It’s PENdemonium
By Melanie Stewart
When your pen writes its last word or your highlighter goes dark, it’s easy to just toss it in the trash can. It’s so small and weighs next to nothing, so it doesn’t count for anything, right?
Nope.
By itself, it may not seem like much but when approximately 20,000 employees and students at all of our locations use some kind of writing utensil on a daily basis they start to add up. I am happy to prove this to you.
Instead of mailing in full boxes on their own, areas/departments that collect writing utensils now send them to the Office of Sustainability where they are packaged into specific box with a prepaid shipping label. We have to purchase this box as a way to offset recycling costs. To save money on boxes as well as use fewer resources in shipping we wanted to make sure we fit every pen into this box that we could. Rather than dumping pens in, creating a “pick-up-sticks” situation with lots of dead space we (and by “we” I mostly mean LiveGreen Ambassador Theresa Pikschus) devised a way to line them up.
Last week we filled our first box of writing utensils to send in. We didn’t count the entire box, that’s too crazy even for me, but a quick calculation estimates that there were at least 6,000 pens in the box with a total weight of 102lbs. That’s a lot of pens that aren’t becoming litter or sitting in the landfill. If you need a visual, that’s a box that’s 15 inches square and 3 feet tall.
If you’ve been throwing your writing utensils away, don’t fret, you can start participating now. Check out our webpage for all the details you need to know.
As always, reduction and reuse are still best…and generally cheaper. Only buy writing utensils that people will actually use and in a quantity that will be used before they dry out. Consider pens that takes refills and mechanical pencils that just need lead instead of single-use versions.
Don’t ever feel like small actions taken by an individual don’t matter. Yes, big savings can be more flashy, but individuals making choices to make their lives and this planet better can really add up. Whether it’s a pen being recycled, the decision to stop sucking, or refilling a cup instead of buying a plastic bottle, it all helps.
New Sustainability Campus Engagement Goal
by Melanie Stewart
If you read last week’s 2017 Sustainability Master Plan Metric update, you noticed that we have made some progress on our Sustainability Engagement Score (SES), which is great news.
The SES is calculated using the answers to several questions in our biannual sustainability survey, the most recent of which was completed last fall. We gauge what colleagues and students know about sustainability, what sustainability actions they participate in, as well as those around them. This is then calculated into an overall engagement score, with the highest point total possible being 100. Here is the latest update:
CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT
- Baseline: Sustainability Engagement Score is 45 (out of a possible 100)
- Goal: Achieve a Sustainability Engagement Score of 75 by the end of 2023
- Progress: Current Sustainability Engagement Score is 59
We will need to have a high rate of engagement in order to meet our ambitious, updated, goals in emissions/energy, waste, water, and active transportation. In light of that need and in order to align the goal timeline with the other goals, a new goal has been approved:
Achieve a Sustainability Engagement Score of 85 by 2030.
A score of 85 is high making hitting that mark, especially by 2030, an ambitious goal as well. That said, I’m confident we can make it. I’ve spoken with so many of you who understand how important sustainability is and how it is connected directly to our mission of “creating a healthy future for all individuals and communities.”
If you want to be more involved, considering becoming a LiveGreen Ambassador. We don’t have regular meetings to worry about, and it’s a good way for you to get information, share it with colleagues, as well as provide feedback to the Office of Sustainability. If now isn’t a good time, the opportunity will always be available to you.
Thank you for all you do to help in reducing energy/emissions, conserving water, using active transportation, reducing/reusing/recycling, and all of the other “little” things you do that add up! Sometimes those actions seem small, but don’t discount them. Small acts done repeatedly create an impact on their own, and as more people do so, it will become the norm leading others to change their habits too. I look forward to attaining these goals with all of you as we move forward.
Sustainability Master Plan Metric Update
By Melanie Stewart
Attaining the TravelSmart goal early was a huge success; if you aren’t a TravelSmartie, I hope you will consider becoming one. Transportation is just one of the six goal areas in the Sustainability Master Plan, but all are important to our mission.
