Purdue University
ER-T2-6: Sustainability Events

The University hosts an annual event each fall called “Green Week”. This event is a week-long campaign directed at educating students on a variety of sustainability related issues. Each day of Green Week has a theme based on one aspect of sustainability. The themes and events for the 2011 Green Week included the following:  Energy  China-US 2011 Joint Symposium Opening  Eco-living lecture by environmentalist and actor Ed Begley, Jr.  Skype video chat with the Purdue Inhome Solar Decathlon Team at the national competition in Washington D.C.  Tours of the Roger B. Gatewood Wing – The University’s first LEED Certified building  Residence Hall Energy Reduction Challenge  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle  Lecture on “Secondary Students’ Conceptions of the Greenhouse Effect, Global Warming and Climate Change”  Donate and Recycle at the Union - Provided a place to donate gently used clothing and collection boxes for used batteries, cell phones, eyeglasses, etc.  Boilermaker Bin Interactive Recycling Display and Coke Recycling Truck  Free coffee provided at the Student Union with a reusable mug  Plastic Bag Monster – A suit constructed from 500 plastic bags to illustrate the number of plastic bags the average American uses annually and to advocate for the use of reusable bags  Lecture on “History, Public Opinion, and Environment”  Alternative Transportation  Expo featured electric vehicles, hybrids, ZipCar, free bicycle tune-ups, CityBus, and a biofuel-powered airplane    Water  Lecture on “Nitrogen, The Next Big Environmental Headache”  Wabash River Clean-Up  Water Walk was a self-guided tour of sustainable water features on campus  Farmers Market  University Residences Power Shower Challenge encouraged students to take a 3 minute shower with a water reduction percentage announced  Sustainable World  Sustainable World Expos allowed green-focused businesses, clubs, and organizations to present educational booths  Safe Disposal of Unwanted Medicine Drop Off Event allowed students, faculty, and staff to drop off unwanted pharmaceuticals