Volume 4, Issue 5 April 2011 Office of Environmental Sustainability Sustainability Bulletin Inside this issue: Spring Awakening 1 Exhibitors and Activities Clothing Exchange And Bike Raffle Health Screenings 4 Electronics Recycling Events Hazardous Waste Collections Upcoming programs: Campus Clean Up and Shredding Event Get Involved 7 2 3 4 5 6 Spring Awakening! Join Us Thursday April 14th 11 am to 2 pm! This year the EAP wellness fair and Earth Day celebration are combining to create a special event on April 14th. All festivities will occur in the campus center. Sign up for a cholesterol screening in the morning (see page 4 for details). Then starting at 11 am, explore the activities of our exhibitors in the ballroom, buy a grass fed burger and try some healthy snacks. Stroll over to the clothing exchange in Assembly Hall and get some new to you clothes (see page 3). And don t miss out on the action at the student sustainability fair around the small fountain. Bring a returnable bottle or can to enter a raffle for a Dahon bike (see page 3) and add what you do to be sustainable to our green paw. Stay after lunch to hear the winner of the quad recycling contest. It s a full day of fun so stop by and learn how to be green, be healthy and be well. Funding provided by:
Volume 4, Issue 5 Page 2 Spring Awakening Exhibitors and Events Fair Exhibitors from 11 am to 2 pm Ballroom Exhibitors Chartwells/University Auxiliary Services Arts Center of the Capital Region Albany County Cornell Cooperative Extension - Master Gardeners Program Honest Weight Co-op Dance Flurry Organization w/ the Two Bit String Band Animal Protective Foundation UAlbany Workforce Team Challenge CDTA/Carpool/Vanpool Affordable Housing Partnership for the Capital Region Fox Creek Farm - Community Supported Agriculture NYSERDA Consumer Credit Counseling American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Community Hospice Seton Health Community Health Program - Smoking Cessation St. Peter s Hospital - Pulmonary Screenings American Red Cross Hear for You - Hearing Screenings Eddy Daybreak (Elder Care) Altamont Orchards (Farmer s Market) University Police Department Plus: Ballroom Exhibitors (con t) Have you tried grass fed beef? If not, burgers will be on sale in the ballroom along with free light refreshments. And don t forget: UAlbany Safe Space NYS 529 College Savings Program (U- Promise) Community Cradle CSEA Benefit Fund Pearl Carroll Association (CSEA Insurance Provider) UUP Benefit Trust Fund Albany Bike Rescue Connect by Hertz CDTC (Bike Programs) UAlbany Office of Campus Recreation SEFCU UAlbany Shuttle UAlbany Office of Environmental Sustainability UAlbany Employee Assistance Program UAlbany Career Center Vet Center (Services for Veterans) Catholic Charities Caregiver Support Clothing Exchange in Assembly Hall
Page 3 Campus Center Fountain Student Fair Exhibitors NYPIRG Campus Greens Net Impact Middle Earth Coca Cola Student Association Spirit Team Sustainability Council What is a Clothing Exchange? Sustainability Bulletin WHAT IS IT? Anyone can shop for free during the event from the clothes that have been gathered over the last couple of weeks from our campus community. This provides the opportunity to re-use clothing and accessories and keeps items out of our landfills. WHEN IS IT? April 14th from 11am-2pm Activities Bin shoot Returnable Can Drive Create the Green Paw Drawing for IPad and Bike Announcement of Quad recycling winner Announcement of Council chairs WHERE IS IT? Campus Center Assembly Hall HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? It is free but monetary donations will be accepted for the Albany City Mission and any leftover clothing will also be donated to them. Free Totes one per person while the supply lasts! Bring a Returnable Bottle or Can to Spring Awakening and this Brand New Coca-Cola Dahon Bike could be yours! One can or bottle = one raffle ticket. The more cans/bottles you bring = the more tickets. Bring items to the front of the campus center by the small fountain between 11 am and 1 pm. Winner will be drawn just after 1 pm. You MUST be present to win!!! This bike is foldable too!!