We are excited to release our 2017 Metric Update, an easy-to-read report containing a metric update, explanation, and specific initiatives contributing to those numbers. I hope you’ll take a look at it, but here’s a brief synopsis:
EMISSIONS
- Baseline: Produced 153,964 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) each year.
- Goal: Achieve net zero building emissions by 2030.
- Progress: Produced 125,825 metric tons of CO2eq.
Efforts to reduce emissions have led to a cumulative reduction of 179,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual emissions of 19,300 homes.
WATER
- Baseline: 225,164,787 gallons of water per year
- Goal: Reduce annual gallons of water used by 54% by 2030.
- Progress: Used 193,446,478 gallons.
Cumulative water reduction is 189,600,000 gallons, equivalent to 287 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
MATERIALS/WASTE
- Baseline: 25% of materials diverted from landfill.
- Goal: Zero Waste by 2030.
- Progress: 23% of materials diverted.
Waste reduction and recycling efforts have led to 2.1 million pounds of material not going to the landfill since 2012.
CAMPUS PLANNING
- Goal: Maintain current density of 73,326 gross square feet of built space per developed acre by 2023
- Progress: 55,513 square feet of built space per developed acre
TRANSPORTATION
- Baseline: 12% of employee/student commutes use active transportation mode (walk, bike, bus, or carpool)
- Goal: 20% of employee/student commutes use active transportation mode by 2023
- Progress: 22% of campus employees/student
- New Goal: 35% of commutes use active transportation by 2030
CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT
- Baseline: Sustainability Engagement Score is 45 (out of a possible 100)
- Goal: Achieve a Sustainability Engagement Score of 75 by the end of 2023
- Progress: Current Sustainability Engagement Score is 59
We will need to have a high rate of engagement in order to meet our ambitious, updated, goals. In light of that and in order to align the Engagement goal timeline with the other goals, a new goal has been approved:
Achieve a Sustainability Engagement Score of 85 by 2030.
Thank you for helping to reduce energy/emissions, conserve water, reduce/reuse/recycle, and all of the other little things you do that add up! If you want to be more involved, considering becoming a LiveGreen Ambassador.
Impressive Milestone Reached Ahead of Schedule
By Melanie Stewart
When the Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) was released, 12% of people on the 42nd Street campus used active transportation to commute. The SMP ambitiously set a goal to increase trips made to and from campus using active transportation to 20% by the year 2023.
Campus growth expedited the need as new buildings took the place of some parking spaces, and those buildings now bring even more colleagues to campus. Parking structures and lots are exceedingly expensive to build (did you know that it costs more than $25,000 per stall when building a parking garage?!?) and even more dollars to maintain, light, and snowplow. Building more parking was not proactive, cost-efficient, or in-line with the SMP goals, so the innovative TravelSmart program was born.
Since June of 2015 thousands of colleagues and students have registered to participate. They have ridden the bus, walked, biked, and carpooled to receive free parking, reduce emissions, be healthier, reduce stress, and save money.
I am excited to tell you that we have hit our 20% goal! Six years ahead of schedule 22% of trips to campus are being made by active transportation!
While those participating see immediate benefits, everyone else benefits too! By using active transportation, hundreds of cars don’t come to campus each day. That means less congestion on campus and on city streets, less road repair or need for expansion, and a lot less pollution. Decreasing pollution improves air quality in Omaha and benefits all of us, but especially those with asthma, COPD, and other lung ailments. Creating a healthy future for all individuals and communities is our mission.
Using only the data you provided in our sustainability survey last fall, we know that we have reduced single-occupant vehicle miles by more than 29,000 miles per week! That’s a lot…1.2 trips around the equator each week and 6.3 round trips to the moon each year; and all of the emissions associated with those miles.
That’s fantastic! Others might call it good and bask in this glory…but that’s not how we roll here. Improving health is our mission and we know that our campus will continue to grow. I’m excited to tell you that we have updated our goal and our timeline: 35% of trips to campus using active transportation by the year 2030. This goal is ambitious too, but worth it, and aligns with our other 2030 goals.
