Carnegie Mellon University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

The Green Practices Committee is a group of people that help the university use sustainable practices. We have been meeting regularly over 15 years, and now meet 10 times annually, holding 5 General Body meetings and 5 Working Group meetings. The focus has changed over time, but it has always been an open meeting for any campus green initiative to be discussed and suggestions given for next steps. Members of the GPC provided support or coordinated the environmental initiatives that are listed below; Participated in the 2014 Campus Conservation Nationals Electricity Challenge. CEE Graduate Students project management of the Solar Big Belly outdoor recycling/trash container project – preliminary data collection. Purchased 4 more solar compactor units and coordinating further assessment of outdoor trash/ recycle bins. Guided Spring Carnival Environmental Committee to coordinate Carnival waste & recycling, Eco-Judging, and PNC Bank $500 award for most Eco-friendly booth. Coordinated Orientation Programming, Eco-Fabulous Cook out, move-in cardboard collection, PNC Bank / Green Practices give away of stainless water bottles and Zero Waste Dinner (100% composted). Green Practices Interns – 1 student recycling, 2 student designers for Scotty Goes Green, 1 student campus biking issues, 1 student food composting & student engagement for the Green Workplace Challenge. Participation at Events; Taste of Tartans, SEER Environmental Expo, PHA/Health - Help Yourself Fair, CulinArt’s Farmers Market. Provided support for students at AASHE 2013 Conference in Nashville, TN Waste Management Participated in Recyclemania 2014, results up from 22.27% to 23.55% recycled, Per Capita Classic 84 out of 362 schools. Volunteer support for Zero waste (100% composted events), Almost Midnight Breakfast 900+, Staff Picnic 2500 people, Schatz Dining room daily operations, several other departmental events, Staff Council and Green Practices Meetings. Community Garden installation and upkeep with student volunteers Coordinated the first Zero Waste Commencement efforts and Caps & Gown Recycling Program. Biking Applied for Bike Friendly University League of American Bicyclists and received an Honorable Mention – contacted organization for guidance on how to receive a higher level of designation. Collaborated with Bike Pittsburgh to hold an annual Biking 101 Class, and provided a Bike to Work Breakfast station. Staff Art Staff Meeting presentation about Green Teams and food composting. Other FMS and custodians implemented departmental food composting program January 2013, up to 40+ locations, June 2014, including MWG Residence Hall. Added a food composting program to Grad Student Lounge in Tepper and a food composting dumpster to the GSIA dumpster area. Implement Pre-consumer food composting program in the Exchange. Added GSIA & Morewood Gardens, five food composting dumpsters on campus now. 2013-14 Green Workplace Challenge support and data entry Coordinated collection of data for AASHE STARS 2.0 report, due summer of 2014. Environmental Coordinator is Ad Hoc Green Team Committee. This year the Executive Committee agreed to discuss making the Green Team a standing committee. NECSC Steering Committee Meetings –Routinely participate in monthly conference calls. Continue to engage with local, regional, and national colleagues at professional conferences, meetings or webinars to keep pace with the changing sustainability practices. Use the information in AASHE STARS, ISCN GULF Charter and HECC to develop clear goals for the future of the GPC so we know where we are going and how to know when we’ve gotten there. Work with students to implement the Green Office Certification Program. Work with Human Resources in Learning & Development to develop a program for Green Teams to participate in Scotty Goes Green. Work with (the campus green coalition), to green large campus events like Orientation & Homecoming and improve student engagement and Eco-Rep structure. Support students to attend AASHE 2014 Portland, Oregon. Conference abstract accepted, will present about our campus food composting program. Work with Staff Council Ad Hoc Green Committee members to develop committee goals, Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Use the increased capabilities of the Big Belly software to monitor waste and recycling habits on campus. Worked more closely with Housing to increase the recycling in the Greek Quad and Housing buildings by receiving a Alcoa Bin Grant 2 years in a row. Increase stadium recycling and awareness of recycling trailer by designing the graphics for the sides of the Recycling Trailer. Our application has been submitted for Tree Campus USA and Bike Friendly University designations for the university.

As part of the Carnegie Mellon strategic initiative to enhance the scope and impact of our education and research programs related to the environment, the Environmental Practices Committee (EPC) was charged in April 1999 by President Cohon to develop a plan for an expanded environmental practices program on campus. Green Practices Committee Mission "The Green Practices Committee will strive to develop university practices that improve environmental quality, decrease waste and conserve natural resources and energy, thereby establishing Carnegie Mellon as a practical model for other universities and companies."

