Brown Eco-Reps

Welcome to Academic Year 2010

2009-09-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

We had an excellent academic year 2009 and plan to make 2010 even better. One of our successes in 2009 included receiving a Student Leadership Honorable Mention for the Innovative Thinking Citation. This award is for a particularly inspired creative effort and this was the first year an environmental group ever received a student leadership citation. Examples of some of our 2009 projects include:

- A 38% recycling rate for the first time ever
- Increased move out donations by 156% (in partnership with local charities, ResLife, Custodial and Grounds departments)
- Saved 155,000 gallons of clean water per year and reduced food waste at Verney Wooley through the trayless dining initiative (in partnership with Dining Services)
- Reduced our waste per student by 2 pounds each (in partnership with the Energy & Environmental Department)
- Reduced kilowatt consumption (and carbon emissions) at two of our dorms with our Battle of the Bulb campaign
- Football Tailgate recycling on Family Day (in partnership with the Grounds Department)
- Reduced bottle water sales at one of our dining facilities by 25% by offering reusable water bottles (in partnership with emPOWER)

We will continue some of the above efforts this year in addition to introducing new campaigns, such as a presentation to new dorm students on our program, how and what to recycle/reuse/reduce, why sustainability is important, how they can get involved, and who they can contact if they have questions. Facilities and ResLife have already made two changes to this year’s move-in and collection of materials. The first change is the temporary placement (9/4-9/8) of H-U-G-E dumpsters close to the dorms for collection of cardboard and packing material, which will be transported to our recycler for sorting. A map of the dumpster placements can be found at http://brown.edu/Facilities/Facilities_Management/docs/Move-In_Map.jpg. It’s important that we get everyone involved in removing cardboard from hallways this year because those who don’t may get fined for creating a hazardous (fire and tripping) living condition. The second change made was to the permanent dumpsters. Last year we had a variety of toters to collect recyclable materials and dumpsters for the collection of waste. Our new vendor has agreed to provide GRAY dumpsters for trash and BLUE dumpsters for recyclables. No longer will we have to open all those toter lids to figure out which one is for paper and which one is for containers. Starting this week, all recyclables go BLUE! Along with the new system, we’ll need new signage. Slogans and designs are welcome as are volunteers for creating and posting the new signs in dorms.

The Director of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Initiatives (Chris Powell) and I will be hosting a table at the Resource Fair in Sayles Hall on Saturday from 2-4 and Sunday from 11-1. We’ll be giving away CFL bulbs, Eco-Rep sweatshirts (limited sizes), and cloth grocery sacks on a first come, first served basis so stop by to say hello and reaffirm your commitment to be an Eco-Rep in academic year 2010. If you no longer wish to be an Eco-Rep, simply reply to this email with the words “Remove Me” and your name will be deleted from our list.

Lastly, but by no means least, Eco-Reps will once again be led by Kai Morrell ’11, and Madeleine O’Neill ’12. They are hoping to take a break from their own un-packing to make an appearance at the Resource Fair, but they will definitely be at the Student Activities Fair at OMAC on September 10 from 7-9. They’ll be taking names and giving away some of the same things we’re giving away this weekend.

Enjoy these last few days of getting ready! If you get a chance, join Eco-Reps on Facebook and MyGroups. Kai and Madeleine will be posting messages and invitations once school starts next week.

Final Wrap Up

2009-06-30T15:05:00.001-07:00

Congratulations EcoReps! We had an incredible year! We're on target for a 40% recycling rate for the first time ever (excluding construction debris). We increased donations this year by 156%. We saved 155,000 gallons of clean water per year and reduced food waste at Verney Wooley. We reduced our waste per student by 2 pounds each. We rock!!!! We reduced kilowatt consumption at two of our dorms with our Battle of the Bulb campaign. Thanks so much to all of you who participated in the front lines and behind the scenes and to all of you who quietly participated in your own way. Next semester we're going to start off the academic year with a training program to present to RAs and a mass campus signage renewal project. We also plan to continue to partner with emPOWER on the Beyond the Bottle campaign. Last year's experiment at Jo's resulted in a 25% reduction in bottle sales, which we consider a great success. We look forward to hearing all of your fresh new ideas next fall!

Clean Break and Carnival

2009-06-30T15:04:00.001-07:00

First off, about the carnival. Unfortunately, we continued to have problems scheduling space because of exams, so we've decided to save the carnival for the fall. A lot of groups are just organizing themselves then, so our event will seem even more exciting in the absence of others :) If you’re not coming back in the fall because of graduation, transfer, or studying abroad, let me know so I can take you off the mailing list.EcoReps needs help supporting its Clean Break program. It mostly involves getting the full dorm bins (see sign) to the donation stations for sorting then returning the bins to the dorms. There are 50 green bins scattered in dorms across campus so we could really use your help. You can either contact me directly or, if you see a full bin, just take matters into your own hands. Your help makes a big difference!Finally, hope you read Friday’s Morning Mail Friday! The announcement about the student leadership awards includes EcoReps' honorable mention for innovative thinking. Congrats again, guys!That's all! Good luck in all the studying, and hopefully I'll see you in the next week or two as the Clean Break campaign develops!-Madeleine

