University Beats Out More than 260 Other Campuses

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – When it comes to sustainability, the University of Missouri-Kansas City is No. 1. Literally.

The university ranked No. 1 out of more than 260 competing campuses in the Grand Champion category of the annual RecycleMania competition. The university won with an 86 percent recycling rate. RecycleMania is a nationwide competition that challenges universities to increase their recycling efforts.

“We’re thrilled to be national champions. Everyone on campus – from the top down – helped make this ranking possible. It really does show that when we all do a little, we all do a lot,” Kaye Johnston, sustainability coordinator, said.

Over the eight-week competition, UMKC’s efforts resulted in cumulative greenhouse gas reductions of 360 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent, or 71 cars off the road, or the energy consumption of 31 households. (These figures were calculated based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Reduction Model.)

The university has competed in RecycleMania for six years. Every year, the campus has risen in the rankings. Last year, UMKC ranked #13. This year, the Office of Sustainability rolled out several different initiatives to keep UMKC high in the rankings.

“This year we really worked to align the university’s recycling efforts. On top of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, countless campus groups are putting forth extra effort. Together, we’re all making a difference,” Johnston said.

The efforts paid off – both in the competition, and for the planet. UMKC Libraries partnered with KC Rehab to recycle books; peer mentors helped students recycle or compost their waste. Building Services hosted a recycling competition, and the entire campus was invited to a document shredding event.

These initiatives complement UMKC’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Yes!  The snow has subsided and the sun is shining and the weather is gently warming.  It’s that time of year to celebrate EARTH Month by getting your hands in the dirt so that you can grow that green thumb or at the very least watch a movie or recycle.    There are a lot of opportunities to celebrate from volunteer service days and work days to movies, meeting, festivals and recycling events.  So take your pick.

Below is a compilation of some of the opportunities to engage in both on campus and in the broader community.  Happy Earth Month!!!!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

On Campus:

UMKC Garden Collective 2013 Kick-Off Sun, April 7^th 10am – 1pm at  The garden (backyard of 5306 Holmes)
SWITCH-Discover the Future of Energy Movie at the UMKC Student Union Theater on Tuesday, April 16, at 4:00pm (FREE)
UMKC Sustainability Team Meeting, Wednesday, April, 17^th at 2pm -3pm in the Plaza Room of the AC Building (Everyone Welcome!)
UMKC Spring Service Day Tuesday, April 23rd – Volker – 8 am – 12 pm and Hosp. Hill – 12 – 4 pm (Sign up for a 2 hour shift!)

In the Community:

PV Earth Fest at Shawnee Mission East: Saturday, April 13th from 10-3 (FREE)
City of Mission Recycling E-vent: Saturday, April 13th from 8-noon (Some Fees May Apply)
Bridging the Gap Earth Walk at City Market Park located at 3^rd and Main: Saturday, April 20th registration starting at 8am, Walk Begin 9am
Recycling Extravaganza: Saturday April 27th from 8-2

Have a great month and remember,

]]> http://info.umkc.edu/sustainability/uncategorized/earth-month-opportunities-and-celebrations-2013/feed/ 0 http://info.umkc.edu/sustainability/events/umkc-sustainability-team-meeting-5/ http://info.umkc.edu/sustainability/events/umkc-sustainability-team-meeting-5/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:09:04 +0000 admin http://info.umkc.edu/sustainability/?p=796 It’s Earth Month!  Come and join in the discussion about our 2013 goals and find out how you can help in moving those goals forward in the coming year.

All are welcome! This includes students, faculty and staff.

All are welcome! This includes students, faculty and staff.

All are welcome! This includes students, faculty and staff.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS® was developed by AASHE, an acknowledged thought leader that advances sustainability by providing invaluable resources, with broad participation from diverse representatives of the higher education community.

STARS is designed to:

• Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
• Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
• Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
• Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.
• Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

The STARS framework is intended to engage and recognize the full spectrum of colleges and universities – from community colleges to research universities, and from institutions just starting their sustainability programs to long-time campus sustainability leaders. STARS encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability.

All are welcome!

Remember that, “If we all do a little, we all do a lot!”

For more information please follow the link:   http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201209/coolschools/complete-rankings-cool-schools.aspx