Assessment of Sustainability Efforts Throughout Colleges, Housing and Educational Services

1. Assessment of Sustainability Efforts Throughout Colleges, Housing and Educational Services GRACE SORENSON CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY INTERN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ JUNE 2012 This document summarizes all sustainability efforts going on in Colleges, Housing, & Educational Services (CHES). Each of the seven departments in CHES has many projects that are completed, in progress, or being planned that are helping the UCSC campus reach its sustainability goals. This assessment presents CHES’s many environmental endeavors in a single, organized document, celebrating CHES’s achievements thus far as well as providing a basis from which CHES green projects can be expanded and improved upon. The assessment presents the programs within each of the seven branches of CHES, subcategorized by relevant categories of the Campus Sustainability Plan: Buildings & Facilities; Energy & Greenhouse Gases; Food; Land, Habitat & Watershed; Transportation; Waste & Recycling; Water; Procurement & Business Contracts; and Education.

2. Table of Contents

3. Bay Tree Bookstore • Energy & Greenhouse Gases • Bay Tree Bookstore offices have dual-option lights—50% and 100% • Building is on the central heating system of the campus: occupancy detectors only activate heating if people are presents • Food • Express store markets variety of organic food items, such as Odwalla • Local items are marketed when possible • Santa Cruz Roasting coffee is local and fair trade • Santa Cruz Cookies are local • Waste & Recycling • Cashiers are trained not to offer a plastic bag unless prompted • Recycling available in all offices • Cardboard recycling dumpster in back • Battery recycling available for students • Ink cartridge collection for recycle/refill • Spines of readers are manually removed and sent to paper store to be re-used • Styrofoam peanuts and boxes are saved and re-used • Discount for bringing re-usable cup to the Express Store • Provide students with free cardboard boxes during move-out • Procurement & Business Contracts • Bookstore carries numerous post-consumer waste paper products • Pens made from recycled plastic, other novel recycled products • Poo-paper—manufactured from elephant feces • Chico bag—made from plastic bottles • Larger bookstore bags are made from tapioca • Biodegradable utensils, java jackets made from post-consumer materials • Purchase minimal plastic packaging when possible

4. Business & Financial Analysis • Waste & Recycling • Recycling bins readily available throughout office • Currently transitioning to paperless documentation • Previously, dozens of proposed and final budget versions (very hefty documents) were physically printed out—now only a few copies are printed on paper, and the rest is electronic • Only post-consumer waste paper is used • Energy & Greenhouse Gases • Signs in bathrooms and other spaces of office reminding employees to conserve water and electricity • Motion-sensor activated lighting in most rooms

5. College Student Life & Residential Services Stevenson/Cowell • Food • Stevenson apartments have composting system • Residents can elect to have a compost bin for cold compost, and can take it out to the hutch near the garden where it is processed • Waste & Recycling • Project in progress to get Stevenson Café to use re-usable “for here” coffee mugs • Pilot program to reduce paper towel use in sustainability themed house of Stevenson • Residents carry personal reusable hand towels • Swap meets for residents to trade clothes and other items • Education • ·Path to a Greener Stevenson (PTAGS) • PTAGS meets weekly, satisfies a community service requirement for Stevenson college, brainstorming and project implementation by both students and staff • Movie nights with sustainability-related movies • PTAGS participates in Earth Day and Earth Summit • Sustainability-oriented training of RAs • RA leadership class—session on leadership/modeling of sustainable habits • RAs must attend a “greening your events” seminar • Stevenson Garden • Started in May 2011 • Stemmed from PTAGS, but is now it’s own project • In Winter 2011, received grant from Stevenson Student Council and has been able to expand • Stevenson garden class and ENVS interns are the primary stewards of the garden

6. College Student Life & Residential ServicesPorter/Kresge • Buildings & Facilities • ·Green Remodeling of Porter Study Center • Project initiated by IDEASS interns • Aim to increase energy efficiency • Heat-retaining curtains, automatic lights • HVAC (Central heating system) is currently too large for building—plan to re-fit it • Funded by the Carbon Fund and Porter/Kresge college funds • Renovation of Kitchen in Kresge Seminar Room 159 • Working with students and Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) to install green elements • Automatic lighting, star-certified appliances • New HVAC system in Kresge Town Hall • Kresge Town Hall is now tied into the central heating control system of campus • The room has sensors that detect movement in the room, and heats it only when in use • Food • Big compost bins throughout Porter/Kresge • Kresge Garden • Kresge Garden utilizes extra water from academic building • Possible future infrastructure for raincatching from residences • Uses drip systems to use water efficiently • Uses cold compost from campus facilities when available