Last big push of spring semester

2009-06-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

We're headed face-first into finals now, but in case you need an excuse to procrastinate on studying, it's time to think about a few EcoReps campaigns, including the finish of Beyond the Bottle for the semester. First off, BtB: There will be a meeting with BUDS and Facilities Management sometime in the next 3 days to look at the results of our pilot at Jo's and plan for next year, so look out for updates after that happens! Also, I want you all to know that both Little Jo's and the Faunce Market are sold out of the new 5-point metal bottles, yay! Finally, about our CARNIVAL! It appears that reserving the Main Green is nearly impossible during finals, so instead of Th/F, we'll be having our carnival this weekend. All the better for the weather! For the EcoRep part of the carnival, we'll be having BOTTLE COLLECTION in Keeney from 2-5 on Thursday. Be there! It'll be fun, I promise!Next EcoRep project: MOVE OUT! (aka Clean Break). Our group is featured in a campus article about this project, so let’s get out there in record numbers to support this effort. With students beginning the move out of their dorms/apartments, we are starting our annual campaign to collect and donate/swap old stuff. This means we'll be looking for volunteers to poster donation bins and stations. Note: Volunteers will receive a FREE EcoReps t-shirt! Also, please pass the following information around to your non-EcoRep friends:GOT STUFF?Don’t want to take it with you? Put it to good re-use by donating or recycling it through our annual Clean Break program. This year the campus donation stations will be set up by May 8 and most of them will stay up until May 25. ANYONE can participate in this program. It’s like a big giant un-manned swap meet with the goals being to KEEP IT OUT OF THE TRASH and IN THE HANDS of people who want or need stuff. Think your stuff is worthless? Someone else might treasure that thing you’re thinking about putting in the dumpster. Let’s make it easy for them by putting it in one of the stations instead. Last year we gave away 10 TONS of stuff, not including the swapped stuff.Frequently Asked Questions:Question: What is the meaning of stuff?Answer: Whatever can be reused, repurposed, or recycled. Check out the poster for the stuff we gave away last year and plan to do even bigger this year. http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/Facilities_Management/docs/Clean_Break_Poster_2009.pdfQuestion: Where can I take my stuff?Answer: Donation stations will be erected and supplied with containers and clothing bins will be placed convenient to dorms starting the end of next week (May 7 and 8). You can see approximately where they will be located on this map (not to scale): http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/Facilities_Management/docs/Clean_Break_2009_Map.pdf Question: What can be recycled at Brown? Answer: Bottles, cans, plastics #1 and 2, cardboard, boxboard, paper, books, magazines, batteries, light bulbs, clothing, hazardous chemicals, printer cartridges, etc. For a complete of recyclables list visit http://brown.edu/fm/recycling, or download the flyer from http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/Facilities_Management/docs/Dorm_Recycling_Guide_Door_Sign.pdf Question: Where are the recycle bins?Answer: All over campus, inside and outside of buildings. If you want to know where in your specific dorm to recycle, a great list is provided here: http://reslife.brown.edu/residence_halls/services_list.htmlStill have questions? E-mail recycle@brown.edu, or call 401-863-7800. That's all for our big projects! Remember, if you're interested in any of the internships or conferences that I mentioned in my last email, just email me and I'll send you more information. I also have information on some summer expeditions to Africa and South America concerning animal and water conservation with a group called Quest Overseas. Let me know if you're interested!

Earth Day Table

2009-06-30T15:02:00.001-07:00

First off, I hope you had a chance to come by and see our tables on Earth Day, or have been able to participate in one of our 3 taste testing sessions. The first exciting thing I have to tell you about is a continuation of those events--- EcoReps and EmPower will be hosting a CARNIVAL on the Main Green next week! It will be Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather forecast. It will include lots of fun activities: bottle bowling, ring toss, trivia, prizes, pledge sheet, more taste testing, and of course bottle towers!!! If you'd like to help with ANY of the planning/manning of these activities, please just email me! I personally will be planning the bottle towers, so I'll let you know when the bottle collection and construction will be. It was really fun setting up for Earth Day, and I'm sure this will be even more fun so make sure to participate if you can!Next, exciting news for EcoReps! We've been awarded an honorable mention in the Innovative Thinking Citation by the SAO!!! Yay, awesome job guys :)Finally, I don't know if you've yet seen the Facebook event or seen signs on campus, but Lil Jo's and Faunce Market are now selling reusable metal bottles for only 5 POINTS! I've got one with me right now and they're fantastic: very light, good size, shiny... All around excellent! So go ahead and blow those extra-end-of-the-year points if you have them!That's all! Good luck with final work, and make sure to get involved in all the exciting stuff going on!I'll let you know more as everything develops...- MadeleineP.S. I've gotten several emails from people promoting environmental conferences and jobs. So, if you're interested in:- being a paid member of the Real Food student staff next year- applying to attend the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen next year- learning about a college activist conference in September,email me and I'll give you more info!Madeleine

Donations to the Community

2009-06-30T14:59:00.002-07:00

The first wave of students to leave for the summer will start next week. Lets start talking about donating the stuff they don't want any more. We're working with several community organizations to get the good stuff to people who really need it instead of filling the landfill with more stuff that's not really garbage and the air with more methane (about 10 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than CO2). The poster about what constitutes "stuff" and the map are attached here and at www.brown.edu/fm/recycling.

