UNC-Chapel Hill Sustainability Coalition

Convener: Bill Glaze, Carolina Environmental Program

Overview/Issues:

The purpose of the Academic Task Group is to link the activities of the Sustainability Coalition into the Carolina academic community. Activities include but are not limited to:

• Student involvement in the Coalition
• Educational activities such as courses that relate to the work of the Coalition
• Research involving members of the academic community on subjects that bear on the mission of the Coalition.

Progress to Date:

Several actions have been taken to inform the academic community of the work of the coalition and to involve faculty and students in its work.

• A new course has been developed that will directly relate to the work of the coalition:
  ENST 100, Section 1, "Special Topics: A Sustainable University" is now scheduled for Fall Semester 2000 on Wednesdays, 2-5 PM in Dey Hall, 404. The course will be a semester-long effort to assess sustainable activities at UNC past, present, and future, particularly in the areas of Energy, Water, Material Resource and Waste Management, Land and Buildings, Outreach, Academic, Business Operations, and Transportation. Research teams of students with diverse backgrounds will evaluate actions and trends and propose goals for sustainability, and will work closely with members of the UNC-CH Sustainability Coalition task forces.
• The CEP sponsored a meeting between faculty and representatives of Collins and Aikman to discuss how a corporation has developed innovative methods to minimize wastes in the carpet industry. A member of the University's architectural design team attended.
• The CEP sponsored several meetings to raise awareness on issues related to sustainability, including a major address by Charles Secrett, Executive Director of the Friends of the Earth in the United Kingdom entitled, "Planet in Crisis: Sustainable Development Solutions".

The Carolina Environmental Program: A New Model for Environmental Learning

UNC-CH has several outstanding programs in departments and institutes as diverse as environmental sciences and engineering, ecology, marine sciences, environmental health, public policy analysis, and city and regional planning. The Carolina Environmental Program (CEP) is more comprehensive than these departmental programs as well those that are found at other universities. Specifically, the CEP is unique among programs at American colleges and universities by having the following combination of attributes:

• The CEP involves faculty, students and staff from departments across the university.
• The environmental undergraduate program is a model for rigor.
• Each undergraduate student will have the opportunity for an immersion experience studying real environmental problems through internships or work at a CEP field site.
  • A field site available for student study will be in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area and will focus on sustainability issues that face this region, including the University in Chapel Hill.
• CEP Research platforms are addressing the complexity of environmental problems.
  • The Platform in Sustainable Development.
  • The Platform in Earth, Environment and Society.
• The CEP is integrating the humanities and social sciences into its programs.
• Public service and outreach.
  • Environmental Resource Program

B. Business Operations

Convener: Kelly Reed, Materials Management Division

Mission Statement: The mission of the Business Operations Task Group is to promote environmentally and socially conscious purchasing by the university, so that the University may demonstrate to the students, employees, and community its environmental and social concerns.

Progress to Date:

• Organically grown coffee has been introduced at the Ram's Head coffee shop in Lenoir Hall. This is a test to see if the coffee is widely acceptable and to determine the true cost of the product. If this test is successful, organic coffee will be introduced, as an option, at other campus locations.

Goals:

• Make organic, shade grown coffee available in the Daily Grind. The manager of the Daily Grind has agreed to begin offering this type of coffee in the near future.
• Increase the amount of organically grown processed foods that are offered in the student dining facilities.
• Work to include as an option a socially responsible investment instrument in the voluntary employee supplemental investment plans.
• Use recyclable food containers in the dining facilities on campus.
• Create a completely environmentally sound and sustainable community at UNC that is so cool it will make everyone want to give up their SUV's and Nike sneakers and run around in the woods all day.
• Improve the reutilization of surplus property at UNC.

C. Energy

Convener: Ray DuBose, Energy Services

Mission Statement: The mission of The Energy Sustainability Task Group (ESTG) is to exhibit a commitment to sound energy management by supporting adoption of best practices for energy efficiency across campus.

