Campus Sustainability Guide
Table of Contents
app’s Office of Community Engagement and the app Sustainability Community would like to welcome you to the online Campus Sustainability Guide. This site has been created as a resource for all those concerned with sustainability at app. This is only the beginning. Feel free to also give us feedback, ideas, or additions for this guide by emailing the Office of Community Engagement.
Why should we at app care about the environment?
We are called to be stewards of the creation in which we are embedded. “Our purpose is to infuse app’s vigorous liberal arts education with thoughtful, Biblically-based principles that lay a foundation for living in a way that honors the Creator and His beloved creation. The Reformed tradition recognizes the important role of creation as God’s general revelation of goodness and grace. We also recognize our responsibility to interpret, wisely use, and compassionately care for God’s creation. In doing so, we take seriously the Biblical mandate to be stewards of God’s good earth.” –app Statement on Sustainability (pdf)
What does it mean to live sustainably?
Sustainable living is the daily working out of God’s stewardship mandate. We seek to live as part of the natural world in ways that mirror the care and love God has for the creation. To live in a sustainable fashion means our daily activities promote the well-being of other people, other species, and the ability of future generations of all creatures to flourish.
This guide serves as a resource with facts and steps you can take to work towards a more sustainable lifestyle in order to make a positive impact on our campus and in our world.
Are you living a sustainable life?
“Ecological footprints measure humanity’s demands on nature. Everything we do has consequences...” including contributing to pollution, deforestation, desertification, sprawl, landfills, global warming, soil erosion, and extinction.
Check your own footprint at .
What can you do?
Each member of the app community should lead a life of meaning and purpose in relationship to the physical world, a life that promotes healing and reconciliation among all elements of the creation. Areas where you can make a difference include:
- Waste
- Energy
- Travel
- Water
- Food
ReTHINK your waste
General facts
- In 2007, Americans generated about 254 million tons of trash, recycling and composting 85 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and saved 1.3 quadrillion Btu of energy, the equivalent of more than 10.7 billion gallons of gasoline.
- Recycling just 1 ton of aluminum cans conserves the equivalent of 1,665 gallons of gas.
- The average American generates 4.6 pounds of trash daily, or 1,679 pounds annually!
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app facts
- Approximately 180 tons of recycling and 300 tons of compost were diverted from the landfill/incinerator in 2016.
- app landfilled about 230 tons and incinerated 460 tons of trash the same year.
“Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Collecting used bottles, cans, and newspapers and taking them to the curb or to a collection facility is just the first in a series of steps that generates a host of financial, environmental, and social returns. Some of these benefits accrue locally as well as globally.” ()
Tips for reducing your waste on campus
- Use the appropriate recycling bins
- Think before you photocopy and print documents. Do you really need it?
- When printing, make margins narrow, decrease font size, and print or copy on both sides by printing odd pages first then all even pages.
- Take or prepare only as much food as you plan to eat at the moment or later.
- Use your CUPPS mug at Johnny’s and the Fish House (and get discounted drinks!)
- Carry a Nalgene or reuse your current water bottle.
- Bring your own reusable container for leftovers when you go out to eat.
- Avoid using paper plates and napkins and plastic silverware.
- Use cloth grocery bags and keep some in your car. Pick one up at the Campus Store for only 50¢ or at Meijer for $1.
What can you recycle at app?
To view a full list of what you can and cannot recycle at app, please visit the Facilities department.
Tips for reducing your waste off campus
- Compost fruit and vegetable remains, eggshells, and grains.
- Take active steps to reduce the volume of junk mail you receive. Read catalogs online. Contact the senders directly or use a catalog management site like to manage which catalogs you read and how you read them.
- Stop the credit offers. This is good security for identity theft and temptation management as well. Go to the site or call the number toll free: 888-567-8688. A voice-activated system allows you to remove your name and address from most mailed credit offers. You can opt in again at any time by calling the same number.
- Receive your various financial statements and bills electronically. This saves paper and reduces costs for the senders.
- Kent County Recycling information: .