Beyond the Bottle on Facebook

2009-06-30T14:59:00.001-07:00

Please join the Facebook group for Beyond the Bottle! It will have word on coming events and how you can be involved very soon. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=62745691935&ref=mfAlso, if anyone is interested in an unpaid internship involving working with a democratic politician (as of now unnamed) on environmental initiatives, please email June_Drinkwater@brown.edu with your resume.That's all! Hope you're enjoying your break and I'll see you soon!!Madeleine + Becca

Water Bottle Sales

2009-06-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hope you're all enjoying the snow! We're having our third meeting of the semester tonight, 7-8 in JWW 201. Battle the snowbanks and come on by, even if it's your first time all year! We'd love to have you, and we've got some exciting new ideas that we want your opinion on! For instance, we'd like to team up with EmPower(another environmental student group) to get rid of plastic water bottle sale on campus. Part of that project would include building a giant water bottle tower on the Main Green (when the weather's better, of course!). It'll be a really fun, high-profile activity so I hope you can all participate! Also, we've still got a few weeks left in RecycleMania, so bring any ideas you have to help us advertise or improve the campaign!There’s a lot more to discuss, so come to the meeting! New members ALWAYS welcome!

RecycleMania 2009 Results

2009-04-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

I hope you're as excited as I am about all our coming events! The pilot at Jo's was launched today and should be solidifying as we get more signs and lit to distribute.

I wanted to send you guys the results of Brown's performance in RecycleMania this year, which ended March 28. We improved a lot and you guys should be proud!
Check it out:
- we increased our cumulative recycling rate from 15% last year to 18% this year
- we reduced our cumulative pounds of waste per person by 2 pounds,
- this translates into 91 tons less material sent to the landfill and 5 tons more sent to recycling

So now we've got some goals to beat next year; hopefully we can build up momentum and keep getting better as the competition progresses!

Reminder: Meeting next Thursday in JWW 201 from 7-8!

In the meantime, look out for all the Beyond the Bottle posters and events as they arrive!

Stay green,
Madeleine and Becca

First Spring 2009 Meeting

2009-02-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

We had our first meeting on Tuesday! Unfortunately, it had very small turn-out, but hopefully you'll all be able to come for our next meeting on the 17th (right at the end of the long weekend). Now, though, I'll give you an overview of what we talked about and what's coming up this semester with EcoReps.

-RECYCLEMANIA: We're about halfway through at this point, and as you might have noticed, there hasn't been a lot of publicity. But now we'd like to do a comparison of how much Brown improves if we do start publicizing. First off, we'd like to do a trash audit on Sunday, February 22nd. The audit will consist of a *dedicated* group of EcoReps (like you!) who will go through the trash of the two dorms on the Main Green(a freshman and senior dorm) to see how much more the dorms could be recycling. It will give us some very persuasive data, and will be fun too!! If you're interested, be sure to come to the next meeting.

-EARTH DAY is April 22nd, and for it we'll have a table on the Main Green. What we need, however, is a theme to our table. So please think about whatever campaign you'd like us to focus on that day, and then email it to us or bring it to the meeting!

-CLEAN BREAK is May 12th-25th. It's the time when juniors and seniors are moving out, and so throwing out all their old furniture, clothes, and other supplies. Last year, EcoReps teamed up with a donation group in Rhode Island to have as many belongings as possible recycled and donated locally. We had great success last year and hope to do even better this year! What we'd like your help on is to not only be there to help us with the actual donation stations, but also to come up with a new name for the project. So you now have two chances to show us your creative side!

We also had various other side projects which can be started if you guys are interested.
- Joining the national competition Power Down for the Planet (March 23rd-April 17th)
- An EcoReps website
- A campaign for Earth Hour (March 28th)
- An energy use reduction dorm competition
- A before-and-after pilot dorm with new signage and buckets
- ANY OTHER IDEAS YOU HAVE!

So that's it! As you can see there's a lot going on this semester and a lot of options for new projects. Please come to the next meeting on the 17th so you can get your word in on what interests you!!

Sorry for the horribly long message! Hope to see you on the 17th, Madeleine and Becca :)

RecycleMania 2009 Week 2 Results

2009-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Brown recycled over 9,300 MORE pounds in week 2 of RecycleMan than in week 1. That's over 4.5 TONS better!! Keep up the good job of recycling.