Considering TravelSmart? You don’t have to use active transportation every day or give up your parking permit (but you can to save money!). If you have any questions or need help with a bus route or finding a carpool partner, let us know.
Plan, Shop, and Chop to Reduce Food Waste
By Melanie Stewart
If you were one of the millions of people who made a resolution, there’s a decent chance it involved being healthier, and that often starts with eating more fruits and vegetables, and less pre-packaged foods.
In January we talked about the crazy amount of food that is wasted; the amount of money we spend on food we never eat, the resources that it took to produce that food, and amount of space in the landfill it takes up. We also provided resources on decipher dates on food packaging as well as food storage tips.
As noted, it’s easy to buy good food but then they go south once they are out of sight, out of mind. How can you prevent this, and save yourself some money? LiveGreen and the NRDC have some tips:
- Meal plan. Be honest about when you are going to cook, how many people you will be feeding, and what those people will actually eat.
- Make a list and stick to it. It’s shocking to me that only 25% of Americans go to the store with a list?! The good news: those that do spend less, make less impulse buys, and make fewer trips to the store. That’s a win-win-win!
- If you only need small quantities of certain items, only buy that quantity.
- Consider stores that have dry goods in bulk bins allowing you to measure out only what you need/can store.
- You can also use the salad bar to get a variety of (pre-chopped!) veggies for a specific recipe. It may cost a little more, but it’s cheaper than buying a dozen different vegetables and only eating half.
- Check the fine print; even if the sale says you get 5 for $5, you often don’t have to purchase that many to get the discounted price.
- Buy “Ugly Fruits and Vegetables.” The imperfections are cosmetic, the nutrition is the same, and if they aren’t purchased, the store trashes them.
- Try the “Shop and Chop”: when you come home for the store, items that need to be prepped don’t go into the fridge until they are washed and cut. Your strawberries are easy to grab and take to work with you in the morning…we both know it won’t happen when trying to wrangle everyone out the door.
These few easy tips can keep your healthy eating on the right track and keeping your pocketbook happy.
photo credit: freeimages.com/ramzihashisho
Clear the Air
From work to school to home, we spend up to 90% of our time indoors. While it seems like this would protect you from the pollution outside, and that’s somewhat true, many of us don’t know that the air inside our homes is 2-5 more polluted than the air outside.
Formaldehyde. Benzene. Trichloroethylene. Toluene. Methylene chloride. They come from plywood and pressed-wood products, furniture, carpeting, cigarette smoke, new permanent-press clothing, paints, adhesives, and solvents. Even tightly closed paint cans leak VOCs (volatile organic compounds). These chemicals worsen asthma and other lung ailments and have been shown to cause cancer. They can build up in our homes and this is amplified during the winter months as doors and windows are kept closed.
Even our cleaning products can be hazardous. Products containing VOCs and other toxic substances can include:
- Aerosol spray products
- Air fresheners
- Chlorine Bleach (with heat it vaporizes to form chloroform, mixed with ammonia it forms chlorine gas)
- Detergents
- Dry cleaning chemicals
- Rug and upholstery cleaners
- Furniture and floor polish
- Oven cleaners
In warm weather we can open windows to ventilate, but what can we do in the winter?
New carpeting, furniture and pressed-wood products should be aired for 72 hours in a large, well-ventilated space before being installed, and permanent press clothing should be washed before it is worn.
Formaldehyde is used in some cosmetics, dish soaps, medicines, leather treatments and fabric softeners. Read the label before purchasing, look for certified-free products, and ventilate indoor spaces, particularly when using any product containing formaldehyde or other chemicals.
Check out the Environmental Working Group’s interactive guide for information on specific spaces, categories, and items. You can also check out LiveGreen’s cleaning page on Pinterest for natural cleaning recipes and tips.
Don’t forget the plants! Many houseplants are known to take in and store these harmful chemicals while releasing pure oxygen for you to breathe. Having plants around has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, add humidity, increase happiness, sharpen your focus and mental acuity, and help you recover from illnesses faster, just to name a few.
