University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Latest Sustainability News at UW-Stout

Recyclemania Kick-Off

It's Recyclemania time!  Recyclemania is a friendly competition between universities across the country that helps to promote waste reduction.   UW-Stout measures its commingled recyclables, mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, compostable waste, electronic waste, and trash, then reports it to Recyclemania to see how we match up against other schools.

The competition takes place over a 10-week period and goes from January 22^nd to March 31^st.  We are asking the campus community to participate by:

• Minimizing the amount of trash you dispose of
  
• Recycling your bottles, cans, paper, corrugated cardboard, compostable waste (at the MSC), and university-owned electronic waste (through Surplus)
• Encouraging others to do the same

For more information about what can be recycled at UW-Stout, visit our Recycling Page.  For more information about Recyclemania, visit this website: http://www.recyclemania.org/ 

New Recycling Options for Campus

Students, faculty, and staff at UW-Stout now have additional options for commingled recycling on campus.  Veolia Environmental Services, the solid waste hauler for UW-Stout, is now accepting rigid plastic containers numbered 1-7.  This is an expansion of the #1 and #2 plastics that were only allowed previously.  Examples of containers that can now be recycled include yogurt containers, sour cream containers, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, cleaner and detergent bottles, medicine bottles, and ketchup and syrup bottles.

Commingled recycling at UW-Stout consists of:

• Rigid plastic containers #1 through #7

• Aluminum, tin, and steel cans

• Glass bottles and jars (of any color)
  

In addition to commingled recycling, students, faculty, and staff can recycle mixed paper all over campus.  Food waste from back of house dining operations is currently being collected at Price Commons, North Point, and Memorial Student Center.  Public compost collection will be available in Memorial Student Center when it re-opens in January.

UW-Stout also recycles corrugated cardboard, scrap metal, shrink wrap, scrap wood, tires, rechargeable batteries, light bulbs, ink jet cartridges, laser jet cartridges, used cooking oil, used motor oil and filters, pallets, foam peanuts, VHS tapes, CDs, and electronic waste.

Check out the Recycling Page for more information on recycling at UW-Stout.

Students Design Energy Conservation Stickers for Campus

Students in the Environmental Justice Learning Community worked with Krista James (Biology), Joan Menefee (English & Philosophy), and Sarah Rykal (Sustainability Office) to develop new "We turn LIGHTS OFF here" stickers to be placed on light switches, encouraging everyone to conserve energy by turning off lights after exiting rooms on campus.  The students researched light switch plates all over campus, then designed a sticker to fit the majority of plates.  With funds to do a service learning project, the students ordered 1,500 stickers and posted them around campus on December 15th. 

New Carpool, Biking, Pedestrian Program for UW-Stout Employees

Faculty and staff are encouraged to explore the opportunity of commuting to campus as a member of a carpool. Carpooling is environmentally friendly and enables efficient, less parking-intensive use of limited campus lands.

Parking Services, in collaboration with the Environmental Sustainability Office, has initiated a Carpool Program to encourage ride sharing. For an overview of the program, click here.

The carpool program offers several incentives to current and prospective carpoolers, including discounted parking permits and free/discounted permits for those times when you don't join your carpool.

If interested, please email Keith McCarten for additional information.

Please note that this program also offers incentives to those who commonly bike/walk to campus.

Sustainability Across the Curriculum Network Meetings

If you're interested in networking with others who are exploring the integration of sustainability into course curricula, join the Sustainability across the Curriculum Network (SACN). New members are always welcome.

SACN meets the third Friday of every month at 1:00 p.m. at 313 Heritage Hall. If you have questions about sustainability in the curriculum at UW-Stout, please contact Krista James or Sarah Rykal.