Green Practices Committee Members Committee Co-Chairs Barbara Kviz Co-Chair, Environmental Coordinator, FMS bk11@andrew.cmu.edu Faculty Co-Chair, Position Open Faculty Dave Dzombak Blenko & University Professor, Dept Head Civil & Environemntal Engineering dzombak@cmu.edu Neil Donahue Professor, Chemical Engineering & Chemistry, Center for Atomoshperic Partical Studies, Engineering & Public Policy, Director of Steinbrenner Institute nmd@cmu.edu H. Scott Matthews Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering / Engineering & Public Policy hsm@cmu.edu Trustee Lowell Steinbrenner Carnegie Mellon Trustee Staff Martin Altschul University Engineer, Facilities Management Services ma3q@andrew.cmu.edu Mark Banister Chemical Safety Specialist, EHS markb2@andrew.cmu.edu Don Coffelt Associate VP for Facilities Management Services dcoffelt@andrew.cmu.edu Attila Csokai Computer Services acsokai@andrew.cmu.edu Marcia Gerwig University Center Director mg48@andrew.cmu.edu Steve Guenther Director, Facilties Operations sgue@andrew.cmu.edu Janice Held Project Manager, Campus Design and Facility Development jheld@andrew.cmu.edu Ralph Horgan Associate VP for Campus Design and Facility Development rh44@andrew.cmu.edu Larry Lee Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Operations larrylee@andrew.cmu.edu Paula Martin Director of health Promotion Programs, Health Department paulam@andrew.cmu.edu Madelyn Miller Director, Environmental, Health and Safety mmiller@andrew.cmu.edu Michael Murpy Vice President for Campus Affairs mm1v@andrew.cmu.edu Erika Ninos Environmental Program Coordinator, Steinbrenner Institute elninos@andrew.cmu.edu Pascal Petter Director of Dining Services ppetter@andrew.cmu.edu Michelle Porter Manager, Parking and Transportation Services mporter@andrew.cmu.edu Robert Reppe Director of Design breppe@andrew.cmu.edu M.Shernell Smith Coordinator of Student Development mssmith@andrew.cmu.edu Jason Stabile Custodial Supervisor jstabile@andrew.cmu.edu Leah Zande University Libraries lmccord@andrew.cmu.edu Students Erika Cox Green Practices Intern (Architecture) erikacox@andrew.cmu.edu Will Lush Green Practices Intern (CIT) wlush@andrew.cmu.edu Renee Sajedian Green Practices Intern (NeuroScience & Creative Writing) rsajedian@andrew.cmu.edu So-Hee Woo Green Practices Intern (Design) sohee.woo@gmail.com Jane Yoon Green Practices Intern (Design) yayoungy@andrew.cmu.edu

Staff focused on sustainability and green practices is located in the Facilities Management Services Department. This staff manages building utilities and supports the implementation of university green projects. They encourage the university community to participate in the Green Practices Mission. By tracking a variety of green practices; energy use, green building projects, transportation, procurement, recycling & waste and GHG emissions, the office can then compile and report on the status of our environmental accomplishments for internal and external audiences. Green Practices represents the university in national, state and regional initiatives and organizations. Working with other campus departments on green initiatives include but are not limited to: Greening the supply chain with procurement services; working in conjunction with campus planners and designers to promote best practices for green building; recommending new products or equipment for energy and water efficient operations; supporting the mission of the Environmental Health and Safety Department to minimize waste or recycle special waste, support government relations on local and community initiatives, and advise student environmental organizations. Educational aspects of the office include identifying potential student/faculty environmental research projects that use the campus as a laboratory and providing useful recommendations. By developing these research, independent study, and intern opportunities, students gain hands-on experience with real world environmental problems. The office aids in planning and coordinating training or informational programs for the campus community to learn about resource conservation and green initiatives. The office aims to develop new ways to reduce the university environmental footprint by performing assessments and providing recommendations for pollution prevention, GHG reductions, waste minimization, reuse, recycling and resource conservation. This office also applies for grants to support green initiatives.

The Environmental Coordinator provides coordination and program support services for management of resources on campus. Encourages and assists members of the campus community by identifying and implementing conservation opportunities. Works to uphold the Facilities Management Services Mission Statement for sustainable activities. Reports to the Green Practices committee which is comprised of faculty, staff, and students. Co-Chairs the Green Practices Committee (GPC) and guides the agendas of the Sub-committee’s. Promotes waste reduction and expands the campus Reduce, Reuse, Recycling efforts and enhances energy conservation and green building practices. Supervises work study students or interns and supports all sustainability initiatives on campus by providing council and logistical aid. Additionally, monitors campus recycling collection and contractors who perform recycling services. Responsible for the administration of waste management and recycling.