Volume 4, Issue 5 Page 4 Health Screenings Available before Spring Awakening There will be a cholesterol lipid and glucose screening clinic provided by St. Peter s Hospital Cardiac and Vascular Center between 8:30 and 11 am in the Fireside Lounge in the Campus Center prior to the Spring Awakening event. A 12 hour fasting period is preferred. Thanks to donations from CSEA, UUP and EAP, the fees have been reduced. The general fee for the screening is $9 but only $4 for UUP members and $3 for CSEA members. Cash or check only. No appointment is necessary. In addition, there will be free blood pressure checks and pulmonary screenings available! Special recycling and waste reduction events Electronics Collections Be Green, Be Healthy and Be Well by knowing your important health stats. Recently, NYS passed an electronics recycling law that makes it easier than ever to dispose of those outdated appliances and computer equipment. You may have seen an article about this in the Times Union this weekend. (http://www.timesunion.com/ local/article/something-old-something-new-something-recycled- 1330488.php) Locally there are two events you can take advantage of in the next couple of weeks. The first event will be held on April 16th from 8 am to 2 pm at Cocca s Appliances on 158 Railroad Avenue. For details, go to www.albany.edu/gogreen/ documents/2011 JGS Recycling flyer.pdf WNYT is sponsoring a large event on Saturday, April 23rd from 7 am to 1 pm at Taft Furniture. For details you can go www.wnyt.com. We have a copy of the flier available at: www.albany.edu/gogreen/documents/ WNYT_event_flyer_2011.pdf to
Page 5 Household Hazardous Waste Collections Albany County Sustainability Bulletin The Office of General Services in Albany hosts several drop off events for hazardous waste during the year. Participants must pre-register at: http://albanyny.gov/government/ Departments/GeneralServices/TrashRecycling/HouseholdHazardousWaste/ DropOffForm.aspx or you can call (518) 434-2489. Items can be brought to the landfill on Rapp Road between 4 and 7 pm on the following dates: April 21, May 5, June 2 For a list of acceptable items go to: http://www.albanyny.org/government/departments/ GeneralServices/TrashRecycling/HouseholdHazardousWaste.aspx Schenectady County Schenectady County also has a program. They are held at the county recycling facility on Hetcheltown Road. The dates and times are as follows: May 4 June 18 July 9 August 13 September 7 October 1 November 19 4 to 7 pm 4 to 7 pm Residents must pre-register on line at www.schenectadycounty.com/hhw or call (518) 386-2225. Other Counties Don t live in Albany or Schenectady county? Check out the other hazardous waste collection events in the area at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8780.html Medications Don t Flush! Conventional wisdom used to advise that people flush their unwanted or expired medications. Wow, have things changed!! Flushing them creates a risk of toxic chemicals entering our water system. Now there are several collection events to bring such items. Go to www.dontflushyourdrugs.net to find one near you.
Volume 4, Issue 5 Page 6 Upcoming Events Clean Up Day April 26 Our annual tradition of tidying up campus is upon us. On April 26th, the community will gather to rake, dig, paint, plant and pick up debris left from this long winter. You can help! If you haven t already done so, go to http://www.albany.edu/cleanup/signup and register. You can pick your time (am, pm or both) and your job. Lunch will be served for all volunteers. Be sure to indicate any special meal preferences at sign up. Rain date for this event is April 28th. Shredding Day May 6 Our annual shredding, brought to you by EAP and the Office of Environmental Sustainability, will take place on May 6th. (rain date of May 13th). Bring any papers, either personal or business, to the mobile unit to be shred and recycled. It s quick and easy! Shredding Drop-Off Sites Uptown Campus Science Library/Bus Circle: 9:00 11:00 am MSC Parking Lot: 11:15 11:45 am Downtown Campus Corner of Robin and Washington Ave.: 1:00 2:00 pm East Campus C-Wing Parking Lot: 2:30 3:30 pm Materials okay to shred: Paper/Cardstock Manila folders Paper clips Cannot be shredded: Plastic ring binders CD s Metal binder clips Stapled paper Checkbooks
Volume 4, Issue 5 Page 7 Get Involved! There are several ways you can get involved in the sustainability movement: Sustainability Coordinators Sustainability coordinators are faculty and staff who participate in the sustainability movement. We meet at 12 pm on the first Tuesday of every month during the academic year. The next meeting is scheduled for May 3rd in University Hall room 306. Student Sustainability Council Are you a student interested in helping out with the sustainability movement? Then join the student sustainability council. We meet every Friday at 3 pm during the academic year, usually in University Hall 306. Our next meeting will be a field trip to the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center on April 29th. We ll present the donations collected during the Green Grams program and take a hike. THINKGREEN listserv This listserv was designed to further discussions on how to integrate sustainability into academic endeavors. To join the listserv, contact Mary Ellen at mmallia@uamail.albany.edu In our next issue: The Student Sustainability Conference World Climate Simulation Recyclemania Wrap Up Spring Awakening Review Give and Go Preview Office of Environmental Sustainability Contact info: University Hall 212 University at Albany 1400 Washington Ave Albany, NY 12222 Phone: Did you Know???? Fax: (518) 956-8120 (518) 956-8121 E-mail: gogreen@albany.edu Web Site: www.albany.edu/gogreen Director: Mary Ellen Mallia mmallia@uamail.albany.edu That in addition to our web page, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and our blog? It s the easiest way to be up to speed with us! UAlbany Green Scene UAGreenScene Check out our blog at: http://ualbanygreenscene.wordpress.com/