Category: Eco-Reps (Page 8 of 10)

Do It In the Dark

November 4, 2012 / Benjamin S Rabe / 0 Comments

This week we are going to talk about the Eco-Rep initiative DO IT IN THE DARK (DIITD). With the help of facilities we’re comparing the electricity usage from mid-October – mid-November 2011 to mid-October – mid-November 2012. Since weather differences won’t make much of a difference with for electric usage, it should be a fair comparison. We as students can make a tremendous difference by doing simple things like remembering to turn off our lights and computers when we leave for class. Just switching our desk lamp to a CFL from and incandescent bulb save 75% of the electric used. Below are some Fun Facts about how to save energy at Tufts.

Fun Energy Facts:
– 90% of the energy that goes into an incandescent bulb is wasted as heat.
– If everyone in a South a floor lamp with an incandescent bulb while they’re at class it would save 23kWh of electricity.
– If you don’t unplug your mini-fridge when you leave for Winter Break, you’d waste 20kWh of electricity.

Tips for Zero-Waste Week

October 19, 2012 / Fannie Koa / 4 Comments

It’s easy to do the Zero Waste Challenge when you are at a place like Tufts, where recycling bins abound and compost drops are available on campus. Still, here are some good tips to keep in mind:

Snack on fresh fruit – it’s healthier AND it’s compostable.
Carry a small tupperware to put food to compost later.
Bring your lunch and use the container to get takeout for dinner.
Get your drinks without a straw.
Avoid individually wrapped tea or drink loose leaf tea.
Always bring a reusable mug or water bottle.
Photo courtesy of Tufts Dining

Save 20 cents at Mugar Cafe, Tower Cafe, Brown & Brew, Hodgdon Good-to-Go & Commons Deli if you bring your own mug.
The Tufts “Choose to Reuse” clear water bottle will get you a discount on any fountain beverage at Mugar Cafe, Hodgdon Good-to-Go, Commons Deli, and Tower Cafe. Water and sparkling water will also be discounted at Hotung Cafe.

A few things to remember:

Aluminum foil and yogurt cups are recyclable.
All napkins are compostable.
Any rigid plastic can be recycled – including coffee stirrers. (It doesn’t have to fit through the openings of the recycling bin, by the way – just lift the cover.)
Energy bar wrappers and chip bags are recyclable. Tufts has Terracycle brigades on campus.

For more information on recycling and composting at Tufts, visit the TuftsRecycles! website.

Good luck and have fun!

Eco-Reps Weekly Updates

October 17, 2012 / Jennifer Dranetz / 0 Comments

Zero Waste Week

Today, October 17^th, is the start of Zero Waste Week! From October 17^th to October 24^th, 200 students will participate in this challenge to raise awareness that trash doesn’t just “disappear.” Participating students will place all trash that will not otherwise not be recycled or composted in a clear plastic bag that they will carry around with them for the week. Students should feel less compelled to create waste since they’ll have to carry it all with them! The plastic bags will be dropped off on the RezQuad at Mt. Trashmore on October 24^th and the amount generated by the participants will be compared to the trash generated from a comparable sized dorm. Visit the Office of Sustainability, the Crafts House, or find your Eco-Rep to be a part of the challenge!

Sustainability Day

October 24^th, the end of Zero Waste Week, is also Sustainability Day! This event, taking place from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, focuses on raising awareness of what has been done and what needs to be worked on to become a sustainable campus. Events for this year’s Sustainability Day include Mt. Trashmore, which will feature individual piles of trash taken from Miller, Houston, Carmichael, and Hill Halls, and “The Story of Bananas” dinner at Dewick. “The Story of Bananas” dinner seeks to educate students on the path of the dining halls’ most eaten fruit from farm all the way to compost. Check out the five stations, play the fun foodie game to win banana themed prizes, and enjoy foods with bananas! In addition, Annie Leonard, the author of “The Story of Stuff” will be holding a talk, question and answer, and book signing session in Cohen Auditorium from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Eco-Rep Events

Last night Eco-Rep Sidney May, the Eco-Rep for Wren Hall, held her first event. She set up a tap water vs bottled water taste test and raffled off a Brita reusable water bottle! Sidney threw residents a fun curve ball by serving only tap water. Residents had fun doing the test and were almost always surprised they tried two cups of tap water. Way to go, Sidney!

