Sustainable Living Guide University of Kansas 2017
It starts with you AS THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS strives to implement more sustainable practices and enhance sustainability, education, and awareness in the campus community, it is imperative that the Jayhawk community help lead this charge. Students are persistently interested in environmental issues, and by being leaders in sustainable living, the student community at KU can create positive change campus-wide and beyond. The daily behavior and practices of university students is a forecast for the generation s future. Students at KU are in a unique position to help shape this future by incorporating sustainability practices into their daily routines. Those sustainable practices create standards of awareness for their peers within the house and across campus. While there are many students in the Jayhawk community who are interested in bettering theireveryday routine with sustainability practices, this guide will help recognize new and existing opportunities for simple improvements, laying a foundation to continue a strong, gradual process toward a sustainable future. The benefits can be felt immediately as decreased energy consumption leads to lower utility costs and diverting waste reduces valuable resource use. By establishing and improving simple sustainable living practices, it will cut costs while increasing knowledge and awareness within the Jayhawk community, eventually spreading to others. While not all of the suggestions below will be realistic or feasible for your living situation, they may provide ideas of what could be possible. At the same time, you may be surprised by how easy it is to implement impactful actions! Prioritize initatives that are conducive to the mission of your house or hall in order to achieve the most success. 1
STEP 1: Where are you now? This section takes account of efforts already in place and areas you would like to work on. House/Hall Name: : House Address: President: Today s Date: Phone Number: House Manager: 1. Does your house have a person appointed to lead environmental efforts in the house? If so, please describe. 2. Does your house currently promote sustainable living? If so, how? 3. Does your house currently promote environmental awareness? If so, how? Consider appointing a Sustainability Ambassador as a position of your house/hall government. This position could keep the house informed and lead in the creation/implementation of sustainable improvements for chapter or house practices. 4. What efforts has the house made to lessen its impact on the community s natural resources? 5. What sustainable efforts do you think the house does well? 6. What sustainable efforts do you think the house could improve? 2
STEP 2: What is your potential? This step helps you identify areas in your house that have the potential to be more sustainable and where simple improvements can be made. This is an easy audit that a couple residents can complete by inspecting and walking through the house. Please select at least one of the sections below or complete all of them for a thorough audit. Food & Kitchen Audit 1. Food (List 3 for each) Drinks with Sizes (i.e. gallon jug of milk) Other Foods in Fridge Bulk Packaged Snacks Fruits & Vegetables Utilize leftovers to prevent food waste. Encourage use of reusable containers for students to save food. Utilize local, organic food. Start by talking to your chef about how they source your house s food. Does their vendor offer local or organic options? If not, suggest the possibility of working with a local farm to purchase certain in season ingredients or shopping at the Lawrence Farmer s Market during the growing season. 2a. Dishes/Utensils: Disposable Cups # used per week Styrofoam Plastic Paper Buying snacks in bulk instead of in individual packages reduces waste and is a preferred choice. Plates # used per week Silverware Ask your kitchens staff how often they purchase disposable items in order to help you estimate how many your house goes through. # used per week Co ee Cups # used per week 3
2b. Dishes/Utensils: Reusable Drinking Cups # in Stock Plates # in Stock Silverware # of sets in Stock 3. Composting Does the house compost? If so, what items are composted? Is it kept onsite or carried away? If on site what is it used for? If carried away, who takes it and where? Phase out or reduce use of plastic, paper, and styrofoam kitchenware and utensils to reduce your landfill impact. Ask the house manager to purchase more reusable dishes if there aren t enough for everyone in the house or if that is the reason for using disposables. Explore the possibility of composting food waste. See waste section on pg. 9 for helpful direction on getting started. Energy Audit 1. Light Bulb Count (How many in each space?) INCANDESCENT CFL Incandescent CFL Kitchen Dining Room Common Room Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2 Bathroom 2. Lighting Check Find a time when most people are out of the house to see if the lights were left on where they needn t be. Kitchen Dining Room Common Room Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Yes No Replace incandescent bulbs with more efficient CFLs or LEDs. LEDs save the most energy and last longer. Did you know: KU is working to replace all burnt out bulbs with LEDs across campus. The results found in these rooms could be indicative of behaviors across the house and energy saving measures that can be implemented to target those habits. Take note of common areas where daylighting can be used during the day instead of electric light. Post visible cues about switching off the lights throughout the house. 4