7. College Student Life & Residential ServicesPorter/Kresge • Land, Habitat & Watershed • Strategic Tree-Trimming • Certain trees removed from thickly forested areas of Kresge • Dense forestation causes very dark apartments, leading to mold problems and Seasonal Affective Disorder in students • Unhealthy tree audits are done • Diseased/dangerous trees are cut down (mostly Bay Trees, which fall down frequently and are unhealthy anyway) • More light for people as well as other vegetation • Water • New 2-option flushing in all new Porter Buildings • Low-flow showerheads and faucets in all new Porter Buildings • Waste & Recycling • B Building Recycling Chute • Since September 2011, one of the two trash chutes is for recycling • Elida Erickson with the Zero Waste team get data from resident trash bins to gauge impact • Makes a huge difference to students who are not willing to walk all the way to ground level to take care of their recycling • Possible recycling chute planned for A building • However those chutes are located further apart, making trash pollution in the recycling much more likely • Survey currently being done to see if residents would walk the extra distance down the hall to properly dispose of recycling

8. College Student Life & Residential ServicesCollege Eight/Oakes • Waste & Recycling • Move-in/move-out • Variety of alternative disposal bins made available to on-campus residents in order to reduce surge of waste stream produced during move-in and move-out times • Cardboard corrals • Goodwill/food and clothing and household item donation bins • E-waste bins • Water • ·Mock Water Bill Program • Pilot program—water use is measured in apartments and a mock bill is delivered each month • Apartments compete to use the least water • Initiated by ESLP students • Education • Train student & staff on being green • RAs and CAs are trained in sustainable leadership and modeling • Trained to plan sustainable, zero waste events • Green Orientation at C8 • Hand out re-usable bags and water bottles instead of plastic and paper • The Student Environmental Center’s Joyce Rice gets up and talks to incoming students about waste diversion & sustainability • Curriculum of College Eight core course • Centered around about food systems • Includes gardening and composting education at the College 8 garden • Students harvest food, some is brought to College 8 Dining Hall

9. College Student Life & Residential ServicesCollege Nine/Ten • Food • Composting is available in the apartments • Students take out and clean compost buckets themselves • Signage on buckets indicating what can and cannot be composted • Next year, a CSI intern will be working with the 9/10 office coordinator to increase student participation in compost/recycling • All residential events use BioWare and a compost bin is provided that the RA brings to the Dining Hall hot compost afterwards • Water • Mock water bills program to be initiated at apartments next year • Signage about water conservation posted around residence halls and apartments • Coordination with Take Back the Tap—tabling in the 9/10 Dining Hall • Waste & Recycling • Most paper in 9/10 offices is post-consumer recycled • Move-in/Move-out • Cardboard corrals, Goodwill boxes, battery recycling, and ink cartridge recycling made available • During move-in, staff and student are stationed at recycling centers educate new residents • During move-out, checkout guide is distributed to inform residents where to dispose of what • RA’s are educated on conservation and model behavior • The International Living Center’s revolving swap/donation at the end of the year • Foreign students leave certain items here for next year’s residents (it’s hard to take a bed back to Sweden, anyway) • These items are boxed up over summer and given to residents in the fall • Swap meet for all 9/10 residents • New program • Anything—clothes, electronics, furniture, etc.

10. College Student Life & Residential ServicesCrown/Merrill • Food • Currently in the process of implementing a composting program in the apartments • Applied for CSI intern next year to help with new composting program, educational materials for new residents, and revamping signage • Waste & Recycling • Working with facilities to improve cleaning supply recycling • Move-in and move-out • E-waste, clothes donation, Styrofoam recycling is made available to residents, battery recycling • Shut down trash chutes so students have to go to ground level waste centers • This makes them more likely to sort properly rather than dump everything in the chutes • Sustainable RA training • How to have green residence events • Use of Bioware for RA and student life events