Here are some of the best houseplants that help clear the air of toxic chemicals:
- Peace Lily
- Warneck Dracaena
- Spider Plant
- Aloe
- Pothos
- Snake plant/Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
- ZZ plant
Most are easy to care for and survive in low-light and low-water (i.e. neglect) environments. For more information about air-cleaning houseplants, click here.
A watt of little changes adds up to big savings
Have you seen any of the new LED lights on campus? They are replacing the old fluorescent and metal halide fixtures, with dramatic results.
You have likely heard that LED bulbs save energy, and may have already converted bulbs in your house, but the same is true at the Med Center. So how much are we really saving?
First, terminology. Lightbulbs are often sold by wattage, and we’ve learned to associate that with light. e.g. 40W bulb for a lamp, 75W in the kitchen. It’s true, but it’s actually a measurement of the amount of energy you are using. A 75W bulb uses 75 watts of electricity, but puts off about 1,100 lumens of light. {Lumen, from the Latin “lūmen” meaning light/window. “Lumos” from Harry Potter makes a lot of sense now, right??}
LEDs emit lumens using substantially less watts. The light comes from small diodes so they are easily dimmable and emit less heat thereby reducing cooling costs.
Back to the savings. Lot 50, the parking garage south of the DOC, recently had all 498 fixtures converted to LEDs. The size of that garage added to the fact that it is used 24/7 meant that those lights were 8,760 hours a year.
Switching to LEDs results in an annual energy reduction of 750,601kwh. That’s enough energy to power 70 average U.S. homes! It will also save the Med Center ~$48,000 per year in electricity while reducing pollution created by burning coal…and that’s just one parking garage!
The Med Center is taking advantage of an OPPD rebate program and using the realized energy savings to purchase more LED fixtures to continue the savings.
LED project manager Brian Dykstra noted, “While those savings are impressive, it doesn’t stop there. In addition to heat-load savings, LEDs can last up to 25 times longer, we save on the maintenance costs of replacing lightbulbs. While that may sound trivial, it really add up on a campus this size.”
This is especially true when bulbs are in a vaulted ceiling like an auditorium, or always-busy spaces like the O.R. or a patient room. Greater control of the system also allows daylight harvesting and motion-sensing so lights are only on when they need to be.
LEDs will continue to be installed, based on total building use and install schedules, but you’ll be happy to know that all new buildings and remodeled spaces will have LEDs.
How Much Is Your Time Worth?
Most of us could stand to gain a few minutes back every day…there always seems to be plenty to do, and not enough time to do it.
So what if I told you there was a way to gain some of that time back, and to save money while doing it?
You can, with TravelSmart.
Wait, don’t stop reading! You may have heard of TravelSmart before and decided it’s not for you. Or maybe this is all new information. Either way, please take another 60 seconds to make sure you know the details.
If you are on the 42nd and Dewey campus and have heard of TravelSmart (here’s hoping!) you know that it provides FREE bus passes, FREE showers/locker rooms, bike racks–some of which are inside, FREE parking for carpoolers (in the same, or better, lot!), we can help you find a carpool partner from campus, and if you need it we’ll give you a FREE emergency ride home. You never have to be worried about being stranded and we can take you to your child or dependent if you want us to, and then take you both home. You can keep your parking permit and still participate, or you can turn it in to save money, your choice.
Many people participate as a way to save money, and they do. Not paying for parking, gas, vehicle maintenance, etc. really adds up! Some TravelSmarties have said it’s like getting a raise—an extra $100 not spent on commuting per month adds up to $1200 a year—and if your holiday bills are coming due now that sounds pretty good, right?
But let’s get back to time. It’s the benefit people don’t expect when they use TravelSmart. They worry that the bus route will take a few minutes longer than them driving, or that they have to meet up with a carpool partner, but don’t think about the time that is saved. You aren’t driving which means you can read, eat, relax, check emails before you get here or finish something up as you leave. You can skip the gym if you’ve biked/walked to work and back. Your commute may take a little longer than before, but you still gain time back. That can make your workday a little easier or reduce some stress at home; either way you win.
