Colleges Gear Up for 2013 RecycleMania Tournament

by Robert Gardner, Think Green Correspondent

Montgomery County Community College will once again take part in RecycleMania, a nationwide tournament among colleges and universities designed to increase student awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization.  After finishing third in Pennsylvania—with a cumulative recycling rate of 34.85% in the 2012 challenge—the College expects to maintain momentum in this, its sixth consecutive year of competing.

The preseason practice weeks run from Jan. 20-Feb. 2. The official competition kicks off on Feb. 3 and extends eight weeks to March 30.

Over a 10 week period, campuses compete in different contests to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita or have the highest recycling rate.

In 2012, 605 colleges comprising 6.2 million staff and students recycled and/or composted 94.4 million pounds of waste.  In addition, Recyclemania 2012 resulted in a 148,897 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCO2E) .  Of the totals, MCCC contributed 39,780 pounds of recycling and averaged 4.9 pounds of recycling per person each week.  These efforts resulted in a greenhouse gas reduction of 35 MTCO2E.

RecycleMania is made possible through the sponsorship support of The Coca Cola Company, SCA, American Forest & Paper Association, Alcoa and Keep America Beautiful.

Additional program support is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise program, College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC), Campus Conservation Nationals and the United Negro College Fund.

Stay tuned to the College’s Think Green blog for weekly RecycleMania stats and updates.

College Earns GVF Platinum Sustainability Award

by Robert Gardner, Think Green Correspondent

GVF Assistant Director Maureen Farrell and Action News’ Matt O’Donnell present Vice President of Information Technology and College Services Dr. Celeste Schwartz with the College’s platinum level Sustainability Award.

Earlier this fall, for the second consecutive year, Montgomery County Community College was presented with the Greater Valley Forge Management Association (GVF) platinum-level sustainability award.

According to GVF’s website, since being established in 2010, the awards have recognized more than 40 partners, representing over 42,000 employees, for their outstanding achievement in implementing programs that provide and promote commuting alternatives for their employees and community.  Partners are recognized at a bronze, silver, gold or platinum level.

The College’s partnership with GVF—which operates the Campus Shuttle between Central and West Campuses—has resulted in lowered carbon emissions and thousands of dollars in gasoline spending.  For the academic year 2011-2012, 8,450 riders took advantage of the Campus Shuttle, thereby eliminating a potential 44,194 metric tons of greenhouse gases.  This drastic reduction came at a cost to the College of roughly $10.50 per rider.

The College’s Zim Ride program has also proved a worthwhile initiative for long-term sustainability and environmental change.  Carpooling through Zim Ride allows the College community to cut down gas costs, protect the environment, and meet new people!

In addition to these efforts, the College opened its Green Lot this fall at the Central Campus and launched a Public Safety Segway Patrol Program at its West Campus.

Read GVF’s press release for more information on the awards.

College Saves Fuel, Money & Time by Consolidating Courier/Shuttle Services

Campus Shuttle

by Robert Gardner, Think Green Correspondent

Effective Oct. 1, Montgomery County Community College phased out its courier system between Central and West campuses and began employing the Campus Shuttle to transport mail and other materials.  The College had been using a 1997 Dodge 15-passenger van, making the entire run between Pottstown and Blue Bell.  With stops at the former Norristown Resource Center and the Municipal Police Academy in Conshohocken, the round-trip distance was 72 miles.

Annual mileage for the courier service, based five trips per week, 50 weeks per year was approximately 18,000 miles:

   72[miles]
x   5[days]
x 50[weeks]
   18,0000[miles per year]

By plugging those 18,000 miles into a Carbon Calculator, Director of Facilities Management Charles Scandone found that equates to a savings of 12.5 metric tons of carbon per year.  With this one simple change, Montgomery County Community College has gone ”greener” by reducing carbon emissions.

“We considered purchasing a newer vehicle,” Scandone said.  “However, the consolidation with the Shuttle eliminated the need to do so.”

The College is not only saving the environment from further pollution. It is saving money.  The Dodge van averages 15 miles per gallon of gasoline; working with an average fuel cost of $3.59 per gallon, Scandone figured the annual savings would be greater than $4,300. Factor in the reduced cost associated with man-hours spent driving and Montgomery County Community College has identified another way to maximize its efficiency, while adding an additional person to the West Campus Facilities team.