11. Dining Services • Buildings & Facilities • Cowell and Porter Dining Halls are silver LEED certified • 10 out of 11 UCSC Dining facilities are green businesses (last one is Oakes, which will be certified at the end of the year) • Dining Administrative Office will also be certified by end of year • First UC Dining system to be certified in it’s entirety • Working on encouraging non-UCSC campus vendors (such as Tacos Morenos) to be green businesses • Energy & Greenhouse Gases • Many appliances throughout dining halls, such as overhead stove fans, are being retrofitted to turn off automatically when not in use • Dining works with Green Campus on monitoring energy usage

12. Dining Services • Food • National goal of 20% “real food” by 2020 • UCSC is already at 28% • “Real Food”=local/community based, fair, ecologically sound, humane • “Real Food nourishes producers, consumers, communities and the earth” • RealFoodChallenge.org • Local Food • Coffee and tea comes from Oakland • All facilities use CAN (Community Agricultural Network) Coffee • CAN is committed to sustainable community development in areas from which coffee is purchased • UCSC is CAN’s largest consumer • Dairy is local • Bagels come from Bagelry (0.5 miles away) • Dining halls switch to local/organic produce when in season (local = 30 miles) • Small stands within dining hall specifically for local/organic food • Pastries made at bakery at College 8 dining hall • Perk’s sushi, sandwiches, and other items are made on campus

13. Dining Services • Food • Meat Reduction • “Meatless Mondays” • Pilot was at Crown and College 8, then to all Dining Halls • Cycle—only ONE Dhall meatless each Monday • UCSC received an award from PETA for Meatless Mondays • At first there were many complaints and decreased attendance (35% less), but after a year attendance went back to normal • Staff makes sure to taste test and listen to student feedback about replacement meat products • Indian food and falafel bars—mostly vegan or vegetarian, and students barely notice • 10% Meat reduction by 2013—Done!

14. Dining Services • Food • Compost • All the trash tipper machines have been converted to compost compactors • Watsonville facility closed, so compost is taken to Marina Facility 30 miles away • Interns audit what percentage of possible compost is being composted (Compost Waste Task Force) • Auditors post visible report cards to motivate workers to try to compost more • All of our compost goes to vineyards • Lots of money spent (& GHGs emitted) by transport of compost to Marina • Discourse about possible compost facility on UCSC campus • Avoiding to 30-mile drive of the compost would cut costs and GHG emissions

15. Dining Services • Waste & Recycling • ALL bottled water is gone in cooperation with the Take Back the Tap program • Except for Perk Coffee Bars, because they’re not near potable water • In process of switching Perk bottled water to “Green Planet” bottles (bottles made from plants) • Cooking oil is sold to biodiesel vendors • Events that UCSC Dining is responsible for (Summer Orientation, Graduations, Fall Festival) are Zero Waste events • Guest events are encouraged to do Zero Waste events • “Dining Services can help facilitate a zero waste event, but we can’t do it for you” –Candy Berlin • Information on how to do your own zero waste event will soon be available online • Current Pilot Programs • Launch of pilot program for reusable to-go containers—a better alternative to the current compostable containers, most of which still end up in the landfill • Pilot program at College 8 with reusable cleaning towels • Crown & College 8 dining halls—pilot program for drop-off /pick-up of reusable utensils and plates for events at Indian Resource Center • UCSC Dining is interested in urging vendors to be responsible for re-using/disposing of their own packaging

16. Dining Services • Procurement & Business Contracts • Performance Ledyards is Dining Service’s food contractor • 1105 17th Street; (831) 462-4400 • UCSC spends $6 million per year on food and beverages • So, contractors listen when we ask them to carry greener products (especially if the Boardwalk, their other major client, asks at the same time) • Newest version of UCSC contract with Ledyard has more stringent sustainability requirements • Three times a year, Dining administrators, managers, students, and ENVS interns hold sustainability meetings • Discuss purchasing different products • Water • All facilities in Permanent Stage 2 water usage • Trayless Dining has done a lot to reduce water use since 2008 UCSC Dining Service’s various green awards and certifications can be viewed on their website at housing.ucsc.edu/dining

