ASUO Sustainability Fair Unites Campus Groups

I came across a very interesting video today as I was researching sustainability. The ASUO, a Student Government group at the University of Oregon held a sustainability fair last October. This fair brought over 15 campus groups that have ties to sustainability and let them display their ideas to not only each other but the student body as well.



Here is the link to the article and video:



I found this to be very interesting because I am a strong believer that in order for the sustainability movement to truly work we must come together and continue to learn from every aspect of sustainability. The groups involved in the fair ran from Architecture students to the U of O outdoor program. What really stands out for me is that those who attended the fair got to see the diverse implications of sustainability. Sustainability is not a singular idea like improving campus recycling. Instead, it is uniting diverse groups and ideas such as improved architecture design and sustainable law.

What this fair got me thinking about was how can we make this a bigger event? Maybe instead of having it be only one day it could be a week long event that would encourage more student involvement. I for one never knew this was going on and would have loved to visit the fair and been a part of the think tank. Another interesting point that actually came up during a presentation in class today was how the Greek life here at the U of O is starting to begin its journey into better sustainability practices. They could bring not only a fresh perspective but a lot of people as well since around 10% of the student body is in the Greek system here.

This fair is a great steo to promoting sustainability throughout the campus and would love to see it only get bigger as more people gain awareness about this cause.

RecycleBank and Smarter Recycling

RecycleBank, a venture-backed company devoted to smarter recycling and living, is asking you to recycle smarter through new video series and rewarding website. Here is one reason you should check them out, "In April, 2009, RecycleBank was designated Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Program. " - recyclebank.com

RecycleBank is a great tool for anyone looking to recycle with higher efficiency, reduce their carbon footprint, and start working towards a greener future. Their site has a vast amount of information on how to be smarter with your recycling, including the best ways to recycle oils and milk cartons, to name a few. But the people at RecycleBank want you to do more than just listen to their great advice, they want you to be a part of their team. The website allows for users to start an account and earn points as they make smarter decisions with their waste and strive to become more sustainable. As you earn more points you begin to win awards for your hard work. (Awards include gift cards to stores from Bed Bath and Beyond to Subway). What a smart idea for a company to make this somewhat difficult transition towards sustainable living smoother with a website that allows for you to interact and work with it all while you are rewarded for your progress.

So what can you do to make this transition? Start by watching the video series, it helps to know what exactly happens in the recycling plants in order to be more efficient in recycling. The series displays the procees from your curb towards the manufacturers who buy the material for their companies. Next, visit RecycleBank's website and see how you can start living more sustainable. Set up an account and start making a difference.

Another interesting add-on to their site is the "trees saved" and "Gallons of Oil Saved" tally. With over a combined 300 million of the two, it is no lie that what they are doing at RecycleBank is working. Now it's your turn to help the cause and see what you can do to make a difference.