW ACRES (Agricultural Community Resources for Everyday Sustainability), Resources for Everyday Sustainability),

Student Farm is a University of Wyoming Student Farm is a University of Wyoming student managed agricultural operation student managed agricultural operation that provides quality nutritious food for that provides quality nutritious food for the local community. The Student Farm the local community. The Student Farm

will additionally provide educational and will additionally provide educational and research opportunities for the Laramie and research opportunities for the Laramie and

University of Wyoming communitiesUniversity of Wyoming communities  

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Ongoing Projects Weekly compost collection from the Weekly compost collection from the

UW campus and Laramie businesses UW campus and Laramie businesses Including Campus Dining ServicesIncluding Campus Dining Services Residence Hall’s annual pumpkin carving Residence Hall’s annual pumpkin carving

contest contest Composting on-site at the student run Composting on-site at the student run

1.8-acre allotment. 1.8-acre allotment. Compost is currently used to improve Compost is currently used to improve

soil conditions at the student farmsoil conditions at the student farm

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Community involvement Tour of ACRES for:

USDA CSREES Plant Sciences program review team Laramie Local Foods group Attendees of the 2009 Consumer Issues Conference: Food Safety,

Security, and Sources of which ACRES cosponsored Produce

Sold at weekly farmers market Donated weekly to St. Mark’s Cathedral soup kitchen Closed the compost loop by providing produce to UW Dining

Services Education for the Community

Taught class on plant science and helped with greenhouse project at Laramie Children's Museum

Friday Harvests and Saturday workdays open to the public

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Curriculum improvements The Student Farm provides

educational and research opportunities for the Laramie and University of Wyoming communities

 

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Current and completed research at ACRES

ACRES Student Farm weed management plan, Michael Baldwin, BS Agroecology

Research Project on waste management, recycling, and compost at Laramie Jr./Sr. high school, UW Science Posse

Biodiesel feasibility project, Alix Hakala, MS Soil Science  Developing work skills for mentally handicapped students by

working on ACRES Student Farm, Penny Strain, MS Education Growing broiler chickens on ACRES Student Farm, Collin

Tucker, PhD Design of ACRES logo, Katherine Kerber, BA Art Design of storage facility/harvest station, Doug Fankell and

Amber Lesbock, BS Architectural Engineering Insect monitoring, Nevin Lawrence, BS Agroecology Growing strawberries, Maureen Vinegegas, MS Plant Sciences

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Social Impact Educate the Community on local food sourcing

and sustainable agriculture through tours and open volunteering

Cross departmental benefit through increased quality of education at UW

Less waste in the local landfills through community compost pickups at schools and businesses

More nutritionally rich produce in the UW Dining Halls.

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Transportation

In 2008 the University of Wyoming added the SafeRide shuttle service on and around

campus and the community to reduce the number of cars on the campus perimeter.

The University also has a bike loan program available to reduce carbon emissions.

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Current SafeRide stats

33,000 rides5 vansOffice in downtown Laramie for high

visibility Run routes until 2am

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Who’s riding?

Age range of passengers 18-57 (avg=22)76% are current UW students14.5% = Laramie residents, visitors,

Laramie Community College or UW staff5.5% alumni4% WyoTech

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SafeRide to come…

Adding a 6th van to reduce wait timesExpect an increase of ridership above

34,000 this year

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What is the social benefit?

Reduced cars on the roadProvide a safe alternative to DWI/DUIIncrease public transit options for

communityBike loan program results in less cars and

more physical activity for students

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Community Partnerships for Sustainable Materials Management

Rob GoganRecycling and Waste ServicesHarvard Facilities Maintenance Operations175 North Harvard StreetAllston, MA [email protected]://www.uos.harvard.edu/fmo/recycling/

AASHE 2010, Denver: Campus Initiatives to Catalyze a Just and Sustainable World

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•Historic campus laid out on ox trails and Indian paths in 1636, first in Anglo America—no back alleys, few loading docks, few dumpsters allowable•500 buildings on 600 acres in Cambridge, Boston and Watertown•Urban setting in most densely populated part of metro area of 3.5 million •18,000 FTE students + 22,000 FTE faculty and staff + 2,000 contractors•Built on Charles River flood plain with low elevation •$27 billion endowment 2010, biggest in U.S.

George Washington slept here.

Continental Army troops barracked here in 1775 & recycled roof flashing into bullets for the Battle of Bunker Hill.