17. Early Educational Services • Food • All food made on-site by a cook • Minimally-processed foods • Organic vegetables and herbs from garden • Waste & Recycling • Clearly labeled, multi-lingual recycling stations in each classroom • All kids are taught how to segregate waste • Reusable silverware and dishes used at every meal • Education • Compost receptacles are present at every table, and children are taught how to sort compost from early on • Placemats at each table with basic food groups • Grains, vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy • Even very youngest group of kids (11 months to 2 years) has an occasional field trip to the garden and compost area at College 8 • Dump out the compost bucket and clean it • Modeling by the staff—how to recycle/compost • Cooking projects with children • Garden • Kids plant their own plants as an activity, and have the responsibility of watering it and taking care of it • Basil, mint, parsley, oregano, cilantro, tomatoes, peas

18. Employee Housing & Capital Planning • Buildings & Facilities • UCOP’s Sustainability Policy stipulates that all new major projects ($5 million+) must be LEED Silver or better • Employee Housing & Capital Planning is responsible for projects that size • Newest Porter remodeling project • Porter A is now LEED certified gold, B and C are LEED certified silver • Merrill res halls are next to be LEED certified • Still in planning stages • Date of completion: Summer 2013-2014 • Employee Housing units at the base of campus • Very energy efficient in compliance with Title 24 energy efficiency standards, but were constructed before LEED requirements were stipulated, so they are not quite LEED • Dual-paned windows, well-insulated, etc. • Energy & Greenhouse Gases • New buildings are all connected to central heating system regulated from the center of campus (Building management System) • Motion-sensors detect presence of people before turning on heat • Waste & Recycling • Construction waste is considerable part of campus waste stream • Gutting of Porter dorms = lots of waste • Employee Housing & Capital Planning paid to have it sorted—recycled/re-used • 90% of this waste was diverted from the landfill • This counts as LEED credit

19. Housing Services:Facilities • Energy & Greenhouse Gases • Monitoring-based conditioning & retrofitting in Dining Halls • Staff at 9/10 Dining hall were observed going about their duties, and an assessment was made for what would most effectively increase efficiency • Dining hall workers are busy—unused fans and lights frequently left on • Facilities installs timed sensors on certain appliances to automatically turn off the appliance when not in use • PG&E provides incentives for UCSC to decrease energy use • All replaced lighting is fluorescent or LED—incandescent lights are being completely phased out • Except for those that residents bring • LED generally used for path lights/outdoor lighting • Waiting for new LED product to come out so it can be more widely used • Stairwell re-lighting project in 9/10 supported by the Carbon Fund • All boilers used to be atmospheric, now they are slowly being switched out with much more efficient condenser boilers

20. Housing Services:Facilities • Food • Compost Tippers • Facilities got a grant to install tippers to mechanically dump trash to save laborers from back injuries • 3 years ago all of these started being used for compost instead! • Machines are part solar—have solar panels attached to them to power the compacting process • Talk of possibly working with the city of Santa Cruz on a local processing facility for compost so it wouldn’t have to be shipped 30 miles away • Waste & Recycling • Facilities actively participates in zero waste • Sustainability Office does audits of trash at 523 Swift office • Based on these audits, they get consultant advice on how to reduce waste • Facilities recently got a grant to improve recycling areas of FSH/Oakes/Cowell • Made structures to store all bins in one place • Grouping trash with recycling increases correct sorting by residents • Sealed off trash chutes at Merrill dorms so that students have to walk downstairs to where both recycling and trash are located • Grouping increases sorting

21. Housing Services:Facilities • Water • All new toilets have dual-option flush • All showerheads & spigots that are replaced are upgraded to low-flow alternatives • Most of irrigation on campus is smart irrigation • Automated stations monitor conditions in different microclimates across campus, amount of water is released depending on that data • More and more smart water meters are being installed by Facilities • Procurement & Business Contracts • Work with the purchasing department when buying large quantities of products • Carpeting/flooring/furniture, etc. • Conscious effort to choose the greener product • Wood furniture is purchased instead of plastic particle furniture • Wood is shipped by rail, not truck • Wood furniture is more durable and light and lasts longer and can be sanded and restored, whereas plastic particle furniture would just be thrown out • Facilities refinishes wood furniture

