Get Involved: Sustainability for Students
Go Green, Big Red!
A university is defined by the students, and the students define the values of a university. At Denison, there is a plethora of different ways undergraduates can become involved in creating an environmentally conscious community, ranging from participation in student organizations, to sustainable living at the Homestead, to individual initiatives to live more sustainably. Furthermore, the Sustainability Office aims to provide resources and support for new ideas and recommendations from the student body. The information presented below aims to teach students to learn how to be more involved in sustainability at Denison, and how to live an environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Links for Students
- Green Living Guide
- Sustainable Living: The Homestead
- Become Involved: Student Organizations
- Take Denison's Sustainability Walking Tour [pdf]
- Ways to save energy [pdf]
Campus classifieds and ride-share
Did you know that Denison has its own classifieds and ride-share program? Check here for more information.
Resources for RAs, HRs and promotion
Compiled here arecharts and information pertaining to Denison's sustainability practices that can be used for promotion as well as RA bulletin boards and meetings.
- Campus recycling 2004 - 2012 [pdf]
- Campus Water Usage 2004 - 2012 [jpg]
- Denison Recycling & Disposal Guide [pdf] including signs explaining what "wet" and "dry" recycling mean
- How to reduce energy use [pdf]
- Campus Utilities Usage 2011 - 2012 [pdf]
- Denison's carbon footprint [pdf]
- Waste Generated Per Year 2006 - 2012 [pdf]
- Logo- Go Green Big Red [pdf]
- Dorm Poster Idea [pdf]
- Logo- Climate Action [pdf]
- The Whos and Whats of campus sustainability [pdf]
- Sustainability Programs [pdf]
Green Graduation Pledge
The Environmental Studies Senior Fellows and the Office of Sustainability coordinate the Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility each year. Graduating seniors from all disciplines are invited to make a commitment to be socially and environmentally responsible in their future lives and careers. Hundreds of students have made the commitment - many, including some faculty and staff, don green ribbons during graduation as a symbolic gesture supporting sustainability and social responsibility.
The pledge states, "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of the decisions I make in my personal life and the actions I take in my professional career. I will strive to continually better my community and the global society in which I live."
- List of 2012 Signees [pdf]
- List of 2011 Signees [pdf]
- List of 2010 Signees [pdf]
- An Article about the Graduation Pledge
Ways To Live More Sustainably
- Turn off lights, appliances, and electronics
- Buy Energy Start certified products and light bulbs
- Wash clothes in cold water
- Air dry your clothes-you can borrow drying racks from the Service Center
- Make use of natural night
- Think before you print, and print double-sided
- Bring your own reusable mug/cup to Slayter (and receive a discount!)
- Conserve water—take shorter showers
- Buy local and organic
- Consider borrowing items you want/need from a friend instead of buying new
- Drive less—walk and bike around campus and Granville
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Respect- see the Campus Recycling Guide [pdf]
- Spread the word, and practice what you preach
Kill-A-Watt At Denison
Students can check out a Kill-A-Watt device from the circulation desk in the library to monitor the energy use of various electronics and appliances in their dorm room or apartment.
Recycling at Denison
It’s not of question of how to recycle, but rather will you recycle?
- Recycling bins are located all throughout campus in all of our academic buildings and residence halls. Recycling bins are also conveniently located outside along walkways. Bins are labeled WET or DRY to denote the type of material they can accept.
- Survey results from a student recycling questionaire
Below is a short list of the common items you can recycle on campus. For a comprehensive list please consult the: Campus Guide to Recycling & Waste Disposal [pdf].
| What Can Be Recycled At Denison | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WET | DRY | OTHER | |||||||||
| Glass Bottles and Jars Aluminum Cans Metal Cans Plastic #1 Plastic #2 |
Office Paper (including post-its, envelopes and index cards) Newspaper Magazines Cardboard Paperboard (like cereal boxes) |
Batteries (Rechargeable, Alkaline, Cell Phone) Computers and Monitors CDs and DVDs Floppy Disks Aerosol Cans Toner and Ink Cartridges |
|||||||||
Measure your Environmental Footprint
Denison recently signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. This means that Denison will be working towards reducing its carbon footprint and becoming carbon neutral over the next few years. As a student at Denison you are an important part of the process both in being an active participant in our campus efforts and by reducing your own footprint:
The Sustainability Office would like to hear from you. If you have any feedback, suggestions, or ideas about how we can make Denison a more sustainable campus, please share your ideas using our online form!