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Presidential CommitmentGreenhouse Gas reduction: “30%

below 2006 level by 2016”

Former US VP Al Gore ’68 helps Harvard President Drew Faust announce Greenhouse Gas Commitment, Oct 2008

Community Service for students: summer housing & board offered to any student pledging to work 30 hours per week as a member of a student community service organization affiliated with Phillips Brooks House

Sustainability Principle #1: “Harvard University is committed to continuous improvement in demonstrating institutional practices that decrease production of waste … both in Harvard’s own operations and in those of its suppliers.

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Re-use saves hidden resources…• We only see the

tip of the “Waste Berg.” That’s why it’s much more better to buy, use & re-use only what you need than to buy too much and recycle or compost it all.

The waste we see and handle (e.g. laptop computer)

The waste generated to create item (100 kg mining ore, petro-chemicals, mercury, lithium, 30 metric tons of tap water), transport it and package it—and the resources saved if reuse makes purchase unnecessary

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Harvard Recycling 2010

•Diversion of 709 tons from disposal•Donation of over $2,500,000 worth of reused furniture, clothing and books to non-profit organizations and needy individuals•Assistance to over 100 Harvard, Massachusetts and overseas charities•Raising $102,000 for seven student organizations•Vocational training to 25 special needs high schoolers

We harvest the campus “orchard” for environmental benefit and increased community health. Fruits from a few of our partnerships in FY 2010:

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Harvard Campus Refuse Profile, FY2010

• Basic Recyclables: 23% 3,420 tons• Compost: 25% 3,690 tons• Other recycling: 7% 1,086 tons• Trash: 45% 7,868 tons• Total refuse 16,236 tons• Per capita trash 365 pounds• Per capita recycling 442 pounds• Average per-meal waste, 2002: > 5 ounces• Average per-meal waste, 2009: < 3 ounces

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FY10 Tons

Computers refurbished & sold (Semi-new Computers) or donated 29Move-out furniture /clothing/books (220 truckloads) 192Office furniture, supplies, appliances for reuse 281Mattresses/IRN 4Food, cosmetics, cleaning supplies 2Non-perishable food 1Servable meals to Greater Boston Food Bank 200

TOTAL 709

Surplus diverted from disposal

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HHH digs us out from Move-out avalanche

At Move-out time, student volunteers from Harvard Habitat for Humanity and other organizations sort, clean and process goods arriving from Harvard Recycling and Dorm Crew (average 200 truckloads) in order to sort, clean and stage goods for fall “Stuff Sales”. Profits fund their food, travel and housing on their trips to build homes for HH in the US and overseas.

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Student Donations at Move-out: Elements of Success

• Prompt collections by Harvard Recycling keep scavengers at bay• Official support for program and exclusivity—other student drives

must help sort all goods at warehouse to assure collections• Professional drivers (Recycling & Landscape)• Student Dorm Crew cleaners get abandoned goods out of rooms &

set out at truck-friendly locations• Ergonomic devices make labor easier: hampers, pallet jacks, pallets,

dolleys, roller blades!• Dean of Students provides college housing & board to 10 volunteers• Expectation from previous years’ fundraising sets high standards for

current year’s leadership• Repetitive nature of calendar year enables continuous improvement• Large sheltered warehouse holds 20,000 sq feet

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Pickups from Donation StationsCorrugated bin box is slightly smaller volume than blue hamper. Can be upended into hamper then retrieved and left empty. At Move-out time (month of May) we collect from 48 Donation Stations daily.

Two drivers & lift gate truck.

Photos by Kathryn Harris

CAUTION: Unauthorized charities and student drives may divert goods to their bins, which often do not get picked up

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Move-out goods destinations

Clothing & shoes sold at textile broker to benefit HHH, Alternative Spring Break, Harvard Taiwan Leadership Conference

Office furniture sold at Stuff Sale or given to charities (Houses of Worship, schools, municipal offices

Upholstered furniture all sold at Stuff Sale. Futons, couches and upholstered chairs especially popular. Caution: Bedbugs

Rugs: handmade oriental rugs sold separately; machine rugs: Smaller than 3’ x 5 sell well; larger iffy; room-sized hard to sell. Unsold donated to Haiti Earthquake relief (they loaded and took away).

Pillows: <10% sell; remainder are picked up by Haiti Earthquake Relief. Each summer, undergrad dorms discard 3,000 pillows.

Crutches, canes and orthotics: clinics won’t take them, but some nursing/rehabilitation homes will. Help Haiti Walk picked up the rest—collaboration between Partners in Health, Gentle Giant Movers & Hammond Real Estate.