22. Housing Services:Multi-College Affiliated Housing • Food • Compost • The Village & Grad Housing have composting programs that are self-started • PICA started the Village one and an RA (Rose Gross) started the Grad Housing one • Receptacles are picked up weekly, brought to hot compost at Dining Halls, cleaned, and returned • Family Student Housing is about to begin a pilot project supplying cold compost to the Chadwick Garden • Family Student Housing hosts Pantry Days every first and third Wednesday • Event that makes near-expired grocery items available to the public for free • Camper Park has dozens of individual vegetable gardens • Energy & Greenhouse Gases • Lower wattage lights • Every summer, a building in Grad Student Housing gets “cycled out”—i.e. is unoccupied and remodeled over the summer and low flow/low energy fixtures are installed • Electric car is used at the Village to transport equipment • Education • Move-in—recycling center (cardboard corral, etc.) is set up prominently and used to educate new residents and their families on how to sort waste • Compost containers have clear labels indicating what can/can’t be recycled

23. Housing Services:Conference Services • Waste & Recycling • U.S.A. Cheerleaders, Conference Service’s biggest summer client, gets tons of free Gatorade from their sponsor • Making attempts to push them to use re-usable water bottles so that the campus can reach our 2020 Zero Waste goals • Conference Services provides recycling bins to guest events, and bills them • Conference Services plays a big part in commencement ceremonies • Helps make them Zero Waste events • Conference services provides BioWare silverware & plates to certain events

24. Works Cited Face-to-Face Interviews Rebecca Aguirre-Garcia Coordinator for Residential Education Thursday March 8, 4:30pm Christopher Attias Director, Facilities Tuesday May 1, 12:00pm Candy Berlin Program Coordinator, Dining Services Thursday February 9, 2:00pm Sohyla Fathi Director, Early Educational Services Tuesday April 24, 12:00pm Jim Grove Principal Analyst, Colleges Housing& Educational Services Wednesday April 25, 10:30am Steve Houser Director, Employee Housing & Capital Planning Wednesday April 25, 1:00pm Clint Jeffreys Dining Manager; Green Business Manager Thursday February 9, 2:00pm Dave Keller Director, Housing Services Friday March 16, 11:00am Sue Matthews Assistant Vice Chancellor, Colleges Housing & Educational Services Wednesday May 30, 3:30pm Bob McCampbell Exective Director, Bay Tree Bookstore Thursday April 26, 11:30am Jutta Perry Financial Manager, Business & Financial Analysis Wednesday May 23, 12:00pm Blake Redding Coordinator for Residential Education, Stevenson Fri May 4, 12pm Silas Snyder Resource Conservation Coordinator, Facilities Periodically January through June 2012 Patt Takeuchi Executive Director, Business & Financial Analysis Tuesday May 8, 12:00pm Zaunna Wells Operations Manager, Conference Services Friday April 20, 12pm Susan Welte College Administrative Officer, C8/Oakes Weds March 14 1:30pm

25. Works Cited Sarah Woodside Associate College Administrative Officer, Colleges 9/10 Thursday April 26, 1:00pm Michael Yamauchi-Gleason Porter/Kresge College Administrative Officer Tuesday March 6, 3:00pm Baldomero Zaragoza Supervisor, Building Maintenance Wednesday May 30, 11:00am Email interviews Alex Belisario College Administrative Officer, Merrill College Tarun Bhattacharya Major Maintenance Coordinator, Facilities Shane Sanchez Coordinator for Residential Education, Crown College Documents & Websites Campus Sustainability Plan. 2011. University of California Santa Cruz. Accessed February 2 2012. <http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/sites/sustainability.ucsc.edu/files/CampusS ustainabilityPlan> Conference Services. 2011. University of California Santa Cruz. Accessed March 22 2012. < http://www2.ucsc.edu/conference/> Early Educational Services. 2012. University of California Santa Cruz. Accessed February 2 2012. < http://housing.ucsc.edu/childcare/> Housing Services. 2012. University of California Santa Cruz. Accessed February 12 2012. < http://www.housing.ucsc.edu/> Office of Sustainability. 2012. University of California Santa Cruz. Accessed Jan 24 2012. < http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/> Sustainability Policy. August 2011. University of California Office of the President. Accessed February 2 2012. < http://sustainability.universityofcalifornia.edu/policy.html> UCSC Bay Tree Bookstore. 2012. University of California Santa Cruz. Accessed January 18 2012. < http://slugstore.ucsc.edu/> UCSC Dining. 2012. Housing Services, University of California Santa Cruz. Accessed Jan 18 2012. < http://housing.ucsc.edu/dining/>