ReTHINK your energy usage
General facts
- Fuel sources to produce electricity in Michigan in 2004 were: 63% coal, 10% natural gas, 23% nuclear, and only 3% from renewable sources. ()
- Though accounting for only 5% of the world’s population, Americans consume 26% of the world’s energy. (American Almanac)
- Among industrialized and developing countries, Canada consumes per capita the most energy in the world, the United Sates ranks second, and Italy consumes the least among industrialized countries. (Solar Energy International)
app facts
- app emits or causes to be emitted over 30,000 tons of CO2 each year.
- app buys over 5000 kW-hr (about $500) of electricity per student each year.
Energy use is so integrated into our daily lives that we hardly even consider it. The United States is the largest energy consumer in terms of total use, using 100 quadrillion BTUs (or 29000 TWh) in 2005, equivalent to an (average) consumption rate of 3.3 TW. The U.S. ranks seventh in energy consumption per-capita after Canada and a number of small countries. (Energy Information Administration)
Not only will nonrenewable sources eventually run out if used as they currently are, these sources have high levels of water or air pollution. The burning and combustion of these nonrenewable fossil fuels also contributes to the heat trapping “greenhouse effect” and global warming. By addressing simple ways individuals can cut back on energy uses, we can in a small but significant way improve our world.
Tips for reducing your energy usage on campus
- Turn off lights whenever you leave a room.
- Plug all cords into one electrical strip and turn the strip off whenever you leave. Many appliances and electronics consume energy even when you’re not using them. Also make sure that appliances such as toasters or coffee pots are unplugged whenever not in use.
- Put plastic insulation over windows or weather stripping doors in your home or dorm room to improve energy efficiency and cut your heating or cooling costs up to 40%.
- Wash clothes in cold water only.
- Bring a cloth or reusable bag when shopping.
- Turn off your car if idling for more than 30 seconds.
- Buy goods with minimal packaging to reduce your waste by 10% and save 1,200 pounds of CO2 a year.
- Turn off your computer when you’re not using it.
Tips for reducing your energy usage off campus
- Install compact fluorescent light bulbs which use less energy and last ten times longer than regular incandescent bulbs.While away or in bed, set the thermostat to 55° during the winter days. When you are at home, set it for 68° or lower. Put on more layers instead of turning up the heat.
- Air-dry clothes instead of running the dryer.
ReTHINK how you get from place to place
General facts
- Powering a jet uses almost as much energy, and emits almost as much climate-changing carbon dioxide, as each passenger would use driving alone in an average car. ()
- About 28% of the energy we use goes to transporting people and goods from one place to another. Automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, and buses drove nearly 3.0 trillion miles in 2005. That’s almost one-twelfth the distance to the nearest star beyond the solar system. It’s like driving to the sun and back 13,440 times. ()
app facts
- In 2007 – 2008, app sold over 3072 parking permits to students, but issued only 1355 Rapid passes.
- app set an all-time bus ridership record in 2008, with over 40,000 subsidized rides.
- In the summer of 2008, eight new bike racks were installed around campus. We now have a total of 31 bike racks.
- The Bike to Work challenge from Healthy Habits had 130 faculty/staff sign up. On average, each person rode approximately 3 miles one way.
Transportation accounts for 25% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. As the countries in the developing world rapidly motorize, the increasing global demand for fuel will pose one of the biggest challenges to controlling the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The U.S. light-duty vehicle fleet (automobiles, pickup trucks, SUVs, vans and small trucks) currently consumes 150 billion gallons (550 billion liters) of gasoline a year, or 1.3 gallons of gasoline per person a day. If other nations burned gasoline at the same rate, world consumption would rise by a factor of almost 10. ()
Tips for reducing your carbon emissions
- Ride the bus: Easy and cheap to get to the mall, airport, or downtown destinations. For schedules, routes and prices for the Rapid, see . Remember, they have just expanded their hours!
- Where do you get a bus pass at app? app faculty, staff and students may pick up a Rapid Bus Discount card by going to the Campus Safety Office or the Service Learning Center. The Bus cards are free to obtain and drop the rate for the bus down to $0.50 per ride.