Non-perishable food items go to local homeless shelters, food pantries, Greater Boston Food Bank, Lovin’ Spoonfuls.

Cosmetics, cleaning supplies go to local women’s shelter, Haiti Ecole Polyvalent

Mattresses go to Ecole Polyvalent, Institution Recycling Network ( 5 containers to Sierra Leone, Nicaragua, Grenada).

School supplies, cooking ware, glassware, cleaning equipment unsold at Stuff Sale go to Ecole Polyvalent

Mini fridges , desk lamps, fans, clocks, some electronics (not printers), storage cubes, shower caddies, waste baskets, closet organizers all sell well at Stuff Sale.

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Fresh Pond Enrichment Project Box/Duffel SaleCheap sales of used boxes

and duffels saves students money. Sales previously run by after-school tutoring program; now managed by Environmental Action Committee to help run “barn raising” insulation drives in local homes. Usual sales: 15 yards of flattened moving boxes raising $2,500.

CAUTION: Student organizations are fickle and reliability fluctuates year to year depending on leadership. However, once a precedent for raising money is established, the next year’s captain wants to at least match previous year’s tally.

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HHHBook Sale

HHH sells books to:• Harvard Cooperative Society for re-sale to undergrads and Business School students (and HHH

receives unsold books from the Coop)—typical price 50% of new for relatively clean volumes• Amazon, Textbooks.com and other on-line venues, depending on amount of sorting time HHH

volunteers want to put in—entrepreneurial accounts enable students to use the funds they raise for their own HHH expenses

• Better World Books, which buys all ISBN books for at least $1 and recycles what they cannot buy

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The Stuff SaleRented 20 x 20 tent shelters cashier table and “Reserved/Paid” stash, and provides shelter for overnight “circle the hampers” unsold goods. Blue hampers, pallet jacks, pallets supplied by Harvard Recycling. Police detail, Events Office permission, Harvard Recycling deliveries of goods (up to 10 truckloads) per day. First day sales at Move-in 2010 Stuff Sale: $15,000.

Best customers: Parents of freshmen, freshmen and their room mates, sophomores furnishing suites, international graduate students, antiques/furniture collectors , neighbors, non-profit organizations

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Special Sales

Sidewalk Sales for Allston neighbors

Trailer storage & sales (2002) before warehouse available. Cons: small space, tight quarters. Pros: off-site storage, instant delivery without additional handling

“Earlybird” sales give Cambridge residents first pick of goods.

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Stuff Sale pricesFutons/Couches

Black metal futon frame $100New $250

Large futon mattress $25Wooden futon frame $125Small metal Ikea futon with small mattress $602-seater couch $50 give or take $203-seater couch $60 give or take $20

Wall items

Mirror (full-length) $7 lowest COOP price $15

Mirror(table-top) $4

Metal over-the-door hanger $3

Rugs

Small 3 x 5 and below $6Medium to 6 x 9 $8

Largeover 6 x 9 $10

Plastic furniture/storage

3-drawer cart $10 $20 at StaplesSingle plastic drawer $5 $25 at COOPYaffa cube $3 $7 at COOPYaffa standing block $3large under-bed box $8 $20 at COOPmilk crates $5

Trash cans

Small $3 $6 at COOP

Special items from building renovations: 1928 crystal chandelier ($500), Bidjar oriental rug ($4,000), antiques ($12,000) stored in warehouse which Business School had been paying to store, but costs were too great

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Habitat for Humanity Sourcebook SaleBetter World Books sells ISBN books which Habitat has not sold directly to bookstores, Amazon or other on-line ventures. Sourcebooks, which have no ISBN, are of no value to BWB. However, these custom-printed books put together by Harvard professors can cost well over $100 so are valuable for re-sale on our campus. Harvard Habitat for Humanity’s summer and Spring Break trips to international build sites are funded by book sales. Featured in “The Social Network;” production crew gave HHH $1,000 check.

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The Take

• 1995: $300• 2009: $102,000• Money raised enables HHH members to travel

to Habitat domestic & international build sites

CAUTION: Students are not used to handling money according to standard accounting practices. Campus umbrella organization holds bank accounts and trains leaders in sound financial practices (i.e., no Cuban cigars or limosines to penthouse parties).