3. Electronics Check Write the number of appliances in the given rooms below that you find plugged in when not in use. Keurig(s) Drip Coffee Makers Toaster(s) Blender(s) Warming Tray(s) Kitchen If you have a Keurig, consider purchasing and promoting the use of their Reusable Basket. Bulk coffees and teas can be used in these, which will save money and cut down on lots of waste (k-cups are not recyclable!) Consider posting a sign in the kitchen next to appliances that don t need to be plugged in all the time. Purchase a power strip for kitchen where chargers can be plugged in and power strips turned off when not in use. Water Cooler (Electric) Other Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2 Common Space Chargers are continually drawing power, even when no device is connected to them. Unplug them after each use or connect it to a power strip that is switched off when not in use. Phone Charger(s) Laptop Charger(s) TV(s) Hair Dryer/Curling Iron(s) Unplug entertainment systems when not in use or connect it to a power strip that is switched off when not used. Appliances use electricity even when they are off by going into standby mode. Gaming System(s) Other 4. Windows and Doors Walking around the perimeter of the building, note any visible cracks or leaks in the windows, doors, or foundation. Do you see light or feel any warm/ cold air coming from inside? If so, valuable energy is escaping. 5 Simply setting computers to sleep mode or saving a game and powering down instead of leaving it paused for a prolonged period can save more than $100 a year/per machine. Imagine the savings total for the entire house! Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air or hire someone to do it. Otherwise, energy and money are going right out the window!
5. Heating Water Heater Tank What is the temperature of the tank set to? Is the tank wrapped in an insulation blanket? Y/N Thermostat Is the thermostat a programmable thermostat? Y/N If yes, is the thermostat programmed? Y/N If yes, what is the: Day Temperature Night Temperature Furnace Check the filter. Is it dirty? Y/N Is there a date on the filter? Y/N If yes, what is the date? 6. Energy Bills Gather monthly and/or annual billing statements from you house s electric and natural gas providers. What is your house s annual electric bill? (Find the sum of 12 months of electric bills) What is your house s annual natural gas bill? (Find the sum of 12 months of gas bills) What is the size of your house? Sq. Ft Set water heater temperature to 120 F to save energy and money on heating water. Wrap the water storage tank in a specially-designed blanket to retain the heat. A water heater blanket costs about $30, but can save up to 15% on water heating costs per year. Scaling back the heating or cooling overnight while the house is asleep or unoccupied on breaks can save up to 10% on cooling and heating costs. If you don t have access to the hot water heater or furnace, ask your House Manager or maintenance staff for assistance. Clean or change filters regularly (every 3-12 months). Write the date you changed it with a sharpie on the filter. A dirty furnace or A/C filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool. Keeping track of bill information is a great way to see if your energy improvements save energy and money. 6
Water Audit 1. Faucet F Count (How many in each space or floor?) Flow rate is the number of gallons that flow out of the faucet per minute. It is found engraved on the aerator. The aerator is located at the tip of the faucet, right where the water pours out. Install low-flow or water-saving aerators on all your faucets: 0.5 is an ideal flow. These can be found at any hardware store and cost about $3 each. Basement # Kitchen # First Floor # Second Floor # Third Floor # Flow Rate When washing dishes by hand, don t let the water run. Fill one basin with wash water and the other with rinse water. Designate one glass for your drinking water each day, or refil a reusable water bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash. Other: # 2. Shower Head Count (How many in each space or floor?) Flow rate can be found engraved on the shower head, typically in the center of the spout. Post a sign near bathroom sinks to turn off faucets when brushing teeth and shaving which can save an average of 1 gallon each time (with low-flow aerator). Think about how that savings will add up throughout the house! Basement # Kitchen # First Floor # Second Floor # Third Floor # Other: # 7 Flow Rate Use a low-flow or WaterSense labeled showerhead. They re inexpensive, easy to install, and can save you up to 750 gallons a month. Are house members encouraged to take short showers? Challenge residents to time their showers to a favorite song. This way they don t linger and use more water than needed!
