Staff
GREEN 2018-2019
Guide
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WHY SUSTAINABILITY? From increasing campus tree canopy to encouraging sustainability activism in the community, the new Pitt Sustainability Plan has set over 60 ambitious goals for the University to become a green leader. In celebration and support of Pitt’s commitments, faculty and staff across Pitt are embracing opportunities to green our own events, offices, and departments. Join us as we work together to make Pitt a safer and friendlier place for people and the planet. Check out our progress at sustainable.pitt.edu and find out more about what YOU can do to help Pitt be a leader in sustainability.
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Event Planning Green Your Office Purchasing and Surplus Electronic Waste Recycling Compost Food Reuse Commuting and Mobility Green Fund Contacts
EVENT PLANNING
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Want recognition for your green event planning prowess? Submit a Green Event Certification request here and the Student Office of Sustainability (SOOS) will provide you with additional support to make your event as sustainable as possible! For outdoor events of more than 100 people, request the “Water Monster” from the Student Office of Sustainability (SOOS)! This large, portable water filling station allows attendees to fill reusable bottles at events instead of using single use water bottles.
GREEN YOUR OFFICE 6 Quick Tips to Green Your Office and/or Department: 1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6 Quick Tips for Green Events: 1. 2.
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Use electronic marketing for event save the dates, invitations, and reminders. Use reusable dinnerware, cups, and utensils for internal meetings and small events. Campus Catering can provide compostable items for no additional charge if you’re booking an event through catering! Use compostable dinnerware, cups, and utensils at very large events (and make sure you have compost pickup arranged afterwards!). Campus Catering can provide compostable items for no additional charge if you’re booking an event through catering! When making catering choices, consider putting vegetarian, vegan and sustainable food options at the center of the plate. Be sure the event location is accessible for all attendees. Don’t throw your leftover food in the trash! Post its availability in the Pitt Food Share Facebook group so staff and students can take advantage of the leftovers.
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Make sure recycling is properly labeled and accessible to all — with a recycling bin next to every trash can. Post reminders to turn out the lights when not in use. Ensure that all office paper is made from at least 30% recycled content. For making coffee, use reusable filters (even for Keurigs!) and buy local, fair trade, and/or organic coffee. For one more step, consider composting your grounds! Make sure every faculty and staff member is familiar with the online resources from Pitt Sustainability. Adopt a vision statement that reflects how your workplace integrates sustainability into its culture and decision-making.
BE A GREEN OFFICE
For answers to more questions about planning green events, check out our Green Certified Events page, or contact SOOS at soos@pitt.edu for more specific questions.
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PURCHASING AND SURPLUS
ELECTRONIC WASTE
Purchasing
Recycling
One of the best ways to work green is to reuse when possible, including posters, file folders, etc. When this is not possible seek out products made with post-consumer materials and look for the following certifications on products: Forest Stewardship Council, Green Seal, Fair Trade, Energy Star or EPEAT.
Cell phones can be recycled at any campus computing lab or at the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (153 Benedum Hall).
Did you know that Pitt’s Printing Services has 100% recycled content paper? Request it next time you send a print job their way!
Battery recycling is available throughout campus in the main lobbies in the following locations: Bellefield Hall – 2nd floor lobby Benedum Hall – Main lobby 1st floor & Mascaro Center for Sustainable
Surplus
Innovation (153)
Pitt Surplus Property is the University’s service for unwanted items. Pitt Surplus accepts office furniture, classroom furniture, electronics, and more. Most items are repurposed and given a second home, and anyone can purchase items from surplus property. This service will also deliver items to, and pick up items from any campus department.
Cathedral of Learning – Ground floor near the vending machines Chevron Craig Hall - Main entrance lobby Crawford Hall – 2nd floor entrance lobby Dental School - Ground floor entrance lobby Frick Fine Arts – 1st floor handicapped entrance Lawrence Hall – Main entrance vestibule Learning Research and Development (LRDC) – Main entrance 1st floor Litchfield Towers Lobby Posvar Hall – 1st floor elevator lobby Salk Hall – 2nd floor lounge near the vending machines Scaife Hall – 4th floor lobby Trees Hall – Main Level entrance lobby Graduate School of Public Health – Fifth Avenue lobby William Pitt Union – Lower Level Forbes Ave. entrance near the custodial supervisor’s office Most campus computing labs
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ELECTRONIC WASTE (CONT.)
RECYCLING
Drop your used inkjet and laser toner cartridges into any one of the convenient recycling bins located across Pitt’s Oakland campus, including:
Pitt makes it simple to recycle with single stream recycling. This system allows all commonly recyclable materials to be placed into any marked recycling bin on campus with no sorting necessary.
