Photo by Ryan Jacobson on Unsplash

Everyone seems like they've been thinking about the environment, lately. You'll see slogans, plastered on the walls, all over the place. Respecting our environment is incredibly important. Without it, none of us would be able to live. Here are a couple of ways you can make your university lessen its impact on the environment.

Switch to Reusable Cups in the Dining Hall

How many cups have your students been throwing away in the dining hall? If you're using disposable cups, you might be going through thousands of them each day. Switching them out for something reusable would reduce your environmental impact a ton. Just get your staff to work a shift in the kitchen, so they can clean all the dishes. Cleaning the dishes isn't going to have as much of an impact on the environment as throwing away cups. Stop giving your students disposable containers to store all their leftovers, too. That's another huge waste of resources. Give them something they'll be able to reuse each time they're in the dining hall.

Turn Off the Sprinklers When It's Raining

Most of the time, universities set their sprinkler system on an automated schedule. They'll turn on at the same time each day, regardless of the weather. That's usually not a huge deal, but you could waste a lot of water. Running the sprinklers while it's raining isn't even good for the grass. You might end up overwatering them, leaving them soaked. Turning off the sprinklers when the weather is rainy would help reduce water waste. For most places, conserving water is one of the best things we can do. Lots of places don't have enough of it, already. So, we shouldn't waste water irrigating the turf, especially when it's raining.

Install Solar Everywhere You Can

Have you ever seen decorative solar lighting? They're hardly noticeable unless you're looking right at them. Plus, they're able to add a touch of class to any setting. Installing them throughout your buildings would reduce how much electricity you're using daily. By cutting your electricity use, you'll burn fewer fossil fuels to keep everything on. Installing solar panels on all the buildings is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment. Best of all, solar electricity tends to pay for itself, making it a worthwhile investment. When you've got solar everywhere, you're not as reliant on the local utilities.

Host a Fundraiser for the Environment

What's the best way a university can get its student body engaged? We'd recommend holding a fundraiser dedicated to the environment. You could even make it part of a student's extracurricular requirements. Everyone benefits from the environment. So, everyone should do their best to contribute to it. When you're at a university, you've got a ton of people around every day. They're all potential sponsors if you can get them to chip in with the fundraiser. Offer them extra credit for running a booth after class a few times a week.

Get One of Your Classes to Sponsor a Nature Park

Another easy way to contribute to the environment as a university would be to sponsor a local park. You could have one of your classes go and clean the park, regularly. They would be able to pick up all the garage, left by other people. Plus, they could even perform some of their classwork while they're in the field. This would be ideal for a botany class. Their teachers could show them how local ecosystems operate. And, they'd be able to teach them how to support native ecology while they're doing it. It's a lot easier to get students excited when they're learning with their hands. So, get them out in nature and start sponsoring a nearby park.

Operating an Environmentally Friendly University

Running a university is something that comes with a lot of responsibility. You've got to set a good example for all the students on your campus. They'll be tomorrow's leaders and business owners. By setting a good example for them, you're helping to build a better future for everyone. Don't limit yourself to just our ideas, either. Get your students to add a few ideas to our list.

Written by Lizzie Howard

About the Author

Lizzie Howard is a Colorado native who after graduating from the University of Colorado spends her time as a freelance writer. When Lizzie isn’t writing, she enjoys going on hikes, baking for her friends and family, and spending time with her beloved yellow lab, Sparky.

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