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Office Donations Year-Round: Elements of Success

• Receive goods from movers any weekday 8-4• Donations distributed by Harvard Recycling takes responsibility

for recipients off building management (i.e., they won’t hold goods for employees)

• Weekly distribution keeps stock fresh for Thursday “shoppers”• Rich and varied refuse stream: residences, offices, laboratories,

libraries, classrooms, dining services• All goods are free—diversion from disposal pays all costs of

program• Repetitive nature of calendar year enables continuous

improvement• Large sheltered warehouse holds 20,000 sq feet; outdoor parking

lot another 5,000

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Harvard Free Surplus Furniture Distribution, every Thursday from 11 AM - 2 PM, 175 North Harvard Street, Allston MA.

Visitors eagerly await arrival of fresh truckloads.

Surplus Distribution

Depending on weather and advertisement (Harvard Recycling Update, craigslist), up to 200 visitors have come at once.

Caution: Liability– need for parking monitor, “Safety Speech,” registration, queue with 3-second delay between entrants

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Partners in charitySeeding Labs enlists student and faculty volunteers to label items of potential use to third world labs. Harvard Recycling picks them up with other bulk reusables and recyclables and holds them in the HHH Warehouse until we have a truckload. Then SL’s mover comes and takes it away to be packed into an overseas shipping container to Kenya or Argentina.

The Institution Recycling Network coordinates recovery of reusable furniture from US campuses and ships them to nations in need of disaster relief. They have shipped goods from over 100 residential campuses to nearly 50

nations. In the summer of 2010, Harvard dispatched overseas shipping containers to Haiti, Grenada,

Honduras and Sierra Leone. Here in the US, the IRN also recovers and recycles e-waste and Universal Waste.

Better World Books reuses or recycles all the books HHH sends them. Of the 17,000 books we have sent them since 2007, 60% were reused. HHH has received over $10,000 from the sale of these books. These efforts have conserved 41 cubic yards of landfill space and reduced the CO2 equivalent of 25,000 tons.

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“Suzie’s Crew” prepares goods for overseas shipping container load to benefit Port Au Prince “Notre Dame de al Providence Misericordieuse” Center School and Orphanage. Suzie Ligonde, Cambridge nurse, is Haitian native and sister-in-law to Archbishop Ligonde. IRN helped link Suzie with shipping containers and contacts, which she now funds herself.

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LABBB/Semi-New Computers

Special needs students of high school age get vocational training refurbishing and repairing surplus desktop PC’s from Harvard. Program entirely self-supporting; September 2010 sales: 60 units, $6,000. Harvard Recycling also pays LABBB students sheltered workshop wages to sort batteries, phones, and other e-waste for more efficient recycling.

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Valentine’s Day Cosmetics DriveCollection of unused

cosmetics & toiletries co-sponsored by Eco-Rep program benefits women’s shelter. Lulu & friends are looking pretty! Average delivery: 1,800 pounds REP donors enjoy helping. One

volunteer, an expert manicurist, now comes every year to do all the women’s nails. Valentine’s Cosmetics Drive & Party is an annual fixture on both REP and shelter calendar.

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Thank-you notes from the residents

"Thank you so much for the nice donations. Everything was great and very useful. Thank you. There are still wonderful people in this world. Greatly appreciated." DB

"Thank you so much for all the wonderful donations. You have no idea how much this helps me! I can not afford these products normally so having them makes me feel beautiful in the inside & out!" SH

"Thank you all so much. I enjoyed the party and am using the products I received as gifts. God bless you and your loved ones." LG

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FreeCycles

• Staff get the chance to swap unneeded surplus close to their offices. Harvard Recycling provides tent, totes, hampers, trash/recycling, a “seed hamper” of goods, and retrieves all unclaimed donations for Surplus Distribution

Photo by Dara Olmsted, Office for Sustainability

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Elements of success in donations to local charities

• Caution: require receiving charities to specify what they need so you can call them if we receive it. If you don’t do this, they will want to come every week and take up your time shopping around.

•Keep requests from charities and needy individuals and when the goods arrive, give them a special opportunity to pick up (generally requires a truckload)•Be flexible on pickup times as charities often have trouble getting a vehicle•Be prepared to offer lift gate help, loading labor•Ask for thank-you letters to shore up political support for program•Offer precise inventories with brand and model names

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Tomasello Boxing Club

Used weightlifting equipment from Harvard Athletics (took estimated two tons)

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Boston Mayor Tom Menino drives the “Busycle” to promote human-powered transportation. Busycle parts scavenged from unsalable bikes, office chairs, scrap metal from Harvard Surplus.

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Wooden crates from shipping art to museums and instruments to labs make ideal garden boxes for local day care center.

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…So old John Harvard can learn how to be green while helping his younger neighbors.

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Contact

Elizabeth [email protected]

Tod [email protected]

Rob [email protected]