Sustainability

Toward the end of the academic year, as students prepared to depart residence halls for home, the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling implemented operation “Move Out.”

Tyler Sytsma recently joined UNC Charlotte as the University sustainability coordinator. A member of the Facilities Management Department, Sytsma will handle various projects that involve offices/departments across campus.

A network of people from varied walks of life will gather in Charlotte and other U.S. and U.K. cities Wednesday, June 8, through Friday, June 10, to delve into transportation, connections with the natural world, the value of human well-being and security and social and physical mobility.

These topics and more comprise the fourth annual conference of the Integrated Network for Social Sustainability (INSS). With a theme of “Communities and Connections,” the conference is open to the public at no charge, but registrations are requested.

Through the combined efforts of more than 75 volunteers, several truckloads of trash and recyclables were disposed safely via the recent spring campus cleanup.

“Campus cleanup provides us with the perfect opportunity to put the University’s commitment to being stewards of the environment into action” said Tyler Sytsma, University sustainability coordinator.

Each semester, the Facilities Management Office coordinates the campus cleanup, and employees receive release time to volunteer. Roughly 150 pounds of trash and recyclables were collected during this semester’s event.

Michael Lizotte, University sustainability officer, was appointed a technical advisor by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

A nonprofit membership organization, AASHE empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables its more than 900 members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders.

UNC Charlotte is ranked 24th among the best government green motor fleets in the United States, according to the website 100 Best Fleets, which recognizes peak-performing fleet operations in North America.

Chris Facente, automotive supervisor in the Facilities Management Department, said creating a sustainable motor fleet supports the University’s commitment to be an excellent steward of the environment and saves money on fuel costs.

UNC Charlotte has been selected to host the United States leg of a competition for one of the world’s most prestigious awards in water-related research. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is presented to one high school student annually for research in water and sustainability issues. In an effort led by the Center for STEM Education, UNC Charlotte bested proposals from universities across the country to host the competition through 2018.

The biannual campus cleanup, tree banding, a transportation fair and a social are among the events planned for the University’s Sustainability Week Oct. 5-9.

The UNC Charlotte Staff Community Garden, an initiative of the Advisory Committee to the Chancellor for Employee Health and Wellness, was relocated from behind the Facilities Management/PPS Building to the backyard of the Niner House, near the Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts.

With funding from facilities management, and a little sweat equity from staff and student employees, the 14 new, raised-bed plots were constructed and readied for planting. After some initial setup, plants at the new location are taking off.

UNC Charlotte is committed to becoming a regional model of sustainable stewardship, and toward that goal, the University recently earned two Clean Fuel Advanced Technology Project grants totaling $64,000.