New Student Orientation renews Green Department Certification, receives accolades for waste reduction

New Student Orientation (NSO) recently renewed its Green Department Certification from the UAA Office of Sustainability. The initiative identifies and recognizes departments on campus that have taken extra steps to practice greener operations, lower their operating costs and reduce their environmental footprint. Certification is good for two years.

NSO was the first green-certified office at UAA. They transitioned from creating a massive amount of waste at HOWL Days and other events to almost none, thanks to an effort by Theresa Lyons and other members of the NSO Green Team. When Theresa Lyons first began working in the office, students at NSO events received their meals in individual containers and received individual water or soda bottles. Theresa first transitioned away from Styrofoam, second to cardboard for the individual containers, third to bringing in trays and paper plates, plus bulk containers of water and lemonade for drinks. Now, she takes the students to the Cuddy for lunches. Since Cuddy uses dishes, the only waste is food not eaten by students. Cuddy is trayless, so the food waste should be minimal. Much of that food will be composted, further diverting additional waste from landfill as well.

To learn how your office can become green certified, visit the Office of Sustainability website.

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