Greening Operations

(GO!) Team

OUR OBJECTIVE

To coordinate and professionally train a group of 15 students to improve the efficiency of campus operations by implementing short term, on-demand projects. Their tasks include conducting water, waste, and energy audits and helping various departments and campus entities get Green Event Certification by providing a “trash-talking” service (to educate and direct attendees on how to correctly segregate their waste).

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE: COMPOSTING & RECYCLING PROGRAM

CAL FOOTBALL: GAMEDAY RECYCLING PROGRAM

Past Projects

Objective: Worked with iHouse staff in Fall ‘10 and Spring ’11 to implement and improve the composting and recycling programs at the residential complex Methods: Coordinators met with iHouse staff, completed a walk-through of the building, and decided that creating a composting program in the Dining Hall/Kitchen and implementing a complex wide recycling program would help divert waste from the landfill stream. The members conducted a waste audit and equipped floor RAs with proper recycling techniques which they could then relay to residents Response: Since iHouse was the only

dining hall on campus lacking a solid composting program, the building management was very eager to move forward with the project and do everything they could to assist us. Results: A preliminary waste audit determined that about 125 lb of food waste was being composted per meal. This was an essential component to the overall project since the waste diverted from the landfill to recycling stream helped offset the increased costs of composting pick-ups. Current Update: GO! Team members are in the process of helping iHouse host “Recycling Awareness Week” as part Earth Week at iHouse this year. They also hope to conduct another follow up waste audit once the recycling program is fully implemented

WEBSITE:

buildingsustainability.berkeley.edu

EMAIL:

sustainabilityatcal@gmail.com

Current Projects I-House Recycling Program

Bear’s Lair Composting Program

IT Services Energy Conservation Project

Rosa Parks Elementary Green Star Schools

PLAYgreen Festival

Doe Library Water Audits

Physical Plant Campus Services (PPCS)

Earth Week Spring Cleaning and Greening

Re-Use room

Objective: Worked with Cal Athletics during 2010 Football Season to significantly reduce the waste produced at each football game and to educate visitors on making informed decisions about disposing waste Methods: GO! Team members were situated near trash cans at the entry gates and in the football fun zone (the food area) to “trash-talk”, or provide instructions on which bins to place the discarded items in (recycling or trash) Response: The public positively embraced the program and most football game attendees eagerly assumed their environmental responsibility Results: Through the implementation of this program, about 9 tons of waste was diverted from entering the landfill after each football game) Future Improvements: providing better infrastructure (proper signage, placement of recycling bins, etc.) and introducing composting.

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