Hill and West residents, don’t miss the Sustainability Dinner event tomorrow night put on by Eco-Reps Chantal Davis and Laina Piera. The dinner will focus on sustainability of the food in the dining halls. You can’t miss the delicious Flatbread pizzas they’ll be serving for dinner! The event takes place from 6-7pm in the Hill Hall Lounge.

Plus, look out of Do It In the Dark, an inter-dorm competition to see which can reduce their energy consumption the most over a one-month period! More information to come in our next post!

Eco-Rep Updates

October 1, 2012 / Claire Heinegg / 1 Comment

APPS on APPS

Interested in being an Eco-Rep? You don’t have to wait until next year! We are accepting applications for the spring semester RIGHT NOW! Deadline is November 2nd but apps are accepted on a rolling basis, so apply! Now. 2013_Spring_Eco-Rep_App

Meet & Greet

Each Eco-Rep was responsible for having a “Meet and Greet” event the first few weeks of school. We are happy to report that these events were AWESOME! I am one of two representatives for South Hall and we had 71 people come by and chat with us! We had baked brownies and cookies and then had brief conversations about green things at Tufts as people passed by in the lobby. The best part of this event was that people recognized us from the all hall meeting! I fielded really thoughtful questions on composting in the dorms, composting in the dining halls, recycling, my job description, and our Terracycle initiative. What a great start to the year!

Terra–what?

I just mentioned our Terracycle initiative, but I realize there is a good chance you don’t know what that is. Have you ever seen those purses made out of Lays chip bags? Or wallets out of Cheetos? Well, those are from Terracycle! The company upcycles materials and makes new products. Eco-Reps collect chip bags and granola bar wrappers, mail them in, and then get $$ to fund programs in the dorms.

Read more about Tufts Terracycling here: http://sustainability.tufts.edu/terracycle/

AND check out the Terracycle “About Us” page http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/about-us.html and check out how it works! http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/how-terracycle-works.html

Events

Eco-Reps are busy planning and putting on our first events of the year. I had the pleasure of attending a discussion on The Story of Stuff last week! I appreciated everyone’s comments on the book and reflections on sustainability here at Tufts. The cynic in me doubted that many people had actually read the book, but this event proved me wrong! Props to Lauren Deaderick and Hayley Welsh for hosting the first official event of the semester!

Book discussion in Tilton with Eco-Reps, Resident Scholar, and ACE Fellows

Why do YOU go green?

I did a quick youtube search for “go green” and came up with this video: That’s Why I Go Green. The lyrics to the song were written by a kid and then the group sang it and made a music video. I know nothing about the organization but I like their vid! I go green because I believe we can make a difference! Why do you go green?

Eco Reps enjoy retreat to New Hampshire

September 25, 2012 / Jack Eidson / 4 Comments

The 2012-2013 Eco-Reps spent the last week of August training for the new school year. While most of the training took place on the Medford campus, the group took an overnight retreat on the last night of training week to Woodstock, New Hampshire, to spend time getting to know one another, hiking, and training Tufts’ “loj.”

The group, which included the 15 Reps, 2 coordinators, and Tina Woolston, the Director of the Office of Sustainability, arrived in New Hampshire on Friday afternoon, August 31. They spent the afternoon and evening hanging out, cooking, and roasting marshmallows.

Early Saturday morning, the whole group woke up to go on a hike of Mt. Tecumseh. The hike lasted through the morning, and gave the Reps an opportunity to grow together, through partner hikes and trail games. At the peak, the group enjoyed a picnic lunch. Standing tall at 4,003 feet, the summit provided great views of the surrounding forests and mountains.

The entire group of Eco Reps enjoy the view from the top of Mt. Tecumseh. The hike was an exciting part of the Eco Rep retreat at the end of August.

After returning from the hike, the group had a busy early afternoon of training. They started by brainstorming events for the upcoming semester. Each Rep is responsible for three dorm-wide events each semester, and this brainstorming session led to a lot of ideas for how to plan successful events.

Next, they troubleshot how to handle difficult scenarios and situations that may come up throughout the year. To conclude the day, the Eco Reps re-evaluated the goals they had set at the start of training week, and prepared to leave the loj.

After a great overnight retreat, the Eco Reps returned to campus ready to take on the fall semester!

Category: Eco-Reps (Page 8 of 10)

Do It In the Dark