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‘Eco-Gowns’ a Staple of Commencement Sustainability

Grads prepare for Commencement in 2012. Photo by John Welsh

Graduates gather in College Hall prior to the College’s Commencement ceremony in 2012. Photo by John Welsh

For the fourth consecutive year, graduates will wear regalia made from 100 percent recycled material when they receive their degrees and certificates during Montgomery County Community College’s Commencement ceremony on May 23.

The Renew Graduation gowns are made from REPREVE® Recycled Fiber, which comes from post consumer plastic bottles. According to Unifi, the fabric’s manufacturer, each gown uses 29 plastic bottles, and an estimated 12.7 million plastic bottles have been used to manufacture graduation gowns since 2012.

Following its Commencement ceremony, the College will collect gowns from those students who do not wish to keep them.

Collected gowns will be cleaned and donated to Pathways PA, which works with more than 6,000 women, children and families in the Greater Philadelphia region to prevent child abuse and move families to self-sufficiency. The organization will use the gowns during its GED graduation ceremonies.

Collected gowns from 2010, 2011 and 2012 were used to replenish robes used during the College’s GED graduation and Phi Theta Kappa induction ceremonies.

Check out the College’s Commencement coverage on our Think Success blog!

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West Campus Gets Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

In partnership with ECOtality, a recognized leader in the research and development of advanced energy systems specializing in alternative fuel, West Campus students, faculty and visitors are now able to charge their electric vehicles at two, 240-volt pedestal charging stations in the South Hall parking lot.

Funded in part by a $114.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, ECOtality is deploying thousands of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) — vehicle chargers — in 21 major cities and metropolitan areas in nine states and the District of Columbia, including California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

The charging stations feature seven-inch LCD touch-screen displays, a user-friendly interface, and mobile phone and credit card payment options.

Learn more about Blink Pedestal Charging Stations.

Electric vehicle chargers in the South Hall parking lot in Pottstown. Photo by Alana J. Mauger

Electric vehicle chargers in the South Hall parking lot in Pottstown. Photo by Alana J. Mauger

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RecycleMania: The Results Are In!

by Alana J. Mauger, Think Green Editor

RM_logo_2013Montgomery County Community College  finished the national 2013 RecycleMania competition with some promising numbers!

The College placed 2nd among all higher education institutions in Pennsylvania in the competition’s Waste Minimization category, collecting 15.292 lbs. of combined trash and recycling per capita. Nationally, this ranked MCCC 17th in Waste Minimization among public two-year colleges and 25th overall.

In the Per Capita Classic category, the College finished 12th among public two-year institutions nationally, with 4.252 lbs. of recycling per capita, positioning it as 20th in PA and 303rd overall.

In the Grand Champion category, MCCC scored a 27.803% cumulative recycling rate, positioning it 9th in PA, 17th among public two-year institutions, and 143rd overall.

Overall, the College collected a cumulative 34,132 lbs. of recycling over the eight-week competition, ranking it 14th among public two-year institutions nationally, 18th in PA, and 271st overall in the Gorilla Prize category

RecycleMania is an eight-week nationwide competition, held Feb. 3 through March 30, during which colleges and universities competed to see who could reduce, reuse and recycle the most campus waste. Montgomery County Community College has participated for six consecutive years.

According to the U.S. EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM), MCCC’s recycling efforts during the competition resulted in a greenhouse gas reduction of 48 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E), which is translates to the energy consumption of four households or the emissions of nine cars.

To learn more about RecycleMania or to view the full list of results, visit recyclemaniacs.org.

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College Participates in ‘Thin Ice’ Global Launch

As part of its Earth Day celebration, Montgomery County Community College took part in the global launch of Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science. The film made its world debut on Earth Day and was made available online, free of charge, on April 22 and 23.

MCCC hosted one of 200 organized screenings across the world. In total, the film received 19,000 online views from people in 120 countries on all seven continents. More statistics and info are available on the film’s website.

The English version of the film is now for sale or rental on the Thin Ice website; according to a May 5 email sent to global launch participants, it will soon be available with subtitles in five different languages, including Mandarin, English, Spanish, French, and German.

If you’ve seen the film or participated in the global launch, you can provide feedback by completing a 10-minute survey.

Visit thiniceclimate.org to learn more about the project, or to watch the trailer.

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College Earns ‘Bike Friendly University’ Honorable Mention Designation

by Robert Gardner, Think Green Correspondent

Montgomery County Community College has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists with a Bike Friendly University (BFU)  Honorable Mention designation.

In February, the College submitted its first-ever application for recognition by the national organization’s Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) program.  The application was based on a report developed by the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association (GVF), the organization that operates the College’s award-winning Campus Shuttle.

Read the final report

The application highlighted the College’s major achievements for bicycling over the prior two years, including the hosting of the LIVESTRONG Challenge Philly (for the past seven years, in fact).  The annual fundraising event attracts thousands of cyclists and runners to the Blue Bell campus each year.  Also, the College will host rideAtaxia in Blue Bell on Sunday, October 13, 2013.

In addition to these important events, the college earned recognition for its friendly treatment of bicycles and their riders.  The majority of College’s bike friendly initiatives have taken place at West Campus in Pottstown, where cyclists can find five bike racks that accommodate 24 cycles.  Students, faculty, and staff are offered no-cost use of bicycles through the Bike Pottstown Free Bike Share program, and they can access 12 “cruiser” style, single-speed bikes at the Schuylkill River Academic and Heritage Center.

Efforts to encourage bicycling—from lower on-campus speed limits to permitting bikes within its buildings—fall within the parameters of the Climate Council’s Action Plan and, thus, reduce the institution’s carbon footprint.

In a email dated April 16, 2013, BFA’s Communication Director Carolyn Szczepanski thanked the College for its inaugural application and delivered the news of an honorable mention.  She also stated that feedback would be offered to assist the College with its next application.

While improvements will be necessary in order to achieve Bike Friendly University status, Montgomery County Community College is proud to be considered among the national leaders in promoting the safe use of bicycles as a healthy, alternative mode of transportation.

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VIDEO: ‘Going Green One Plastic Bottle at a Time’

Kudos to students Paige Murray, Tom Mergen & Dave Tatasciore for winning Montgomery County Community College’s Earth Day Student Sustainability Video Contest. The crew received a $250 CulinArt gift card for use in the College’s cafeterias.

Check out their video “Going Green One Plastic Bottle at a Time.”