Sustainability Spotlight
SUSTAINING SUMMERFIELD
Recycling rates have been increasing at the School of Business, thanks in part to efforts by Mark Strand, assistant to the associate dean. He has improved options for recycling and increased awareness in Summerfield Hall. Strand has been a longtime advocate of recycling and has worked with the Environmental Stewardship Program to make it more convenient for faculty, staff and students. When recycling bins were first installed at Summerfield, they were only available on two floors. Strand has since identified additional locations throughout the building to provide recycling on all five floors. This included discovering a walled-in void in a first-floor wall and initiating a remodeling project to convert the unused space into a recycling alcove. In addition to expanding the capacity for recycling, Strand has encouraged others to recycle by setting a copy paper box on end under their desks. The boxes serve as a reminder and a convenient way to recycle. When the boxes are full -- holding the equivalent of 10 reams of recycled paper -- they are taken to recycling areas in the building for collection.Janet Lukehart, assistant to the dean, has seen the impact of the improvements.
"In addition to the practical result of improved recycling habits and an increased rate of recycling," she said, "we all benefit from the reminder of our own roles and responsibility in creating more sustainable environmental habits in our workplace." Lukehart notes that recycling bins in the new faculty/staff break room are well used and contribute to increased recycling awareness.
Strand's recycling efforts go beyond recovering office paper and plastic bottles. During renovations to Summerfield Hall in summer 2007, he coordinated efforts to save furniture that was no longer needed. Instead of going to the landfill, these items were collected by the developing Surplus Property Program at KU to be used by other campus departments or donated to local nonprofit organizations.
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