Alumni Hall Benedum Hall Cathedral of Learning Chevron Hall Posvar Hall Salk Hall Scaife Hall Towers Lobby In addition to using the convenient drop boxes, departments may use campus mail to send empty printer cartridges to the Pitt Surplus Property directly. Learn more about electronic recycling on campus. Pharmaceutical Collections The University of Pittsburgh has two locations where staff, faculty, students, and the public can drop off unused or expired medications safe and securely: Public Safety Building (Lobby during business hours) University Pharmacy at Nordenberg Hall (During business hours)
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These items CAN be recycled in Pitt’s single stream collection system: Food Free Plastics #1-5, and 7 Glass Paper (office, newspaper, magazines) Paperboard and non-corrugated cardboard Books Metals (steel, aluminum, tin) Clear cold coffee cups (make sure they’re empty!) Corrugated cardboard -- Should be flattened and placed next to any campus recycling container. These items CANNOT be recycled: Tissues Paper towels Photographs Plastic cutlery Straws Plastic bags Aluminum foil (with food waste on it) Styrofoam (special locations coming soon) Pizza Boxes Bottle caps Food To-go coffee cups that are not clear Pitt currently recycles 35% of our waste stream, but our goal is to reduce landfill waste another 25% by 2030 (reaching 60% landfill diversion). We need your help to recycle accurately and frequently! 8
COMPOST
FOOD
You CAN compost on campus! Composting uses natural decomposition to turn organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer. Materials that are compostable on campus include:
The University of Pittsburgh is committed to providing fresh, healthy options for its staff, faculty, and students.
Dairy products, meat, bones, bread and pastries, fruits, vegetables- any food stuff- even those not commonly accepted in backyard compost. Coffee grounds Paper towels, napkins and tissues BPI certified compostable dinnerware, cups and utensils (Find a recommended products list here) Shredded newspaper The Pitt community can bring compostable materials to the following locations:
The Office of PittServes, the Student Office of Sustainability, and Pitt Dining by Sodexo hosts The Farmer’s Market at Pitt on Thursdays during the Fall, Spring and Summer. The market accepts cash, credit/debit cards, Panther Funds, Dining Dollars, and Lunch Money. Check out the Farmer’s Market Facebook page for updates! Check out Pitt Dining by Sodexo’s Sustainability Initiatives page here.
Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (153 Benedum) Pitt Farmer’s Market Student Office of Sustainability (WPU 510) Posvar Hall Schenley Cafe WPU Drop off times and additional information can be found here!
U KNOW? O Y D DI
Pitt currently composts a small amount of our waste stream, but our goal is to compost 50% of food waste campuswide by 2025! 9
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REUSE
COMMUTING & MOBILITY
The BYO[Bag] campaign was started to help reduce plastic bag use on campus. Before BYOBag, the Pitt community used 15,000 plastic bags each week. Now only about 10,000 plastic bags are used each semester! Staff and faculty can support this initiative by using reusable bags on campus. Pittbranded reusable bags can be purchased at various locations around campus to support the cause, with profits going to the Pitt Green Fund.
Over 60% of the Pitt community arrives to campus via shared or personpowered options — and Pitt makes these decisions an easy reality. All Pitt IDs double as fare-free transit access for the Port Authority of Allegheny County. Additionally, Parking & Transportation provides support for and opportunities related to bicycling, carpooling, and van pooling. Green your commute today.
BYO[Mug] encourages the use of reusable coffee mugs. Currently, there are 12,000 single-use cups used on campus each week! When you bring your own mug, you can get $0.99 hot or iced coffee or tea, and $0.25 off all espresso drinks at campus coffee cart locations! Staff and faculty can shop at and donate to Pitt’s on-campus thrift store, the University of Thriftsburgh. Located in the O’Hara Student Center at 4024 O’Hara Street, Thriftsburgh features a variety of gently used clothes. Clothes can be donated for in-store credit and the store also accepts cash.
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For bikers, there is a map of on-campus bicycle amenities. The new Pitt Bike Cave provides biking resources to the Pitt community with bike workshops, tutorials, and bike repair tools. This bicycle co-op is located in the “Posvar Hall Pass Through” between Posvar and David L. Lawrence Halls.
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GREEN FUND Have a great idea? Staff and students can apply for sustainability grants through the Pitt Green Fund. Learn more here.
CONTACTS Pitt Sustainability sustainable.pitt.edu Office of Sustainability sustainability@pitt.edu Student Office of Sustainability soos@pitt.edu Aurora Sharrard, Director of Sustainability, Office of Sustainability asharrard@pitt.edu Erika Ninos, Sustainability Program Coordinator, Pitt Serves eln25@pitt.edu Nick Goodfellow, Sustainability Coordinator, Pitt Dining by Sodexo ngoodfellow@pc.pitt.edu
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