To minimize our campus waste, Allegheny College implements campus-wide systems to avoid waste production and encourages our community to practice their own personal waste-minimization habits. Not only does this reduce our institutional waste, but it also supports sustainable habits that our graduates practice daily even after they leave our campus.
Compost
Our on-campus compost facility near the Robertson Athletics Complex processes kitchen waste and compostable dining ware, transforming it into nutrient-rich soil. We broadcast this soil and brew compost tea to spray on our lawns and athletic fields instead of using chemical fertilizers. Compost also fertilizes the organic produce grown in the Carr Hall Garden.
Green Box Program
Reusable boxes replace single-use, compostable containers in our dining halls, resulting in significant waste reduction and cost savings. The green box program is designed to be simple and accessible to all students. Dirty boxes are returned to be cleaned and sanitized by our dining service provider, and clean boxes are readily available at each point of food service.
Filtered Refill Stations
Dozens of water fountains throughout campus feature bottle refill stations so students and employees can access free, cold, filtered water as a convenient and sustainable option to purchasing water bottled in plastic. Ongoing student and faculty research in the Environmental Science and Sustainability Department continues to help us understand impacts and how to change habits around single-use bottled beverage purchases.
Student Programs
The Green Coalition organizes the annual Trashion Show, a catwalk display of fashion featuring creative reuse and reimagining of trash items. Students organize clothes swap events and develop online businesses and apps to support the secondhand market. The IDEAS Center offers coats, boots, and toiletries in their Mutual Aid Closet, particularly geared for students who are underprepared for Meadville’s winter. The Office of Sustainability’s Gator Success Closet and Pass Down Your Gown programs also enable students to avoid creating waste by giving access to second-hand and borrowed items.
Sustainable Move-Out
Each year during move-out the Office of Sustainability partners with Goodwill to install donation bins in residence halls so students can donate their gently used furniture and decorations.
Outcomes
- 30% reduction in paper consumption
- Composted 115 tons of kitchen waste each year
Your Sustainable Habits Create Our Sustainable Campus:
- Refuse single-use items and prioritize reusables like the green boxes
- Reduce your consumption by shopping second-hand or borrowing from others
- Recycle your standard municipal wastes – plastic, metal, paper and cardboard. You can also recycle your electronic waste (batteries, cords, lightbulbs, CDs/DVDs, ink cartridges, etc.) in the Campus Center and Brooks Hall.
- Donate useful items to others so they don’t go to waste