Overview/Issues:

Energy usage and energy conservation are major issues related to sustainability. Energy is consumed in each campus facility to provide heating, cooling & ventilation, communication, computing, as well as lighting. Energy is also used across campus for transportation, and to power many of the tools that help us accomplish our tasks in pursuit of and in support of the teaching, research and public service mission of the University.

Energy issues relate to environment, economics, and efficiency. Some issues overlap with Green Buildings, for instance the Energy Star Buildings Program, sponsored by US EPA. Both groups are jointly gathering information and laying groundwork for possible partnership with EPA in the Energy Star Building Program.

Progress to Date:

With the support of the ESTG, two members, Ray DuBose and Bill Lowery, were instrumental in submitting an application under the EPA Energy Star program for a Combined Heating and Power (CHP) Award. As a result, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been selected to receive a certificate for its Cogeneration Facility, for pollution prevention and low emissions. The award was presented at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 21, 2000. The task group is proud of this award on a first-time application, as recognition of exemplary energy practices already in place.

Goals:

The Energy Sustainability Task Group is currently setting goals, to help guide the group's efforts in having a positive impact at UNC with regard to energy issues.
Topics that have been addressed are:

• energy sources
• reducing energy consumption
• increasing efficiency
• campus organizational responsibilities with respect to energy

In an effort to promote energy awareness, "energy cycles" will be available for a student display and demonstration for Earth Day.

One issue is getting campus representation and participation in the ESTG to represent a cross section of the campus community. Energy Services, Facilities Services, and student participants are seeking ways to involve others including faculty. The task group wants to ensure representation addresses the diversity of campus activities and uses. (Health Affairs, Academic Affairs, Housing, Athletics, Administration, Auxiliary Services.) Ultimately, this group would like to see participation in energy conservation efforts.

D. Land and Buildings

Conveners: Diane Gillis, Facilities Planning, Johnny Randall, Botanical Garden

Overview/Issues:

During the past year, the Land and Buildings Task Group has begun to develop its understanding of "green building" and define what it means at UNC. A PowerPoint presentation was prepared outlining general principles of green building and shown to the Sustainability Coalition, Facilities Planning, Architectural & Engineering Services, and the senior staff of Facilities Services. To help organize thinking about what sustainable strategies can be incorporated into design and construction of campus buildings, the task group has been using a nationally recognized rating scale, the "LEED Green Building Rating System", published by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Progress to Date:

During the past year sustainable practices have been incorporated into the design/construction process in the following ways:

• Information that is sent to designers who respond to advertisements for design services now includes a statement that UNC-CH is seeking designers with experience in sustainable design. The designer selection committee for the new Visitor Center at the Botanical Garden interviewed and selected an architect based partly on sustainability experience.
• A design review has been instituted by the Land and Buildings Task Group as part of the design review for all capital improvement projects. The first review was the design of the new Herbarium/Botanical Library.
• All Facilities Planning project managers are now charged with the responsibility of incorporating sustainable features into the design of their projects. Using the LEED scale, project managers will develop, with the project architect, a sustainability program for each project. This program will provide the basis for review of the project by the Land and Buildings Task Group.
• The Grounds Department has written new guidelines for tree protection at building construction sites.
• To further understanding of green building issues and practices, the task group participated in a conference and hosted several speakers and tours:

  October 1999	"Mainstreaming Green: Sustainable Design for Buildings & Communities" - AIA Conference in Chattanooga, TN (Diane Gillis attended)
  December 14, 1999	Sustainability efforts at the state level Marshall Mauney (NC State Construction Office) and Kevin MacNaughton (UNC General Administration)
  	Presentation of the Energy 10 software package (using the proposed Herbarium as an example) Alicia Ravetto, AIA
  February 1, 2000	EPA Energy Star Building Program Steve Jurovics, Cadmus Group
  March 7, 2000	Old Triangle School Alternative Waste Water Treatment Facility in Chatham County (presentation and tour) Dr. Hal House
  March 21, 2000	EPA Research Triangle Park Campus (tour)

