Sustainability Initiatives

Other Initiatives

• In 2011, SU installed a bottle filling station inside Henson Science Hall. The station was suggested by the SGA to help reduce the number of disposable water bottles on campus. The Joyce Agency donated the unit.
• The SU Bookstore offers a free reusable shopping bag or "urban shopper" paper bags with each purchase. Customers bringing either of these types of bags back for use during subsequent trips earn a 10-cent discount on future purchases.
• As of fall 2011, the SU Bookstore also offers a printer ink refilling station.
• By signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, SU President Janet Dudley-Eshbach joined more than 677 other college and university presidents nationwide in the fight against global warming by pledging to move SU toward climate neutrality.
• SU President Janet Dudley-Eshbach was honored with the Newton Marasco Foundation's inaugural award for Leading Environmental Stewardship, which recognizes individuals and organizations that are taking practical yet innovative sustainable action in their local communities.
• President Dudley-Eshbach was also honored with the Mountaire Environmental Star Award for "outstanding contribution to the advancement, promotion, awareness and improvement of our environment."
• SU contracted with Tandus, a Georgia-based floor covering company, to re-carpet Blackwell Library. Carpet removed from Blackwell was recycled into other Tandus products, and the library's new carpet was made partially from recycled carpet from other facilities. This type of recycling is now standard in all of SU's carpeting Requests For Proposals.
• Paper purchased for office use is made of 30 percent recycled materials and then recycled itself.
• During a renovation project in Fulton Hall, SU piloted a program using non-volatile organic compound paint, which provides better air quality when compared to paints used in the past.
• SU achieved LEED Gold certification for Pocomoke Hall. In the renovation of Wicomico, Manokin and Nanticoke residence halls, SU is seeking additional Gold certifications. A geothermal system supplies heating and cooling for Wicomico, Manokin and Nanticoke. In addition, the Nanticoke renovation included another first - a roof-mounted solar hot water heater to supply domestic hot water.
• SU replaced the boilers in Maggs Physical Activity Center with high-efficiency boilers. To support the new boilers, variable frequency pump drives and associated control valve were also replaced resulting in a significant improvement in HVAC efficiency.
• Since fall 2011, the caps and gowns worn by graduating students have been made from recycled plastic bottles and are supplied by GreenWeaver. Each year, GreenWeaver donates a portion of the cost of these gowns to the University to fund sustainability projects.