Have questions? Need help with a bus route? Email TravelSmart@unmc.edu
Waste by Confusion
Last week we talked about the craziness that 40% of food in the U.S. is never eaten, and on average a family of 4 throws away $1500 worth of food each year which results in a waste of fuel, water, and time, among others.
Most of us don’t go to the store to pick up what we need for that day, we stock up for at least a week. This means it’s important to store food correctly so you can use everything you’ve purchased. We don’t realize how much we are throwing away when it’s a bad egg here or a moldy strawberry there.
Storing food properly to keep it edible and knowing how long you have to eat it, are two great ways to combat waste, so let’s start there.
For fresh foods, check out the NRDC’s food storage page. Change the dropdown menu to select the type of food (fruit, meat, condiment, etc.) and the most common items are listed on each page with storage information. This page will also tell you how to freeze it if you can’t use it now AND how to revive it if it’s started to wilt, brown, or soften. Did you know placing celery in cold water crisps it back up?
Mistakes will still happen, and they are compostable. If you can’t compost, consider vermicomposting inside.
When chopping vegetables save the ends and pieces you don’t want to eat by tossing them in a bag in your freezer. Once the bag is full, make vegetable stock which can be used in numerous recipes.
Then there are those pesky dates that come on prepared food. “Sell by” or “Best by” or my favorite, just a date. How are we supposed to know if it’s still OK to eat??
As it turns out, most of those foods don’t spoil, they just don’t taste as fresh. If it tastes/smells OK, it’s good; if it doesn’t/ has visible mold, it’s not. Even if it started to turn, you’d have to eat a lot in order to get sick.
More good news, those dates will be standardized by 2020 for virtually all major food manufacturers with just 2 labels: a “best if used by” to indicate freshness and a “use by” on items that may become less safe to eat as they age, like shellfish.
We’ll continue to provide food waste strategies throughout 2018, stay tuned!
Photo credit: TSgt Samuel Morse, via Wikimedia Commons
Food Resolution
Did you know that around 40% of food in the United States is never eaten? Forty, 4-0, nearly 300lbs per person, per year! It’s absolutely crazy to consider that on average a family of 4 throws away $1500 worth of food each year. Even crazier when you consider 1 in every 8 Americans doesn’t have enough food to eat.
Eating that food instead would be like taking home an extra paycheck while saving you a couple trips to the store. Eating that food can be good for your personal health and it definitely helps the health of the planet. There’s that triple bottom line again…
Here’s few crazy stats, courtesy of the Natural Resources Defense Council:
- 20% of the food we buy goes bad before we eat it
- 90% of us throw food away too soon—we thinks it’s bad or the date on the package is confusing
- There is more food in landfills than anything else. It contributes more to climate pollution than all the cars in the state of Georgia.
- All food production requires water, whether it’s a whole food or processed. Did you know you’d have to run your shower for 42 minutes to equal the water needed for 1lb of bananas?
- 90 minutes for just 4oz of chocolate
- 104 minutes for 1lb of chicken
- A whopping 370 minutes for 1lb of beef
- Not to mention the other resources used (largely fuel) to procure-plant-grow-harvest-transport-package-transport, just to get it to you.
Food waste is not an easy issue, but there are many ways to tackle the problem and many resources to help you save. Throughout the year we will cover a lot of these so you can save your hard-earned money and reduce waste.
Lets’ start right now.
While it’s not surprising that food waste (all waste, actually) increases during the holidays, did you know that the 2nd most wasteful time is January? The University of Vermont found that resolutions drive people to purchase healthy food…but they still purchase the same amount of non-healthy/junk food as before. This leads to more food waste.
If you are one of the many people with a resolution that involves food, be honest with yourself. Then ease into changes, meal plan, and follow a shopping plan to help you achieve your personal health goals, while saving your money, and using less natural resources. Mistakes will still happen, compost them.