Goals:

• Explore the feasibility of including a building commissioning plan as a requirement for every capital improvement project.
• Include sustainability requirements in Design Guidelines currently being rewritten by Facilities Planning (in process).
• Extend green building practices into the operations of the Architectural & Engineering Services department and the construction shops. The new LEED interiors rating scale will be considered as a tool for evaluation of renovation projects. This includes working with Purchasing to identify and stock green building materials.
• Explore the C&D waste issue as it relates to all work on campus with the goal of significantly lowering the University's contribution to the C&D landfill.
• FCAP (Facilities Condition Assessment Program) will incorporate LEED system in its database for evaluating University facilities.
• At the request of the Coalition, the Land and Buildings Task Group will investigate the use of pesticides on campus.

E. Material Resources and Waste Management

Convener: P.J. Disclafani, Student, Master's candidate in Environmental Management and Policy

Mission Statement: The mission of the Material Resources and Waste Management Task Group is to promote the environmentally sound use and disposal of resources by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Overview/Issues:

Given the wide range of possible issues the task group could attack, the task group is beginning by dealing with those environmental problems that have the most personal meaning for the individual group members. So, the sustainability issues the task group is currently working on are as follows:

1) Recycled Paper: As a continuation of a student campaign begun on UNC campuses during the 1998-1999 school year, the Material Resources and Waste Management Task Group seeks to encourage purchasing of 100% post-consumer recycled content, processed chlorine-free paper by UNC-CH, implement programs to reduce overall paper use, and improve the paper recycling services offered on the UNC-CH campus. The task group is pursuing these goals because our forest ecosystems are increasingly strained by the rising demand for wood products. The task group hopes that this university, as a respected institution and a large user of paper products, will set an example for others by responsibly using paper from "cradle to grave" and help develop markets for environmentally sustainable paper products.

2) Hazardous Waste: To mitigate the pollution of our environment by hazardous chemicals previously labeled as "waste", the task group is working to establish a "Hazardous Waste Exchange" facility on campus. This will be a room or, perhaps, building where departments and individuals across campus can deliver partially-used but still-useable containers of chemicals (such as solvents, paints, etc.) they no longer need to be claimed later by others who do need them. The inventory of the Exchange will be advertised on a website. This service will prevent the unnecessary (and paperwork-laden) disposal of chemicals that can still be put to use, and it will also lessen excess purchasing of such chemicals.

3) Residence Hall Recycling and Waste Disposal Education: An informal poll of dormitory residents revealed that students living on campus are not fully educated on recycling procedures, and, further, the general consensus of both students and the UNC Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling is that in August and May (so-called "move-in" and "move-out" periods) an excessive amount of waste is generated. The Material Resources and Waste Management Task Group is currently researching ways to efficiently educate the many thousands of students who live in the campus residence halls in proper recycling methods and ways to lessen the biannual "move-in"/"move-out" waste disposal calamities. In addition, the task group is researching the possibility of temporary summer storage (on campus) of such items as lofts and couches to prevent these from unnecessarily sent to the landfill by students anxious to leave Chapel Hill. The goal of this venture is to decrease the volume of waste sent to the landfill, as well as to recycle as much waste as possible so that a) our limited resources for goods production are not overly taxed and b) to nurture markets for recycled goods.