3. Toilet Count (How many in each space or floor?) Flush Rate is the number of gallons of water used per flush. It is typically found written just behind the seat or on the toilet lid. Basement # Flush Rate 1.6 gpf or less is ideal. Replace your toilets with a low-flush or WaterSense labeled toilet and save up to 2 gallons per flush! Think of all the flushing happening in your house! First Floor # Second Floor # Third Floor # Other: # Does the toilet run after the tank fills? This means water is constantly being lost, even when not in use. Replace the flapper (the rubber part in the tank that lifts up when flushed. It seals the water in the tank after flushing) on a running toilet to avoid unecessary wasted water and a higher water bill! 8
Waste & Recycling For Greek houses and Naismith Hall, we reconize that recycling can be a challenge without access to pick-up services at your house. Unfortunately, KU Recycling cannot service these facilities, as they are considered commercial properties. The City of Lawrence will be expanding their residential service to commerical buildings in the near future. In the meantime, there are options! Community Living Opportunities (CLO): CLO works to improve the quality of life for people living with disabilities. They are currently offering recycling pick-up (for a small fee) for business and commercial entities in Lawrence. The recycling program provides work training for the individuals they serve. A win win! Contact Deb Engstrom, debengstrom@clokan.org, to discuss services to your house. Cans for the Community: Another great community organization that collects aluminum cans for their value and in turn donates the money to other community non-profit organizations. Another win win! Greek houses can go through a lot of aluminum cans! Can collection houses are stationed throughout Lawrence where residents can drop off cans at no charge to benefit Cans for the Community. A can house is currently located on Emery Rd available adjacent to Kappa Sigma, Delta Upsilon, and Delta Gamma. Contact Cans for the Community at recycle@ cansforthecommunity.org to request a can house near your house or visit cansforthecommunity.org/about for a list of can house locations that may be near you. Drop off locations: The 12th & Haskell Recycling Center (located at 12th and Haskell) accepts free drop-off of paper, plastic, cardboard, and metal. If paying CLO for services is prohibitive to your house recycling, consider forming a drop-off team and earn service hours for your efforts. For glass recycling visit lawrenceks.org/swm/rescitydropoff for a list of other community drop-off location. Interested in seeing how much recycling you can divert with one of the options above? Use the waste audit guide below to help determine which items house members are commonly mistaking for trash/recycling so communication can be improved as well as to reduce waste overall by discovering what your house disposes of most. Ready to recycle, but want assistance with setting up the in-house diversion? Contact sustainability@ku.edu for help getting started! We can also help develop or provide signage and other communication to tackle your house s needs 9
Waste Audit Collect waste from the following areas on a day of the week where trash cans are usually full. Dining Room Kitchen Bathroom Common Room Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2 Separate the total amount of waste contents into the categories below. Once separated, count the number of items or measure by volume (example: fill a 5-gallon bucket and count how many buckets-full of each). Use the same measurement of volume throughout the entire audit. Recyclables: Paper (Newspaper, Magazines, Mail) Cardboard and Paperboard Tin and Aluminum Cans Plastics #1-7 Compostables: (Except 6! - see confused items on pg. 11) NO coffee cups, napkins, paper towels, greasy pizza boxes, or soiled paper plates. These items should go in the landfill or compost category. Leftover Food and Food Scraps Soiled Paper Plates Napkins/Paper Towels/Tissues It s best practice to rinse your recyclables of food residue as best you can before recycling. Landfill: Food Wrappers & Chip Bags Greasy Pizza Boxes Disposable Coffee Cups Take note of how much of your landfill material is disposable cups, plates or utensils. How much trash could be reduced by switching to reusable? Plastic Utensils Wax Coated Paper Cups Styrofoam Plastic Bags How much of your waste is made up each category? How much could you reduce your landfill waste by recycling and composting? How much could you reduce by using reusable washable items? 10
We re the first to admit that recycling can be confusing! Create signage for your house that is posted on or above bins to guide house members on what can and cannot be recycled. Commonly confused items include: Disposable Coffee Cups (They are made of more than paper - don t recycle!) Plastic Bags (They get caught in sorting machines - take them to Dillons or Hy-Vee!) Styrofoam (Even though it may have a #6, this material is mostly just air - don t recycle) Not sure about other particular items, ask us at sustainability@ku.edu Trash & Recycling Bin and Signage Audit Already recycling? Take an extra look at your set-up and signage. Do these rooms have recycling bins? Place recycling bins throughout the house wherever trash cans are found so house members always have an option to recycle. Common Rooms Recycle/ Trash Bins R T Posters: Yes/No Y N Recycle/ Trash Bins R T Posters: Yes/No Y N Dining Room: found ays have an optionto recycle. Kitchen: Bathroom: Other: Hallways Basement: Floor 1: Floor 2: Other: 11 Encourage house members to establish a recycling bin (a box, sack, or crate will do!) in their trash bin. When full they can empty their recycling into a larger central recycling bin.
