University Business - December 2012 - (Page 99)

SponSored CaSe Study University of Iowa’s 2020 Vision nets real success Waste Management helps UI achieve ambitious sustainability goals W From the moment new students arrive on campus, environhen Sally Mason, president of the University of Iowa, called for an increased focus on sustainabil- mental messaging is evident, and training begins. Each Resiity in the university’s operations as a key strategic dent Assistant is required to attend training on the range of initiative on Earth Day 2008, her ambitious plan presented a environmental initiatives on campus, including Waste Management’s Green Move-In/Move-Out program, one of several serious challenge. The large public university, located in Iowa City on the Iowa from Waste Management’s Think Green Campus Model. Any packing materials discarded River, serves more than 30,000 from move-in are reused or recystudents each year, and counts cled, and Waste Management’s more than a million visitors Green Student Living programs annually. The campus includes are included in freshman orimore than 120 major buildings entation, encouraging environacross 1,900 acres, and a staff of mentally sustainable practices approximately 13,000. throughout campus. Among the seven sustainWaste Management also ability targets of the subsequent focused on safety and efficiency plan developed by the university, in delivering its programs, parcalled 2020 Vision, is a specific ticularly for campus staff servicgoal to divert physical waste from ing the equipment. Acting on a landfills by 60 percent by the year “Waste Management is our recommendation from Waste 2020. University administrators Management, UI replaced its knew that on a campus of this partner, standing hand-invaried range of existing containsize, doing so would require a hand. We’re confident that we ers with 2-wheel carts, which partner with the same environresulted in a significant reducmental goals and mission, as well will achieve our 60 percent tion in injury rates and a quantias the services and resources that diversion goal by 2020. ” fiable savings in staff time. would be up to the task. —Dave Jackson, University of Iowa These back-of-the-house The first major step was clear. improvements were a surprising “It was important for UI to benefit to service revisions that establish an effective recycling program,” says Liz Christiansen, director of the office of sus- had not been anticipated by UI. “Waste Management has protainability. “Students drove the commitment and dedication to vided great solutions that have resulted in a safer workforce,” it.” The university was collecting recyclables via separation of says David Jackson, assistant to the associate vice president for facilities management. materials using numerous containers, which was not optimal. The initiative also extends to athletic events, including UI’s Through a competitive RFP process, Waste Management presented not only a comprehensive single-stream recycling famous Hawkeye football games. In just the first year of its solution, but also a strategic plan that included short-, medium- game day recycling program, UI achieved a 50 percent diverand long-term goals by instituting its array of Think Green Cam- sion rate at its 70,000-seat football venue, Kinnick Stadium, pus Model programs. Waste Management also demonstrated its up from a baseline of 25 percent, with diversion exceeding the commitment with a revenue sharing and savings pricing struc- amount of waste sent to the landfill. “Waste Management is our partner, standing hand-inture—as UI’s diversion increases, rebates increase. UI implemented the single stream recycling from Waste hand,” says Jackson. “We’re confident that we will achieve our Management in September of 2011. Anyone on campus can 60 percent diversion goal by 2020.” now recycle paper, plastics, cardboard, tin, aluminum, and other materials in one receptacle. Already, UI is well on its way For more information, go to: wm.com/wm/greencampus. to meeting its goal. universitybusiness.com December 2012 | 99 http://www.wm.com/wm/greencampus http://www.wm.com/wm/greencampus http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - December 2012

University Business - December 2012
Contents
Editor’s Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Money Matters
Independent Outlook
5 Reasons Flipped Classrooms Work
Test Driving Mobile
Open Source Myth Busters
Models of Efficiency
1st Annual Readers’ Choice Awards
Education Innovators
Viewpoint
Endowments: New Questions
End Note

University Business - December 2012