By Isabella Kaser and Jake Gilchrest Dudley
As active members of the Sustainability Committee at Regis, we create programs that implement sustainability practices. This academic year we have worked with our cafeteria vender to decrease the amount of food waste. For a week during lunch, committee members stood at the dish rack and asked people to clear their plate into a bucket, placed on a scale so they saw how much waste they contributed. By the end of the week the amount of waste decreased from 120 to 80 pounds.
Our committee also initiated two composting, work-study positions, because having students lead composting efforts is the most effective strategy. Approved by the administration, student employees work with local businesses and Bon Appetit (on campus) to compost.
Sustainability is also integrated into our Integrative Core classes. In one class entitled “Modeling Sustainability,” students created the “Trust the Tap” project to increase the number of water bottles reused on campus by having refill stations installed around campus.
The committee also educated the Regis community about conservation, food justice, E-waste, and other aspects of sustainability during “Earth Week.” The highly passionate committee has effectively motivated the student body and Regis community towards sustainable living and consumption.
Isabella Kaser and Jake Gilchrest Dudley are both members of the class of 2016, Regis University.
Photo 1: Maggie Lacy and Erin Mecaller in front of Sustainability Committee Information. Photo 2: Colleen Lopp adds her food waste to the scales. Photo 3: Grace Corrigan reviews the food waste challenge information.