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A Sustainability Plan in draft form has been submitted to Butler Trustees.
Ed Arnold, Butler Facilities Management director and committee chair, is spear-heading Butler’s effort to become a more environmentally friendly institution and he presented Trustees with a layout of the draft-in-progress.
Arnold wanted to emphasize to members that the plan presented was a draft only and is tentative.
The plan is a collaborative effort of the Butler Community College Sustainability Team and all sub-teams. The groups have been conducting monthly meetings to discuss constantly evolving options and solutions for sustainability.
Resources for the plan include the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Honeywell Building Solutions, Clean Air - Cool Planet, and American College and University President’s Climate Commitment.
Sub teams for the committee include Communications, Curriculum, Greenhouse Gas/Carbon Inventory, Landscaping/ Tree Campus USA, Transportation, Recycling/Solid Waste Reduction and Energy Efficiencies.
According to the draft Butler has been addressing environmental sustainability across the following areas:
• Climate Protection/ GHG Inventory
• Solid Waste Reduction/E-Waste/Recycling
• Energy and Efficiencies
• Water
• Building Design/Construction
• Green Cleaning
• Transportation
• Landscaping/ Tree Campus USA
• Purchasing
• Curriculum
The initial step in the Sustainability Plan was to conduct and formalize a greenhouse gas inventory to track emissions and help focus to reduce.
Honeywell Automation and Solutions performed the inventory for the college which provided assistance in outlining emissions and suggesting strategies.
This Carbon Inventory could possibly be updated on an annual basis by Facilities Management.
The committee also suggests establishing a waste reduction ethic in all areas, including office and classroom activities like the use of e-mail instead of paper, minimizing printing and copying.
Also the committee wants to formalize a comprehensive campus recycling program that will include paper, cardboard, batteries, electronic equipment, aluminum, glass and plastic.
Making recycling easy and accessible is another goal, along with providing public place recycle containers.
Coordination of the collection and recording of Electronic Waste annually was another suggestion, as was coordination with the student body “Going Green” for participation in the annual RecycleMania program.
Suggestions for the recycling systems to be placed across campus include:
• Recycle Centers
• Recycle Boxes for aluminum cans
• Public Place Recycle Stations
• Cardboard Recycle Containers
• Office Paper Recycle Boxes
• Secured Document Containers
• E-Waste programs
In addition, several goals for energy and efficiencies, which are major concerns, were presented in the draft.
Reducing Butler’s overall energy use while still providing the necessary comfort for promoting a well balanced learning environment is the goal, and developing heating and cooling seasonal temperature policies that promote conservation is where the committee suggests the college start.
Organization of an on-going energy awareness program that enlists the support of the campus community and another goal and creating a sustainability Web site to promote energy conservation and other environmental priorities was a suggestion.
The college has already worked with Wichita Vending to organize the installation of Vending and Smack Misers on vending machines throughout the campus.
Another suggestion from the committee is to identify areas where day-lighting can be utilized.
Identifying heat/ cooling loss, providing educational information and ensuring the purchase of Energy Star rated appliances and equipment are additional goals for the committee.
Butler will also be working on water efficiencies, building design, construction, green cleaning, transportation, landscaping, green purchases and curriculum.
A Sustainability Plan in draft form has been submitted to Butler Trustees.
Ed Arnold, Butler Facilities Management director and committee chair, is spear-heading Butler’s effort to become a more environmentally friendly institution and he presented Trustees with a layout of the draft-in-progress.
Arnold wanted to emphasize to members that the plan presented was a draft only and is tentative.
The plan is a collaborative effort of the Butler Community College Sustainability Team and all sub-teams. The groups have been conducting monthly meetings to discuss constantly evolving options and solutions for sustainability.
Resources for the plan include the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Honeywell Building Solutions, Clean Air - Cool Planet, and American College and University President’s Climate Commitment.
Sub teams for the committee include Communications, Curriculum, Greenhouse Gas/Carbon Inventory, Landscaping/ Tree Campus USA, Transportation, Recycling/Solid Waste Reduction and Energy Efficiencies.
According to the draft Butler has been addressing environmental sustainability across the following areas:
• Climate Protection/ GHG Inventory
• Solid Waste Reduction/E-Waste/Recycling
• Energy and Efficiencies
• Water
• Building Design/Construction
• Green Cleaning
• Transportation
• Landscaping/ Tree Campus USA
• Purchasing
• Curriculum
The initial step in the Sustainability Plan was to conduct and formalize a greenhouse gas inventory to track emissions and help focus to reduce.
Honeywell Automation and Solutions performed the inventory for the college which provided assistance in outlining emissions and suggesting strategies.
This Carbon Inventory could possibly be updated on an annual basis by Facilities Management.
The committee also suggests establishing a waste reduction ethic in all areas, including office and classroom activities like the use of e-mail instead of paper, minimizing printing and copying.
Also the committee wants to formalize a comprehensive campus recycling program that will include paper, cardboard, batteries, electronic equipment, aluminum, glass and plastic.
Making recycling easy and accessible is another goal, along with providing public place recycle containers.
Coordination of the collection and recording of Electronic Waste annually was another suggestion, as was coordination with the student body “Going Green” for participation in the annual RecycleMania program.
Suggestions for the recycling systems to be placed across campus include:
• Recycle Centers
• Recycle Boxes for aluminum cans
• Public Place Recycle Stations
• Cardboard Recycle Containers
• Office Paper Recycle Boxes
• Secured Document Containers
• E-Waste programs
In addition, several goals for energy and efficiencies, which are major concerns, were presented in the draft.
Reducing Butler’s overall energy use while still providing the necessary comfort for promoting a well balanced learning environment is the goal, and developing heating and cooling seasonal temperature policies that promote conservation is where the committee suggests the college start.
Organization of an on-going energy awareness program that enlists the support of the campus community and another goal and creating a sustainability Web site to promote energy conservation and other environmental priorities was a suggestion.
The college has already worked with Wichita Vending to organize the installation of Vending and Smack Misers on vending machines throughout the campus.
Another suggestion from the committee is to identify areas where day-lighting can be utilized.
Identifying heat/ cooling loss, providing educational information and ensuring the purchase of Energy Star rated appliances and equipment are additional goals for the committee.
Butler will also be working on water efficiencies, building design, construction, green cleaning, transportation, landscaping, green purchases and curriculum.
