Progress Report for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is committed to moving its sustainability initiatives forward. The following report provides an update on our progress using the areas designated in our Climate Action Plan.

Facilities Services
• Energy projects – Installed occupancy lighting sensors to 7 buildings, upgraded light fixtures in 6 buildings, installed new windows in one building and upgraded HVAC systems in 5 buildings including installing digital control systems.
• Facilities operations/water – SDSM&T is one of only 13 schools in the world to implement Blue Cleaning (Orbio 5000). The cleaning system uses electrically charged water instead of harsh chemicals as a multipurpose cleaning system.
• Building design and planning – Since the signing of the Climate Commitment in 2007, two new buildings have been LEED Gold certified and one renovation is in the process of being LEED certified. South Dakota state legislation requires all new buildings and renovations to be at minimum of LEED Silver.
• Solid waste – As a result of the Recyclemania contest and partnership with local solid waste services, SDSM&T has been able to divert solid waste through the local material recovery facility. This allows the majority of organic waste to be dropped out of the solid waste reducing the amount of actual tonnage entering the landfill. The organic waste is turned into mulch for use by the community.

Dining services
The dining services area has had several initiative since the signing of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007. The dining area went tray-less in 2009 to reduce water usage and waste by customers. Additionally, dining services has started thawing food in coolers versus running water. The list below provides other initiatives:
— Recycles all office paper, cardboard, plastic, cans, glass;
— Uses of unwrapped straws;
— Turns power off to all equipment at night: computers, warmers, ovens, lights, faxes, copiers, adding machines;
— Uses recycled napkins and recycled office paper is purchased;
— Staff uses disposable cups;
— Wraps sandwiches in Miner's Shack in paper;
— Turns lights off in areas when no one is there;
— Saves food waste in buckets to feed employee’s chickens;
— Saves used coffee grounds for gardens;
— Uses china service for catering setups in the Surbeck Center;
— Reduced printed materials i.e. catering guides, brochures all available online;
— Pays most bills online;
— Encourages the reuse of cup sleeves in Java City;
— Purchases in bulk to reduce packaging and transport;
— Purchases Energy Star for any new equipment;
— Uses printed paper for scratch paper;
— Recycles all toner/ink cartridges.

Purchasing
• Purchasing requires all new appliances where applicable to be Energy Star. All paper purchased has at least 30% recycled content.
• Sustainability Committee will be providing Purchasing with information on installing sustainability policies and purchasing guides to aid in the procurement of environmentally preferable products.

Environmental Health and Safety
• Campus recycling – SDSM&T has been competing in the nationally recognized RecycleMania competition since 2009. Each year we have shown an improvement in our results. In 2011, we started a campaign for the competition called “Go Green and Get Gold”. We had student organizations and the sustainable engineering class sponsor each week of the competition to increase awareness about sustainability issues in general on the campus. Each week the groups had a theme about recycling or environmental sustainability. Each week students, faculty, and staff that participated were entered into a drawing to win cash to be spent on campus. We are continuing with this program in 2012. Additional recycling containers have been added to areas around campus.
• Hazardous waste removal – EHS has continued work to remove the legacy chemicals from the campus. Additionally, EHS works with hazardous waste producing groups to minimize, where possible.
• Communication/advertisement – The sustainability committee has worked on ensuring communication through the annual RecycleMania and Sustainability Day events. Work on improving the sustainability website is continual focus . http://sustainability.sdsmt.edu/

Provost Office/Faculty Membership
• Sustainability educational opportunities – Since signing the Climate Commitment, a faculty member with an emphasis on sustainability was hired, within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Two complete courses with an emphasis on sustainability/sustainable engineering have been developed, significant sustainability content is being adopted into a variety of additional courses, and a Sustainable Engineering Minor Program has been proposed, to be effective in fall 2012.
• Sustainability research opportunities – Annually, the Provost’s office works with the sustainability committee to update the list of educational and research sustainability activities.

Residence Life/Student Representatives
• Campus living
— Green Cup Challenge – The residence halls compete against previous years to try to reduce electricity usage. All residence halls reduced per person use of electricity. Work is being completed to try to add steam and water to the competition.
— Sustainable Tips – Green tips are provided to students every two weeks during fall semester. If a student signs a commitment to living the tip, they are entered into a Grubby Gold drawing.
— All residence hall room and lounge furniture supplied by the university is either recyclable or renewable.
— 64% of all residence hall rooms are within buildings targeted to be LEED certified in 2012.
— Recycling centers were added to Surbeck Center and all residence halls.
— Recycling dumpsters for co-mingled (plastic, glass and aluminum) are closely located for student use in three locations.
• Activities
— Lights are turned off when rooms are not in use or rooms have motion lights.
— Paper, plastic and toner cartridges are recycled.
— Career Center brings in employers who advocate sustainability.
— LEED building information posted in Palmerton and Connolly on all student room doors and within common area.
— Admissions tours of Palmerton and Connolly include LEED building information. Any Residence Life tours of the buildings include the sustainable features of the buildings.
•Events
— Sustainability Conference-- http://images.sdsmt.edu/learn/GESCAgenda.pdf hosted by Office of Multicultural Affairs
— Community event advertised on campus: Black Hills ~ Protect our Water Earth Day Event, Wed. April 20, 2011 6pm – 9pm, Elks Theatre
— Student Organization participation in RecycleMania events – Go Green & Get Gold