Respecting creation and using resources wisely

The University of Saint Francis (USF) has long been committed in its concern for the environment. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, who held dear the natural world, USF pledges itself to the Franciscan Value “Respect creation and use resources wisely.” As a Catholic, not-for-profit institution, the concepts of reduce, reuse and minimize have been a part of everyday business and have recently earned the University the 2009 Allen County Solid Waste District 3R Award (non-profit organization division).

USF currently has recycling programs for aluminum cans and can tabs; paper including copy paper, stationery, newsprint, cardboard, magazines and books; plastic, glass, printer ink and toner cartridges, construction and building products, fluorescent lamps, batteries, scrap metal, unusable appliances, used automotive fluids, used tires, cooking oil and grease, electronics, and yard waste. The university also has reuse programs for usable appliances, clothing, furniture and equipment, medicine bottles, wood, church items, school items, new and used coats and blankets, surplus food, refrigerant, office supplies, bicycles, hearing aids, and eyeglasses.

Beyond the commitment to ensure waste minimization through reuse, reduction and recycling, the University embraces the value of extending the benefits to the community through cooperative efforts and community events. USF seeks mutually beneficial recycling collaborations with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, Lions Club, Matthew 25, HeadsUp Foundation, Saint Vincent DePaul Society, Rescue Mission, St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen, Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Diocese and WorkForce (RecycleForce).

There are many notable efforts toward the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) taking place each day at USF:

In the first quarter alone of the last academic year the university recycled 27,279 pounds of fiber materials including paper, newsprint, cardboard, magazines and books.
The grounds staff report recycling 20 gallons of motor oil, 15 vehicle/equipment batteries, 5 tires and 200 cubic yards of brush and tree limbs.
The Operations Department recycles 400 pounds of scrap metal annually and three cubic yards of kitchen grease each quarter.
USF salvages discarded campus furniture, doors, shelving, etc. for use in art projects or for schools and churches in Honduras. In the last 5 years, two semi-truck loads of furniture have been donated to the Lions Club for re-use.
Wood from trees on campus recovered after storms or cut down because of age is utilized in woodworking projects, boards, frames and furniture or used in the wood-fired ceramics kiln.
USF now allows employees to recycle batteries from their homes. The university now averages approximately 225 pounds per year of alkaline, lead, cadmium and other types of batteries recycled compared to the previous annual average of 60 pounds. USF thinks this new program keeps more batteries out of municipal landfills.
Even though the USF has added buildings to the campus and changed most fixtures from incandescent to fluorescent and LED sources, the volume of fluorescent lamps recycled has decreased from about 425 pounds per year to 400 pounds per year. This is the result of energy minimization tactics and changes in operations policy, such as “lights off” and “low lighting” policies.
USF employs staff certified in Refrigerant Transition and Recovery. These employees recover refrigerant from old centrifuges or window air conditioners and save it until needed for other equipment on campus.
USF’s commitment to environmental efforts and the community has resulted in the initiation of an annual electronics recycling event. In the inaugural event on April 19, 2008, USF collected 7293 pounds of electronics from the community for recycling by RecycleForce. On April 4, 2009 the second such event collected 10,288 pounds of equipment.
A student-driven bicycle loan program, the Tour de France, was initiated in 2008. A small but growing fleet of bikes is available for students to borrow. USF has increased number of bike racks on campus to encourage bicycle use on campus.
Pickling liquid for jewelry making, solder for welding and metal sculpture, and clay in ceramics are re-used. The photography lab includes a unit that recovers silver from photo fixer. The silver is sent for recycling and the fixer is reused in the photo developing process. Chemicals needed for special purposes like science labs are purchased in small quantities to prevent waste.
In 2009, USF plans to partner with Soles4Souls to collect gently used shoes for reuse for disaster victims.
Marketing print jobs are on 10% post-consumer recycled paper and all on-campus paper is 30% post-consumer recycled paper.
Recycling bins for paper, plastic, glass and aluminum are available in every building on campus. New recycling centers were incorporated into the design of Clare Hall and current renovation of Bonzel Hall. Recycling bins are provided for games at the football stadium and basketball gymnasium for paper and plastics recycling. The past two years, USF has organized a recycling day for community to drop off used/outdated household electronics.
USF students put waste minimization into practice by participating in cardboard recycling during move-in week (rather than place their empty boxes in the trash). Students also developed the idea of a “clothing swap” mid semester rather than shopping for new clothes and discarding the “old”. Additionally, at move-out time, drop boxes are provided to students to donate books, clothes, furnishings, and other dorm room items, rather than placing them in the trash.
USF and the university’s marketing agency investigated the volume of promotional materials and reduced the number of catalogs, newsletters, information sheets, and brochures printed. USF uses employee education and awareness announcements about paper use and encourages the use of electronic resources to voluntarily reduce paper use.
Custodial services installed devices which accurately measure concentrated cleaning products to prevent over-use and waste.
As a trial, light sensors were installed in restrooms in three buildings as part of an effort to reduce electrical use. USF is switching fluorescent lighting as old bulbs burn out, replacing T4 tubes with more efficient T8 tubes. The Grounds Department purchased 40 strands of low energy LED Christmas lights for decorating the campus during the holidays. Additionally, in areas other than the residence halls, convents and the cafeteria, water heaters temperature setting were lowered and HVAC thermostats are now set lower in the winter and higher in the summer than historically. USF has implemented a policy eliminating energy-wasting space heaters. Most employee break areas offer a community refrigerator to discourage private “dorm-style” refrigerators in offices.
USF is reducing the use of energy-wasting desktop printers in preference for network printers. The desktop printers were sold for re-use rather than sent for recycling. This will also reduce ink and toner waste throughout campus.
Construction designs of new buildings now include low-flow showers and toilets, blown cellulose insulation composed of recycled newspapers, environmental friendly paint, and CFL bulbs. Also a TPO roof system - a green product made of recyclable materials which meets Energy Star standards, is LEED compliant and heat reflective - was installed on Trinity Hall in October 2008 and at Clare Hall in December 2008. This will be the preferred option when buildings need reroofing.

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