West Campus Launches Public Safety Segway Patrol

by Alana J. Mauger, Think Green Editor

West Campus Public Safety Supervisor Anthony Baker teaches MCCC President Dr. Karen A. Stout how to ride the Segway. Photo by Sandi Yanisko

Montgomery County Community College recently introduced the latest addition to its sustainable transportation efforts by launching a Public Safety Segway Patrol program at its West Campus in Pottstown.

A Segway allows officers to negotiate tight spaces associated with an urban campus and enables them to travel more quickly than on foot.  It also reduces reliance on the public safety vehicle, reducing emissions and increasing officer visibility on campus.

When charging, the Segway has 14 times less greenhouse gas emissions than driving a car, and zero emissions when in use, saving an estimated ton of CO2 per year from being released into the atmosphere.

The Segway program is part of the College’s Sustainability Initiative. Other transportation initiatives include a new green parking lot for energy-efficient vehicles and carpoolers; daily transportation shuttle between Central and West campuses; Zimride carpooling program; hybrid vehicles and bicycles for Central Campus public safety officers; electric utility cars for facilities; and public transportation efficiencies in coordination with SEPTA.

Check out the video below!

Capinski & Crew Keep Central Campus ‘Green’

by Robert Gardner, Think Green Correspondent

Whether you drive, walk, bike or skateboard about Central Campus, you will notice the ever-present grounds crew working to keep grasses green and trees and shrubs thriving.  Behind the scenes, Grounds Supervisor Phil Capinski leads an award-winning team that ensures its work aligns with the President’s Climate Committee Advisory Council, of which Capinski is a member.

“We’re always researching new, better ways to expand our green efforts,” he said.

Those efforts include a composting program, for which the grounds crew won the College’s Mustang Spot Award in Autumn 2011.  Wood chips, leaves, grass clippings and other “green waste” is gathered into a large pile and allowed to decompose naturally.  The resulting top soil is then used to enrich the turf on the quad, planting beds, and the athletics fields.

“It goes really quick,” Capinski said.  A fan of the College’s sports programs, he views home games as an opportunity to “showcase our facilities to other schools.”

Last winter, the crew took a trip to Longwood Gardens to learn more about their green programs.  According to Capinski, there’s potential for the College to expand its composting efforts based on what they saw at Longwood.

Maintaining a neat and green campus involves more than just sweat and lawnmowers.  Chemicals and pesticides help sustain the plant life; batteries, gasoline, motor oil, and antifreeze keep the equipment running.  For the past 10 years, the College has recycled its used oil and antifreeze.  Interstate Battery exchanges all used batteries to ensure proper disposal.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, pesticide manufacturers are required to label their products with Signal Words which describe toxicity levels; CAUTION, WARNING, DANGER, and DANGER POISON depict these levels.

“I try to be conscientious about what I buy in terms of chemicals, fertilizers,” Capinski admitted.  “I try to use CAUTION-labeled chemicals when I can.”

He uses a newer product, Tenacity (mesotrione), on the sports fields as well as on the fields by the quad and College Hall.  Though somewhat pricey, Tenacity is derived from leptosperome, a chemical produced by the lemon bottlebrush shrub.  The “bulk” areas on campus are treated with three-way herbicide, which is very inexpensive.

“I’ll be introducing Tenacity to more and more areas to increase the College’s green footprint,” Capinski said.

All full-time groundskeepers at Montgomery County Community College receive Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture certification through Penn State University, thereby becoming Certified Pesticide Applicators — yet another way Capinski and crew stay on-target with President Stout’s commitment to green practices and sustainability.

Custodial Staff Keeps Campuses Clean (And Green)

by Robert Gardner, Think Green Correspondent

Keeping a campus clean is no easy task.  As Montgomery County Community College grows, so too does the need to manage waste.  Starting in the mid-1980s, cardboard boxes collected all the recyclables.  New containers were rolled out when Advanced Technology Center went on-line.  Now, receptacles for both trash and recycling can be found across the school grounds and in its buildings, including recently-renovated College and Parkhouse halls.

According to Supervisor of Custodial Services Steve Choyce, collecting and managing it all is a constant process of re-assessing the College’s needs and adding more containers as warranted.

“We’re constantly researching ways to make the systems more effective, more efficient,” he said.