- Carpool to and from app: Would you rather carpool? Students traveling to or from app by automobile are advised to consider carpooling with other app students making the same trip. The Ride Board is a bulletin board where students can post their need for a ride or the availability of a ride in their car or van. The Ride Board is located under the Community Tab in the student's Moodle account. Even the Rapid can hook you up: .
More tips for reducing your carbon emissions
- Bike: A new Bike Task Force at app will be planning for bike lanes, increased bike racks, and safety awareness on– and off-campus.
- Proper tire inflation: Keep car tires properly inflated to improve mileage and save up to 250 pounds of CO2 annually.
- Compare hybrids: Buy energy efficient cars. ()
- Fuel Cost Calculator: ()
- Local bike stores and repair shops:
- West Michigan Bike and Fitness: 2830 East Paris, Kentwood, MI 49512, (616) 942-1880,
- Grand Rapids Bicycle Company: 1200 E. Paris, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, (616) 855-7467,
ReTHINK your water consumption
General facts
How much water does it take to...?
- drink: 1/2 gallon per person, per day
- shower with a low-flow showerhead: 9 – 12 gallons per person, per day
- fill the bathtub: about 36 gallons
- cook: 5 – 10 gallons per person, per day
- wash clothes or the car: 50 gallons per wash
- water the lawn/yard: 300 gallons per watering
- flush the toilet: 3.5 – 7 gallons, or 1.5 gallons with a water saving toilet
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app facts
- app uses about 11,000 gallons of water per student per year.
- app uses over 50 million gallons of water annually.
- Campus water usage has decreased from 53.4 million gallons (2003 – 2004) to about 49.6 million gallons (2007 – 2008).
Water is a limited resource on our planet. In West Michigan, the threat of our fresh water supply running out is less severe than in other parts of the country, but this does not mean that water conservation or care should not be addressed by the app community. Pollution of the Great Lakes or even the Grand River puts water degradation on a very local level. As caretakers of the earth, we can take small steps in our dorms, homes and lifestyle to cut back on our water consumption which can have a significant positive affect on water conservation.
Tips for reducing your water usage
- Run only full loads in the washing machine or dishwasher to save 300 – 800 gallons of water every month.
- Reduce showers even a minute or two to save up to 700 gallons of water every month.
- Wait for hot water to come to the tap at the sink or shower and capture the running water to use for drinking or watering plants. This will save 200 – 300 gallons of water every month.
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving to save three gallons every day.
- Wash dishes by hand and rinse them in water plugged in a sink or wash basin to save 200 – 500 gallons of water a month. If washing dishes by hand, use as little detergent as possible to avoid having to rinse more, thereby saving 50 – 150 gallons a month.
- Rinse fresh vegetables in a filled sink or pan instead of running them under water to save 150 – 250 gallons of water a month.
Tips for reducing your water usage off campus
- Make sure that sinks or plumbing joints aren’t leaking to save 20 gallons of water every day for every leak stopped.
- Install shower heads that restrict the flow to save 500 – 800 gallons of water each month.
ReTHINK your food
General facts
- On average, the food we eat from grocery stores travels 1500 miles before it reaches our plates.
- 80 – 90% of money spent at farmers markets goes directly to the farmer compared to 3.5% at a local grocery store ().
app facts
- Over 60 products were featured in a recent Commons Dining Hall display of Michigan products served in the dining halls.
- New “green” sack lunches provide recyclable lunch sacks and reduces waste by allowing students to select their own food.
- Dining Services now uses biodegradable disposable tableware.
Buy green
Buying organic foods helps reduce the amount of harmful chemicals in the environment and in your body:
- no synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are used
- organic agriculture often uses sustainable methods that help in soil conservation
- and organisms are not genetically modified.
Buying green items of durable materials can also help reduce waste because they can be re-used rather than thrown away.
Eat local
Buying local saves on fuel and energy by reducing transportation costs, reducing the need for long refrigeration, and reducing the need for excess packaging material. Buying from local farmer’s markets and community supported agriculture farms (CSAs) not only reduces your impact on the environment, but it helps you eat healthier, save money, and strengthen the local economy.
How can you get involved?