4) Composting: As the newest addition to the list of issues being addressed by the Material Resources and Waste Management Task Group, the task group is currently looking into the possibility of composting food waste generated on campus. UNC currently disposes of 240 tons of compostible waste per year. Initially this project will most likely be a pilot program at a small location such as the Alumni Club, with the end goal of widespread composting at all campus dining locations. This would be an expansion of our current composting effort on campus which presently includes only "yard waste" (i.e., leaves and wood). The benefits of composting food waste are twofold: 1) A further reduction of the amount of waste generated by the campus that is sent to the landfill and 2) Giving new life to discarded, "useless" waste (Composted food can be used to take the place of fertilizer, for example. Using composting for fertilizer decreases the need for chemicals to grow crops, which consequently prevents chemical pollution from entering our groundwater and streams. Additionally, composting reduces the need for irrigation and reduces methane emissions. One can see that the sustainability implications of composting manifest themselves on several levels.)

Progress to Date:

1) Paper: Sales of 100% post-consumer recycled content paper at UNC-CH are increasing. In November 1999 sales were 53 cases; in December 1999 sales were 98 cases; and during January 1-24 2000 sales were 102 cases. A $5000 subsidy to cover the cost difference between 100% recycled content paper and 30% recycled content paper was secured in March to last for the remainder of the fiscal year. A memorandum is pending the chancellor's approval that would halt the sale and use of virgin office paper at UNC-CH in the absence of a verified need to use virgin paper. Posters are being made to be distributed to campus departments detailing the importance of using recycled paper, using less paper, and recycling paper. These posters will also offer suggestions for reaching these goals.

2) Hazardous Waste Exchange: Case studies of similar programs on other campuses have been conducted. A general plan of how the exchange would work has been discussed. The task group is awaiting approval of this idea, a location for the Exchange, and an employee to staff it. The task group will continue to research the plan, but a large part of the delay in starting the Exchange is the lack of a director for the Health and Safety Office at UNC-CH, which oversees the handling of hazardous waste.

3) Residence Halls: Discussions with UNC Housing Department, discussions among group members. During the May "move-out" period, Craige dormitory will be participating in a pilot project to decrease the amount of waste generated at year end and beginning. Dorm residents will be notified this month of proper disposal of recyclable goods and usable goods. Summer storage of usable goods will be provided, and in August these items will be offered to incoming students (e.g., lofts, furniture, lights). There will be a person present by the Craige dumpsters during move-out to assist with the proper sorting of waste.

4) Composting: Conversations with UNC Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling and with a potential contractor for the composting operation. Information gathered from Granville Towers, which has always composted food waste (currently 3750 pounds per week). Two members of SEAC have expressed an interest in launching this program with the Material Resources and Waste Management Task Group, which will be a boon to rapid progress in this area. The composting contractor visited UNC and a plan to compost food waste at Lenoir Dining Hall has been prepared. Implementation of this plan is imminent.

Goals:

1) Paper: Through marketing efforts, we hope to see 200 cases of 100% post-consumer recycled content, processed chlorine-free office paper purchased by UNC-CH departments during February 2000. The task group hopes to secure a subsidy for the new recycled paper products so that departments will pay the same price for these papers as they pay for the "standard" office paper product offered (a 30% post-consumer recycled content paper).

2) Hazardous Waste Exchange: The task group is tentatively aiming for September 2000 to open the Exchange, and the task group expects that it will be effective and grow rapidly after its opening.

3) Residence Halls: The task group hopes to have a system of communication and (possibly of summertime storage) in place by May, 2000 so that this spring's "move-out" generates significantly less waste than previous years have.

4) Composting: Research is just beginning in this area, but due to the enthusiasm of a potential contractor in Goldston, NC, it is feasible that a pilot project could be implemented by the end of the spring semester 2000. The contractor in question already collects nearly 30 tons of compost per week from restaurants and businesses in Chapel Hill.

