Sustainable ASLE

What Are Indiana University and ASLE Doing to Make the Conference More Sustainable?

With an AASHE STARS rating of Silver as of January 2011, IU has or plans to implement several sustainable initiatives and practices, including:

• Is seeking LEED EBO&M Certification for the Indiana Memorial Union as a pilot project after completing a LEED for Existing Buildings eco-charette
• Is seeking LEED NC Silver Certification for the new Union Street Center Residence Halls where conference attendees have the option of staying
• Employs a high-efficiency gas boiler (which replaced two coal-fired boilers) and new filters to reduce emissions of particulate matter by as much as 95.5% in the Central Heating Plant
• Prefers compact fluorescent lights in the Indiana Memorial Union (IMU) and other buildings and Green Seal cleaning products throughout campus
• Uses soy-based toner in IU Printing Services
• Purchases all bagels on IUB campus from Scholar’s Inn Bake House (a local bakery) and works to increase its offerings of local and sustainable food options on campus, both consistently and seasonally
• Purchases paper that does not use old growth trees; over 50% of paper has recycled content
• Provides some local and organic food menu options in IMU and has bottle refill stations built into several of their new drinking fountains
• Diverts 20% of its waste to recycling that is handled in both Bloomington and Indianapolis before being shipped to buyers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa, and Missouri
• Practices recycling (mostly single-stream) throughout campus buildings of plastic (#1-7, including plastic bags), cans, mixed paper, newspaper, cardboard, and in residence halls and dining centers, glass as well

Other points of note to attendees:

• Plan to make use of indoor recycling containers (IMU, Ballantine, residence halls, etc.) as the campus has no outdoor recycling receptacles yet and all trash goes to a landfill in Terre Haute, IN.
• Ballantine is fully accessible with “smart” classrooms.
• Printing options for conference attendees include Kinko’s and Staples (on-campus printing is for IU faculty, staff, and students only).

ASLE and IU are working together to make the conference more sustainable by:

• Creating a vegetarian banquet with several interesting menu choices featuring local and/or organic foods as much as possible, including local beers and wines
• Working to offer local/organic/sustainable food and drink wherever possible at the receptions
• Providing conference attendees with a free, sustainable water bottle with the ASLE logo (in lieu of T-shirts or tote bags) for use throughout the conference and on the field trips (where they are required); check out the bottles here: http://www.ecopromotionsonline.com/products_details.cfm?prod_id=756&category=Drinkware
• Minimizing décor for the banquet and using artificial, reusable planters, linens, and other reusable décor items

Resources for Sustainable Living at and around IU:

• Local Foods in Bloomington: www.greendove.net/localfood.htm and http://localgrowers.org
• Recycling at IU: http://www.indiana.edu/~nowaste/
• IU Office of Sustainability: http://www.indiana.edu/~sustain/home.html
• Residential Programs and Services: http://www.rps.indiana.edu/sustainability.cfml
• Office of Procurement Services: http://www.indiana.edu/~purchase/sustainable/university.shtml
• Campus Bus: http://www.transportation.indiana.edu/index.html
• Bloomington by Bike and Bus: http://www.indiana.edu/~sustain/bikemap/index.html
• Accessibility: questions with respect to transportation, campus buildings, alternative formats for presentations, etc.: contact Christoph Irmscher at christoph.irmscher gmail.com

10 Things You Can Do to Contribute to a More Sustainable Conference:

• Be mindful of how many times you print your conference paper, and print only necessary documents employing smaller margins, duplex printing, and other strategies to reduce paper and ink consumption
• Consider posting handouts to a website rather than printing copies to distribute
• Shut off lights and technology in academic and residence rooms when not in use
• Bring your own coffee mug (water bottles will be provided) and make use of refill stations
• Patron local and/or sustainable businesses for your needs while in Bloomington
• Bring your own nametag holder or be sure to recycle the one you receive at the conference so we can reuse them (recycling stations will be provided)
• Walk, bike, or make use of public transportation while in Bloomington
• Make use of recycling receptacles on campus
• Reduce food waste and minimize consumption of heavily packaged foods
• Offset your carbon footprint for the conference by contributing through donation or volunteer time to a sustainably-minded organization you respect