STEP 3: Take Action! Now that you have a grasp of what your house is doing and how your house could improve, it s time to take action! Pick two or three sustainability actions that you can realistically implement throughout the house. Start small if you must. Many small, mindful actions that you and your house members take every day can all add up to valuable cost and resource savings. Need help getting started? Send your completed step 1 and step 2 to sustainability@ku.edu for guidance, additional resources, and tips for your house. This guide offers a starter list of suggestions, but it is certainly not the limit of sustainablility projects or initatives your house can take. Be creative! Below are some additional ideas to consider: Make it Clean and Green: A lot of resources are used in the laundry room. The size of your load, water temperature, detergent, and method of drying all make a difference. Follow some of these tips to make this necessary chore into a low impact task. Copies of this sign are available through the Center of Sustainablity. Email sustainability@ku.edu for copies to hang in your laundry room! Grow a Garden: Interested in local foods? Grow your own for your chef to use in preparing house meals. If establishing a raised bed or section of yard is not possible, plenty of vegetables grow well in pots, especially herbs. Growing food is also a great activity to build community in your house. MAKE IT CLEAN AND GREEN Wash Your Loads On Cold Using cold water reduces energy use by 90%, it also makes your colors and clothes last longer! Switch To An Eco-Friendly High-Efficiency (HE) Detergent Conventional laundry detergents contain surfactants and other chemicals that can cause harm to the environment and our own health. Wear It More Than Once How often do you wash your jeans? Well, leading denim companies recommend no more than every two weeks in order to give your favorite jeans the longest life. And it will avoid 18 gallons of water per wash! Wait For A Full Load Hold out for a full load instead of washing frequent small loads in order to use the necessary energy and water most Give Your Clothes Some Hang Time Running a clothes dryer can account for nearly 10% of a residence s energy bill. Hang dry items when possible to It will also keep your clothes looking bright and new. www.sustainability.ku.edu 12
Compost: Here s a project for a house that really wants to excel at their sustainability game! While commercial food composting services don t currently exist in Lawrence, several local entities, including KU, contract with Missouri Organic in Kansas City to collect food waste and compost at their facility. To explore this fee-based service for your house, visit missouriorganic.com. Backyard composting may not be feasible given the size of your house and number of meals prepared, but it is an option for small scale collection. Contact us at sustainability@ku.edu if you would like to discuss how to begin a compost system at your house. Create friendly competitions: - Recycling competitions - Energy conservation competitions - Fundraising competition for a community organization Extend sustainabillity to your hosted events: - Promote your event digitally and print less material - Use reusable banners and decoration that can be reused at other events - Use reusable plates and utensils; or prioritize paper over styrofoam - Use washable table cloths and napkins - Plan for extra recycling collection and place signage so your guests know how to participate - Encourage or offer Nalgene-style water bottles instead of bottled water STEP 4: Get Recognized! Be sure to let the KU Center for Sustainability know about your efforts! You can share your initiatives with us on Facebook (facebook.com/kusustainability) or on Twitter (@SustainKU). The Center for Sustainability is always available as a resource for your initiatives and is eager to help provide information and guidance. Each spring, the Center for Sustainability organizes the Sustainability Leadership Awards to highlight outstanding leadership and creativity in addressing issues of environmental, economic, and social responsibility on the KU campus and in the broader community. Individuals, programs, and projects can be nominated. If your house is doing great things, be sure to tell sustainability@ku.edu about it or nominate your house for an award in the spring. 13