F. Outreach

Convener: B.J. Tipton, Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling

Mission statement: The mission of the Outreach Task Group is to educate and inform the members of the university and surrounding communities about the establishment and progress of the Sustainability Coalition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Progress to Date: current accomplishments and activities include:

• Hired Lauren Butare to work on outreach materials such as poster, PowerPoint presentation, and 1999-2000 Sustainability Report.
• Prepared 1999-2000 Sustainability Report.
• Prepared PowerPoint presentation for Sustainability Coalition as a whole.
• Asked OWRR to incorporate sustainability coalition information in their Supervisory Resource Training presentations.
• Helped coordinate Earth Day activities for the Coalition and coordinate unified advertising of all activities
• Prepared a presentation board for the delegates to the 2nd Nature Workshop in March 2000 and for Project Green in April 2000
• Began discussion with other UNC and area schools about creating a UNC system-wide sustainability consortium
• Created a draft University statement on sustainability

Goals:

1) University's Sustainability Philosophy

• create the University's mission statement on environmental sustainability
• annually recognize the Tall m,ires Declaration

2) Internal Outreach

• publicity about Coalition to University staff, faculty, and students
• recruitment for Coalition
• training in sustainable practices for new employees, faculty, and different departments
• general information materials (brochures, etc.)
• maintain Coalition's website
• organize/coordinate events (Earth Day 2000, etc.)
• create newsletter
• write articles of on-campus media (DTH, University Gazette, department newsletters)

3) External Outreach

• publicity about Coalition beyond University
• Network of liaisons outside of the University, which different subcommittees may work with (NGO's, local governments and utilities, etc.)
• Coalitions (statewide and national)

G. Transportation

Convener: Mary Beth Powell, Center for Urban and Regional Studies

Mission statement: The mission of the Transportation Task Group is to identify key programs and offices on campus that determine and/or influence transportation and other mobility related activities and to incorporate sustainable practices in these arenas to the greatest extent possible.

Progress to Date:

• Task Force has been formed, but as of this report has not yet met as a group. Initial meeting will be held during the month of April 2000.
• Members include Linda Convissor, Ray Magyar, Asad Khattak, and Mary Beth Powell.

Goals:

1) Identify additional members (students, faculty, and staff) for participation in the Transportation Task Force.

2) Identify all offices/programs/departments on campus that are involved in transportation issues including operations and research perspectives (e.g., Point-to-Point, Facilities Planning, Public Safety, Motor Pool, Highway Safety Research Center, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Environmental Resource Program, etc.)

3) Educate each other of the responsibilities of each office/program.

4) Discuss and determine scope of activity the Task Force can reasonably assume to influence and prioritize actions and activities for the coming year.

5) Collect existing studies, reports and plans and identify areas where information gaps exist.

6) Identify transportation researchers and other in-house resources and elicit help and participation as appropriate.

7) Develop Task Force workplan for the coming year.

H. Water

Convener: Sharon Myers, Health and Safety

Overview/Issues:

The water resources work group of the Sustainability Coalition is interested in all aspects of water conservation and water quality improvement. So far this includes reducing the amount of drinking quality water used on campus for non-drinking purposes, decreasing the amount discharged and improving the quality of storm water leaving campus via streams, and improving the quality of water going to the waste water treatment facility (OWASA).

Projects the task group is working on include:

• Reducing the amounts of drinking quality water used on campus by:
  • Reusing water from our chilled water system instead of using fresh drinking water to cool water distillation units and cold rooms.
  • Using rainwater collected in cisterns for flushing toilets and for watering the grounds. This would also reduce the volume of run-off from buildings to streams.
• Improving the quality of storm water leaving campus via streams by:
  • Marking storm drain grates so people know they connect to streams, not to the sanitary sewer system.
• Improving the quality of water going to OWASA by:
  • Removing silver from photoprocessing discharge lines connected to the sanitary sewer and recycling the elemental silver.

Progress to Date:

• The task group has collected data on the amount of fresh water used for distillation on campus and is researching the feasibility of connecting more stills to the chilled water system. At least one distillation system on campus is already connected to chilled water.
• A cistern will be used for rainwater collection for the new building at Botanical Gardens. The water will be used for toilet flushing and for watering purposes. The task group is investigating the possibilities of adding cisterns when buildings are remodeled and when new buildings are designed.
• The task group has spoken with the City of Greensboro about their storm grate marking program. They use volunteers to glue aluminum markers to the storm grates. The markers cost the City of Greensboro $5.00 each. UNC has approximately 5,000 storm drain grates.
• Approximately 60 darkrooms are in use on campus. Six use silver recovery equipment.

