October is Campus Sustainability Month across the country. MTU has a number of events for everyone to enjoy, ranging from clothing swaps, information sessions, and the first sustainability fest, which we hope will become an annual tradition!
See the poster below for details, and reach out to us at sustainability@mtu.edu with questions.
The Center for Innovation in Sustainability & Resilience (CISR, pronounced scissor) is offering three funding opportunities in fiscal year 2024 to support Michigan Tech faculty and staff in developing collaborative research and curriculum development around the themes of sustainability and resilience. These activities are supported by the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience.
All awards have due dates of October 5, 2023 and March 7, 2024, but rolling submissions and inquiries are encouraged!
Please send all inquiries to Chelsea Schelly, cschelly@mtu.edu
Class schedule? Check! Room assignment? Check! Room supplies? Um… Missing a few things for your room or apartment? Don’t worry, Michigan Tech’s green move-in program has you covered!
Husky Exchange has collected donations from your fellow Huskies this past spring, and now we’re giving it all back! Stop by Wadsworth Hall to check out all the back to school supplies we have available to you.
*Items available on a first come, first serve basis. All items are either free or priced low for a donation.
CASH ONLY!!!
Where: Wadsworth Hall, room G41
Opening weekend: Fri. 2-7pm, Sat. 10am – 5:30pm, Sun. 9 – 11am
Presented by the Office of Sustainability and Resilience
Follow us on Instagram: @sustainablemtu
The “Office Supply Swap” pilot program, organized by Michigan Tech’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, will be held from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Monday June 19, 2023 in Memorial Union Building (MUB) Ballroom B. All items will be available at no charge. The Swap is open to current MTU faculty and staff — individuals will be asked to present their Tech ID at the door for verification.
Leading up to the swap, donations of gently-used office supplies will be accepted on Thursday, June 15 and we encourage all MTU academic, athletic, and auxiliary units to participate. We will be accepting a wide range of common office supplies, such as paper goods, writing utensils, filing supplies, mailing supplies, and office organization items. We will also be collecting CDs, VHS tapes, DVDs, etc. for recycling through a third party vendor. A complete list of items is below.
How It Works:
Why participate? The intention of the Office Supply Swap is to allow for the exchange of common office supplies that already exist on campus to minimize the need for purchasing new items and to alleviate departmental clutter. Additionally, we seek to provide an avenue for recycling office items by diverting them from the landfill.
For any and all questions, comments, or concerns — email sustainability@mtu.edu
Acceptable Items:
Unacceptable Items (non-exhaustive list):
The Husky Exchange is Michigan Tech’s green move-out program. With your help, we will gather reusable but unwanted items from residents as they move out of the residence halls in the spring, then store and sort the items and donate to local organizations or resell/giveaway the items back to students in the fall. Together we can support students and the local community, divert waste from the landfill, and help build an awareness of sustainability at Michigan Tech. Last year, we collected over 10,000 items and kept more than 2 tons of materials out of the landfill!
When? Students can drop donations off anytime between Friday, April 21 and Sunday, April 30.
Where? There are eight drop off locations in the residence halls:
What? The general rule is: if it’s clean and might be useful to someone, drop it off.
Partial list of items: pool noodles, broomball sticks, non-perishable food, fans, lamps, storage and shelving, mirrors, office supplies, area rugs, electronics, laundered clothing, and small, clean, appliances.
Questions? email us at sustainability@mtu.edu
It takes many hands, hearts, and minds to create a sustainable campus. As a part of Earth Month programming, join us in celebrating four individuals that go the extra mile, dedicating their time and energy to supporting a more sustainable Michigan Tech.
This year’s awardees are:
We will gather for a celebration of the award winners and their accomplishments and provide a brief update on sustainability work at Michigan Tech with some time to enjoy snacks and interact with your peers.
Event Details:
Here is the 2023 Sustainability Awards video, created by Monte Consulting (Matt Monte is a proud MTU Alum!):
Last year MTU celebrated Earth Week, but this year we have so many new ideas that we’re dedicating a WHOLE MONTH to sustainability events! Our student organizations are excited to show you all the ways you can live more sustainably! Check out the official Sustainability Month flier with individual event descriptions below for all the ways you can get involved!
Virtual Event Link: https://augsburg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nURxhbBQTJugZwSoU0movQ
From Soil to Stars: Finding Nature in the Archive
A Virtual Reading & Conversation Presented by Augsburg University
Monday, April 3 from 5:30-7:00pm
G002 Hesterberg Hall, U.J. Noblet Forestry Building
What are the politics of nature?
Who owns it, where is it, and what role does it play in our lives?
Join MTU’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and MTU’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience as we attend the virtual discussion of “A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars,” a collection of lyrical essays in conversation with archival objects of Black history and memory. This collection of lyrical essays explores stories spanning hundreds of years and thousands of miles, traveling from roots to space-finding rich Blackness everywhere. Presented by Augsburg University as part of Earth Month 2023 at Michigan Tech.
In an effort to reduce plastic waste on campus and in the community, MTU’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience has started a new plastic film recycling program! This separate recycling stream allows us to collect a host of stretchy plastics like bags, bubble wrap, and shipping envelopes that would otherwise go in the landfill. Anyone is welcome to use the receptacles for plastic films generated at home or on campus. Bins are located across campus in most major academic and residential buildings.
Through a partnership with Tadych’s Marketplace, the collected plastic goes to Trex, a composite decking manufacturing company, to be made into long-lasting, sustainably sourced decking materials.
Grocery Bags • Ice Bags • Resealable Food Storage Bags • Cereal Box Liners • Case Overwrap • Bread Bags • Newspaper Sleeves • Dry Cleaning Bags • Bubble Wrap • Plastic Shipping Envelopes
All items must be clean, dry, and free of food and organic residue.
For more information and a complete list of acceptable items, visit NexTrex.
Questions? Follow @sustainablemtu on Instagram and send us a message!
Location: Van Pelt and Opie Library, 2nd Floor. Michigan Tech Campus.
The Opie and Van Pelt Library has recently added a new resource, the Sustainability Collection! Here you’ll find a variety of books, information, and campus resources regarding sustainability topics of interest. The collection is made up of recommendations from students, staff, and faculty with many of our books doubling as required texts for fall and spring semester courses. The collection is constantly rotating its inventory and is always open to suggestions for new material, so stop by and check out a book!
Here’s an closer look at the informational graphics featured in the Sustainability Collection.
Reach out to the Office of Sustainability and Resilience on Instagram: @sustainablemtu