Sustainability Blog

Author: Lauren Furey

Sustainable Dorm Living Guide

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Ever wonder how to make dorm living a little more green? Students in TreeHouse, Michigan Tech’s sustainability learning community, wondered the same thing and developed a Sustainable Dorm Living Guide as a solution during their Sustainable Living Practicum spring course!

Packed with tips, tricks, and resources, the Sustainable Dorm Living Guide is a great reference tool that can help make on campus living more sustainable. The guide has tips for a sustainable move-in experience, advice for how to get involved on campus, ways to lower your carbon footprint, and so much more.

The TreeHouse Sustainable Learning Community offers first-year students from all majors the opportunity to live and learn together in shaping a more sustainable future. Nestled on the fifth floor of East Wadsworth Hall overlooking campus, this dynamic living-learning community offers immersive experiences through seminars, field trips, community-building opportunities, and volunteer projects. Join your fellow students as you transform your sustainability curiosity or passion into action.

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Michigan Tech Scores Big with Inaugural Zero Waste Hockey Game

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On January 11th, Michigan Tech hosted its inaugural Zero Waste Hockey Game, achieving remarkable sustainability milestones. This initiative was a collaborative effort among MTU Athletics, Husky Eats, and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience.

Student volunteers and Office of Sustainability and Resilience staff pose for a picture after their waste sorting efforts.

By the end of the game, 188 pounds of waste were collected for recycling and composting. Notably, in the stands and suites, Husky fans contributed to diverting an impressive 98% of post-consumer food and packaging waste, resulting in only 4 pounds of waste being sent to the landfill. This success was achieved by fans diligently sorting their unwanted items into designated bins for compost, recycling, liquids, or trash.  Fans also tested their sustainable and recycling knowledge by answering trivia questions between periods and a few select fans participated in an on-ice “Tricycle Recycle” sorting game, competing for a prize. 

This event highlights the significant environmental impact achievable through community collaboration. With the active participation of fans and the dedication of over 30 game day volunteers, the Husky community created a greener game day experience. Building on this success, Michigan Tech plans to continue its waste reduction efforts and implement zero waste initiatives at future games, demonstrating the power of collective action in fostering environmental sustainability.

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2025 CISR Funding for Early Career and New Research Directions

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The Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) is accepting applications for the Sustainable & Resilient Communities Early Career and New Research Directions Award.

These awards are designed to complement start-up packages for early-career faculty or to support established researchers who are pursuing new ideas or topics around sustainability and resilience themes. Funds are provided by the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience. Award eligibility requires being an affiliate of CISR (open to anyone on campus) and contributing to the CISR research community through future external funding proposal submissions.

The application deadline is April 1, 2025, but rolling submissions and inquiries are encouraged.

Early Career and New Research Directions Award

In the range of $3,000 – $5,000, this award complements start-up packages for early career faculty or supports established researchers who are pursuing new ideas or topics around sustainability and resilience themes. We anticipate making four to six awards. View the Early Career and New Directions Award Request for Proposal. 

Proposal narratives, budgets, and budget justifications should be submitted as a single document via email to Chelsea Schelly, cschelly@mtu.edu. Potential submitters are encouraged to reach out with questions or to pitch ideas before developing a proposal. CISR looks forward to receiving your inquiries and applications!

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