Below are the notes from our Town Hall Sustainability meeting. After the meeting, some additional information and suggestions were sent to me via email so I have included those comments below as additional information for campus review and consideration. Notetaker: Cynthia Smith, Sustainability Coordinator ************************************* Notes from Town Meeting October 23, 2017 Attendance: approx. 20 The following topics were discussed: I. Appliance Policy * Overview of reasons for the Appliance Policy. Noted there is a list of common rooms (rooms that can house appliances) but this is a draft list, may need to be some corrections. Will be sent out. Goal is to work towards safer and more energy efficient campus together rather than in a punitive manner. This policy is an important step. * Question asked what were some comments from earlier reviewers? Concerns about earlier proposed policy having people pay energy costs to have small fridge. Have eliminated this cost in revised version. Concerns about situation where people do not have access to a larger fridge. One solution have people with small fridges share as well a few offices share one small fridge, build community and collegial cooperation. * Request for more background information on energy costs would like to see electricity costs, costs over time, and how much has been saved based on initiatives of Johnson Controls. Cynthia will follow up on finding that information. * Question about whether a department can use department funds to buy a fridge. No there is established policy that prevents that kind of purchase *unless* fridge is for departmental needs e.g. science class to store samples) * Clarified that policy includes not having microwaves in personal offices. Appliances are prohibited in offices. * Question of whether we know how many fridges (large and small) are out there answer, no, no accurate count.
* Point was raised there are some old T.V.s around that if in use are also using more energy so should think about clearing those out and replacing with more efficient newer models. Departments can then get rid of these through e waste program. * Will need to decide whether there will be a process for asking for a room to be converted into a common room. * Will be developing the exception form for those who want to apply to keep their small fridge. II. Recycling There were many points raised about how or whether the campus might pursue a recycling system. * There is no city collection of any recyclables. Have to do on our own. * Once collected, how are cans/bottles removed? In past, when students did it as a fundraiser, frustrated when others took the cans for the money. Is possibility of having company (Reynolds Recycling) take away cans and bottles and pay campus for what is taken but must be collected 100 bags at a time, sorted and bagged by someone. No real solution for removing cardboard or paper for recycling at present. David has identified a place we can store cans and bottles til removed. But key issue is who will sort? Volunteers from the campus? Could be a way of community building on campus. Might want to look into getting a can crusher Possible plan fund purchase of recycle bins (e.g. for high traffic areas like cafeteria, mall); collect and use monies for more cans across the campus. Currently cafeteria does not have recycle bin. * Where would the money go? Campus would keep money can use it to pay for more recycle bins. It does mean homeless can no longer make money collecting and recycling. Would have to lock them out of cans if want to ensure campus gets money. Issue of who does the work of sorting as state employees, on state time, impacts how money can be used, versus clubs doing it or staff on their own time. * How to pay for new recycle bins Current purchasing policy dictates that student monies cannot be used to buy recycle bins. Possibility of some monies from Foundation funds. Then can use money from recycling to pay for more. Recycle bins were built by students and can be found in some of the hallways. * Point was raised regarding special circumstances in Hawai i that make recycling less effective, less impactful, maybe even less desired: 1. Need to feed the incinerator waste stream being turned into fuel. Part of the reason for the less than impressive city/county recycling program.
2. No local recycling processes so all recyclables have to be shipped out so energy costs associated with recycling. 3 Yet, don t want to be seen as a campus that is not making any efforts, no recycling in a visible way doing recycling does cultivate sustainable ethos and image and culture for staff and students. Tricky issue III. Other Topics > Purchasing: Problem and obstacles with buying goods based on green criteria; not considered as a criteria currently in system policy. Can t write sustainability criteria (e.g. sourcing, production) into specs, must choose based on price. Going to need systemic changes in policy regarding purchasing rules. Will follow up with folks from UH Office of Sustainability and Derek will look into this. IV. Other ways to conserve: > Have stickers/signage reminding people to turn off machines, lights. Maybe have a point person on a floor or division who sweeps through to turn off things on the floor at the end of the day. > Need to have better way of sharing tips rather than email messages. Will work on use of Sustainably website as venue for that. Blogging was suggested Billie is already sending out weekly blogs with sustainability topics Cynthia and Billie work on together, but more social media options should be looked into. > Suggestion would like to know more about water usage to then better promote water conservation; should have tips about conserving water and efficiency in use of water > Should look for funding to kick start initiatives e.g. grants or a generous donor. Need to look further into funding options. > Need to do assessment of what students are learning in the S Designation classes to help promote campus efforts, measure how they are being enriched, have these testimonials/indications of growth for support for future initiatives etc. > Should really be emphasizing and instituting policies to reduce use e.g. of paper (esp. given problems with recycling) > Offices/departments should consider coming up with localized solutions to recycling e.g. for a particular department/floor/set of offices, collect and have someone take paper and cardboard home to put in their blue bin. > Another initiative the College should pursue promoting use of bus, car sharing/carpooling. Problems with getting UPass given the increased student fee costs to students, can promote in other ways. Will look into possibilities for system wide emphases with UH Office folks.
*************************** Additional comments/resources sent after the meeting: Article on complexities of Honolulu Recycling Program: http://www.honolulumagazine.com/honolulu Magazine/July 2015/Should Honolulus Recycling Program Go Up in Flames/index.php?cparticle=2&siarticle=1#artanc Since energy savings are our objective, discourage the use of large fridge and will discourage using the office fridge for storage of left overs. Large appliances are frequently hand me downs and should be removed. Common rooms in some cases are former classrooms and are equipped with oversize lounge chairs in addition to appliances. Someone will have to be assigned the responsibility of surveying existing use. Johnson Controls installed a compactor to eliminate some of the trash bins and provide a central location for collection of recyclables. All paper and cardboard should be placed in office trash bins, which are regularly emptied by custodians and delivered to compactor. Contents of the compactor are delivered to the city waste to energy plant. Burnable waste, including certain plastic bags, should be deposited in waste containers. See the following article on the improper use of blue bins: http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/10/burning-trashmore-cost-effective-than-recycling/?mobile=1 It shouldn t matter who makes the money since the objective is to recycle and the person collecting the fee is being compensated to assist in recycling. Recommend individuals consuming beverages take the empty container home and place in their recycle bin. The city waste management program is very efficient for an island community. It has even been suggested the neighbor islands should ship their waste to Oahu for processing. More should be done to educate the public on the proper disposal of waste, including bulky items. The Johnson Controls contract includes monitoring water and electricity use. Since the contract includes all community colleges, it would be an opportunity to compare energy savings efforts. Instructors of S Designation courses should be equipped with factual information on how best to promote sustainability, which is different for an island state.
Battery powered vehicles could be encouraged by providing charging stations energized with solar panels at preferred parking locations. Solar Power. HCC should expand the solar power program started at METC, Auto Tech, and the solar structure next to the central air conditioning plant. A program could be undertaken to systematically eliminate the numerous window air conditioner units in nearly all buildings. Much of this would become obvious if the campus master plan was reviewed to identify the inefficient use of space, lighting, and air conditioning.