One of the initiatives the College has undertaken to increase efficiency is the Hydration Station, a water filtration system which encourages students, faculty and staff to carry a reusable container that they can refill for free as needed.  This would greatly reduce the amount of plastic water bottle refuse—not surprisingly the #1 trash item on campus.  Currently, the only such Station is in ATC at the second floor bridge.

Choyce is no stranger to the green movement.  His passion for the environment can be traced back to his youth, when he recalls skipping school to attend the first-ever Earth Day at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia in April 1970.

Montgomery County Community College works with local companies that share its dedication to environmentally-conscious practices.  All trash and recyclables are collected by Interstate Waste Services and taken single-stream to Blue Mountain.  Office paper, documents and files (nothing confidential) are collected and recycled as part of Abitibi’s Paper Retriever program.

“If you talk the talk, you have to walk the walk,” Choyce said of both his and the College’s commitment to a greener planet.

One walk around the clean campus and you will see this commitment in action.

Transportation Update: Shuttle, Zimride Stats

by Robert Gardner, Think Green Correspondent

Montgomery County Community College’s commitment to sustainability and green programs continues to flourish.

After two full academic years, its partnership with Greater Valley Forge Transportation, the Campus Shuttle between Central and West campuses has proven a success.  For the 2011-2012 academic year, 8,450 riders saved thousands of dollars in gasoline and took advantage of the free service.

As evidenced by the following chart, ridership swelled in the middle of each semester, peaking in February with a whopping 1,459 riders! Just think: 8,450 cars did NOT emit hazardous exhaust into an already polluted atmosphere, thanks to Montgomery County Community College.  That’s just one year, one school.

Zimride program also proved a worthwhile initiative for long-term sustainability and environmental change.  Carpooling through Zimride allows the College community to cut down gas costs, protect the environment, and meet new people!  Since its launch June 6, 2011, the College’s Zimride service has had 1,052 users.

For those that continue to drive to Central Campus, the new ATC lot is in “gate-up” mode and is open for general use until September, at which time it will become a special pass lot for hybrid/electric vehicles and car-poolers. Stay tuned for more info!

Eco-Gowns Staple of Commencement Regalia

2011 Commencement photo by John Welsh

For the third consecutive year, the College’s graduates will once again be donning regalia made from 100% recycled material. The “eco-gowns” are made with Renew Fabric, which comes from post consumer plastic bottles.

In addition, unwanted gowns won’t go to waste. The College will collect gowns following the ceremony for those students who do not wish to keep them. The gowns will be cleaned and utilized at other college events, such as induction ceremonies for Phi Theta Kappa and GED graduations.

RecycleMania Results: Campuses Ranked 3rd in PA!

by Alana J. Mauger, Think Green Editor

Montgomery County Community College finished third in Pennsylvania for its cumulative recycling rate of 34.85 percent during the 2012 RecycleMania Tournament.

During the eight-week nationwide competition, held Feb. 5 through April 6, colleges and universities competed to see who could reduce, reuse and recycle the most campus waste.

After participating in the tournament’s Benchmark Division for the previous four years, the College fared well in its first year of qualifying for RecycleMania’s Competition Division. In addition to being ranked third in Pennsylvania, Montgomery County Community College placed 17th among community colleges nationwide, and ranked 87th overall among the 265 competing schools.

In addition, the College ranked 18th nationally in the Waste Minimization category, which measures the pounds of municipal solid waste (both trash and recyclables) generated per person on campus.

During the tournament, the College’s Central and West campuses generated a total of 39,780 pounds of recycling and averaged 4.9 pounds of recycling per person each week. These efforts resulted in a greenhouse gas reduction of 35 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E), which is equivalent to the energy consumption of nine households or the emissions of 19 cars.

Montgomery County Community College was among the first institutions to sign American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2007. The College’s sustainability efforts are led by a team of faculty, students, administrators, support staff, alumni and community members that comprise the President’s Climate Commitment Advisory Council.

In recognition of its deep commitment to sustainability, Montgomery County Community College was one of only five institutions in the country to earn a 2011 Award for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership from Second Nature. The College was also nationally profiled this month as part of ACUPCC’s “Celebrating Sustainability” series leading up to Earth Day.

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

RecycleMania Week 7 Recap

Week seven stats are in! The College’s Central and West campuses collected a combined total of 7,823 pounds of trash and 3,200 pounds of recycling. Only one week left!