Sustainability Viewpoints
October 7, 2008
Many of you have heard me talk about how our strength is in all the people across the University helping to make our sustainability goals a reality. We have three main goals – Carbon Neutrality, Zero Waste (water, solid waste), and Active Engagement. Of those three – active engagement is the most important – we have 80,000 change agents in our small city called ASU – every one of us has a role to play. We have change agents who have already joined in, helping us to pave the way for future accomplishment. You will find them in the Purchasing, Facilities Management, ASU Dining Services, Parking and Transit, Student Affairs and in other “non-traditional areas” such as University Student Government, WP Carey School of Business, the School of Music and the Theater Department – the list goes on.
To better connect all of us – and as a way to champion our efforts and engage others – Sustainability in Action was created as an easy to use tool and resource designed especially for those within or closely tied to ASU’s purchasing and operations areas. I look forward to growing our reach and sharing impacts and ideas on our collective interest in furthering sustainability at ASU.
Bonny Bentzin
Manager, Sustainability Business Practices
Are you looking for a way to help the environment and save money at the same time?
The DPC Facilities and Property Management team has found a way to overcome the space limitations and challenges of its campus footprint and introduce co-mingled recycling to the Downtown Phoenix campus. As part of an urban campus and vibrant downtown community, space is always a challenge and even more so when it comes to recycling. In April 2008, what started as a visibility effort for recycling, transformed into the introduction of a very visible and sustainable co-mingled recycling program for the campus with a novel idea from staff to flip the use of the trash compactors.
The PolyHarvest CSA is a community supported agriculture program that provides fresh, local, organic produce to community members here at ASU’s Polytechnic campus. Students, staff, faculty, and others in surrounding communities all participate by purchasing shares of produce from Crooked Sky Farms, then stopping by every Thursday at Polytechnic’s student union to pick up their share of great produce! By purchasing a “share” of produce in advance, members provide the farm with the financial security required to run farm operations. In return, members receive high quality, local produce and have a chance to become familiar with the source of their food.