University expands environmental efforts beyond campus

While college houses encourage residents to get involved in environmentally friendly practices, the University is looking to expand its environmental efforts to include off-campus residents.

On Sept. 15, the University launched its Climate Action Plan, a comprehensive outline of Penn’s steps from now until 2050 to reduce its carbon footprint. One of this plan’s goals is to educate the community — including faculty, staff and students — about how to join the effort.

In line with this goal, Housing and Conference Services is moving part of the effort to the college houses. Specifically, HCS is encouraging students to get involved by reducing and recycling in their own college houses, with plans to appoint student “eco-reps” who will help lead their peers in these initiatives.

“We want students to get involved,” said Business Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger. In addition to asking students to recycle, she advised that students reduce their use of household products, not purchase excessive food products and purchase sustainable goods whenever possible. College houses are also encouraging students to conserve energy, recycle hazardous waste appropriately and use public transportation or walk.

But these efforts are most effective when made convenient to students. Sustainability Coordinator Dan Garofalo explained that students value non-class time very highly, “so if you want to sit them down for a lecture, it’s going to fail.”

Meanwhile, students who live off campus — roughly half of undergraduates, according to the most recent housing brochure — receive information on recycling from Off-Campus Services. OCS provides links to information on recycling online as well as information in a “Good Tenants, Good Neighbors” information sheet provided to students.

In addition, Facilities and Real Estate Services along with Penn’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and the Panhellenic Council have created a recycling program that reaches out to the Greek community. Current program participants include Sigma Nu, Sigma Alpha Mu, Pi Kappa Phi, Kappa Alpha, Zeta Beta Tau and Chi Omega, The program is planning to expand to 12 more sororities and fraternities this fall.

Though College junior Jenna Stahl — a member of the Penn Environmental Group’s executive board — praised these efforts, she maintained that “more can always be done.”

“I understand it is more difficult to reach out to off-campus students because they are not as centralized, but working more with off-campus students will help keep our campus to become more sustainable,” she said.

Wharton and Engineering freshman Sam Shelley agreed.

“These green initiatives sound great, and I feel like a lot of students are already really interested in making our university more sustainable,” he said. “Honestly though, I feel like the majority of students are not going to do any thing unless it’s convenient.”

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