Goals:

• To have one additional cistern incorporated into the design of a building by January 2001.
• To have two additional stills connected to the chilled water system by May 2001.
• To have 30% of the storm grates marked by November 2000. The task group will concentrate on the ones that are in obvious places and have previously been used for washing of paintbrushes.
• To have 50% of the photoprocessing equipment connected to silver recovery units by December 2000.

V. Plans for the Future

The UNC-CH Sustainability Coalition has made great strides in the past year. In addition to the goals of each individual task group, the Coalition as a whole has several goals for the future.

• The Coalition plans to participate in Earth Day activities on UNC's campus (April 26) as well as in Raleigh (April 29).
• The Coalition will participate in NC Clean & Green 2000, an event co-sponsored by NC Project Green, on April 28th.
• The Coalition would like to help coordinate a UNC system-wide consortium on sustainability to ensure that each campus is not "reinventing the wheel" regarding sustainability practices.
• A proposal for an UNC-CH Sustainability Coordinator has been submitted, which would create a position for a full-time staff person to coordinate Sustainability Coalition activities throughout campus.
• The Coalition plans to actively recruit more people from the University community, focusing on bringing in more diverse participants (i.e. ethnicity, age, position, department, school, gender, etc.).
• As a result of student initiative, the new course ENST 100, Section 1, "Special Topics: A Sustainable University" has been developed that will directly relate to the work of the coalition. It is scheduled for Fall Semester 2000. The course will be a semester-long effort to assess sustainable activities at UNC past, present, and future. Research teams of students with diverse backgrounds will evaluate actions and trends and propose goals for sustainability, and will work closely with members of the UNC-CH Sustainability Coalition task forces. The idea of an environmental audit follows in the footsteps of similar studies performed at the Pennsylvania State University and in the city of Seattle, Washington.

VI. Appendices

A. Governor Hunt's Executive Order 156

Executive Order Number 156
State Government Environmental Sustainability, Reduction of Solid Waste, and Procurement of Environmentally Preferable Products

This Executive Order expands upon provisions originally outlined in Executive Order No. 8, requiring state agency participation in solid waste reduction, recycling, and buying recycled products. The revised Executive Order recognizes that the daily activities and routine operations of the State have a significant impact on environmental quality and use of natural resources. While maintaining a focus on waste reduction and recycling, the Executive Order directs state agencies to develop and incorporate policies and practices into their daily operations that preserve natural resources, conserve energy, eliminate waste and emissions, and lessen overall environmental impact. The Executive Order features provisions for state agency activity in the following areas:

• Environmentally Sustainable Operations and Practices.
  Agencies shall consider and minimize the environmental impacts associated with agency land use and acquisition, construction, facility management, and employee transportation. This section addresses energy efficiency, water conservation, pollution prevention, and land preservation at state-owned and leased facilities. It establishes a goal for agency purchases of alternative-fuel or low-emission fleet vehicles and calls for reductions in employee vehicle-miles driven.
• Source Reduction and Recycling of Solid Wastes.
  Agencies shall reduce and recycle material recoverable from solid waste originating at their facilities and from the construction and renovation of new facilities. New provisions include duplex copying, use of electronic communication in place of paper, and recovery and recycling of leftover food from agency food service operations.
• Purchase and Use of Environmentally Preferable Products.
  Agencies shall procure goods and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment, including products made wholly or in part from recycled materials. This section encourages agencies to give maximum consideration to products that are more energy efficient, less toxic, less polluting, and which generate less waste overall. It raises the goal for agency purchases of recycled paper and paper products.