Student groups on campus
Environmental Stewardship Coalition (student group)
- The Coalition is a long-standing student organization at app which seeks to raise student, faculty, and administrative consciousness of current environmental issues and to emphasize Christian stewardship as the responsibility of the app community.
Renewable Energy Organization (REO)
- The app Renewable Energy Organization received a $6000 grant in 2007 from the State of Michigan and an additional $5000 from app’s administration to build a demonstration wind turbine on app’s campus. The focus of the wind turbine project is to gain understanding and data for future projects, and to provide resources for students to learn more about clean, renewable energy, and to promote alternative energy resources.
Social Justice Coalition (SJC)
- The SJC exists to enact God’s Kingdom of justice. SJC is inspired by verses like Micah 6:8 “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (NIV) SLC projects have included: Collecting money for the CRWRC Peter Fish Campaign to combat world hunger, hosting a benefit show for the Free Burma Rangers medical team, protesting Burger King’s lack of labor justice, writing letters for a more fair Farm Bill, serving the homeless at Degagé Coffee House, and advocating for Fair Trade coffee on campus.
Students for Compassionate Living (SCL)
- SCL is app’s student-led animal advocacy organization. SCL’s goal has been to foster dialogue at app regarding the relationship between humans and animals, to encourage students to think about what their daily choices can mean for the lives of billions of animals, and to educate students about the myriad of ways animals are used in present society so that we can make better informed, more compassionate decisions for how to live.
Off campus involvement
- The WMEAC has a 40 year history of environmental action in Michigan. Whether you are a concerned citizen, business owner, faith leader or student, WMEAC can help you translate your passion for the protection of the environment into positive action. WMEAC has three key areas of focus: building sustainable communities, protecting water, and promoting ecologically restorative institutions & organizations.
- Local First provides a list of opportunities and activities that “encourage the development of a vibrant, sustainable West Michigan economy by promoting local business ownership, social equity, and environmental kinship through education, support and collaboration.”
- Green Grand Rapids is a city-wide green infrastructure master planning process that focuses on the physical development of our community as it relates to greening parks, connections, natural systems, health, and the Grand River. Active public engagement will be a critical component of the plan’s success and implementation.
- Green America’s mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
What has app already done?
Our commitment to environmental stewardship continues to grow in many areas of our community life.
app Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens
- The preserve consists of 90 acres of temperate deciduous forest, wetlands, and old fields on the campus of app on the east side of the East Beltline.
Bunker Center
- The Bunker Interpretive Center (in the app Ecosystem Preserve) serves as a home base for formal programs, a study center for the university community, and an educational resource for casual visitors to the preserve. The award-winning facility has a number of environmentally friendly features.
app Environmental Assessment Program (CEAP)
- Since 1997, CEAP has served as a catalyst for app to pursue environmental stewardship through curriculum and research initiatives. CEAP is a collaborative effort of faculty, mainly in the sciences, whose focus is to deepen understanding of the campus ecosystem and the local/regional ecosystem by developing specific assignments for students in CEAP classes to explore some aspect of the environment. Findings from student projects are displayed in a poster session each semester.
- ESC is part of the governance structure of the university and is a vehicle for advocacy and information exchange on environmental matters. ESC developed the Statement on Sustainability, approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2007.
Plaster Creek Watershed
- Since the spring of 2004, representatives from app, Christian Reformed Church, and the West Michigan Environmental Action Coalition (WMEAC) have been meeting to address the problems and the potential of Plaster Creek. This group has evolved into the Plaster Creek Stewards (formerly the Plaster Creek Working Group). A new grant from the app Center for Christian Scholarship will enable app to develop plans for implementing concrete creation care outreach efforts.
Sustainability Summit
- As a follow-up to Focus the Nation, members of the app community gathered to consider ways to foster greater environmental stewardship in the university’s institutional practices. Action plans for the coming year were developed for many departments and offices.
van Reken dorm
- One floor in the newest wing of the van Reken dorm provides an opportunity for interested students to study and learn about environmental responsibility and Christian stewardship in a unique residential living-learning community. The Creation Care floor allows “motivated students the opportunity to more intentionally learn about and promote environmental responsibility, sustainable practices, and Christian stewardship-at the local, national, and global level...”