CU Boulder 25th overall and 10th among public universities in The Princeton Review's recently-released "Top 50 Green C ollege s" List

Read the full 

Princeton Review ranking story from CU Boulder Today

This Homecoming weekend, as alumni descend on campus, current students are initiated into campus festivities and traditions, Ralphie celebrates her 50th Anniversary, and parades and celebrations abound, Sports Sustainability and Ralphie's Green Stampede have become a big part of the traditions and celebrations. 

Ralphie's Green Stampede was established in 2008 as the Nation's first NCAA Division 1 Sports Sustainability Program. RGS aims to use the power of sport to encourage fans to adopt sustainable practices such as reducing waste and saving water and energy at home, work, and play.

Join the tradition: 

Volunteer for Ralphie's Green Stampede this Homecoming Weekend

Zero Waste at CU Football games... so close! We reached a single game season high last year of 88% waste diverted from the landfill... YOU can help us dominate in zero waste and surpass our zero waste goal of 90% diversion! Only 2 games left in the season to volunteer with Ralphie's Green Stampede... help us educate fans about proper zero waste practices and do some hands on quality control by being a Zero Waste Ambassador during the game! Or help us with post game composting! Through face to face interactions and hands on work, you can make a visible difference at the game and see tons of results... literally! 

Along with working next to people who are passionate about Sustainability and getting the chance to create positive change, volunteers get into the game for free, a T-Shirt, and a meal. We hope to see you at the next game...  Sko Buffs!

What is Zero Waste, you ask?  Just as reaching absolute zero temperature is almost impossible, so is "absolute zero waste".  We cannot expect there to be "zero" trash produced in any given system, so we strive for a goal of reducing the waste sent to landfill or incinerators by a defined value.

As defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA), the main goal is to divert 90% or more of all waste materials from landfills or incinerators.  Diversion is accomplished through waste reduction, material reuse, and recycling.

Although one of the main defining factors of Zero Waste is reaching a 90% "diversion rate" , there are also several other important pieces of zero that businesses and individuals should consider:

• Triple Bottom Line: commitment to positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes
• Precautionary Principle: avoid processes and products that are harmful and toxic
• Responsibility: waste producers being responsible for their own waste, often through take back and resuse programs
• Close the Loop: find/buy reused, recycled, and composted sources for their materials
• Highest and Best Use: find the best use of recycled/reused/reclaimed materials to reduce the need for virgin material extraction

Zero Waste is ultimately a systematic approach to thinking about a process or production as it relates to the final outcome of the waste produced.  If the end goal is to reach a 90% diversion from the landfill, then the initial inputs into the process/production must be considered to be able to successfully divert the outcome of waste.  Or better yet, design a system that does not create any waste in the first place, since the less waste that exists, the easier it is to divert it from landfills or incinerators.

You're holding an event and chances are, you are serving food. Whether its for your department, for a conference, or at home, you can choose to create a "Zero Waste Event" for all those attending.  This means you set a goal to divert 90% (or more) of the waste generated at your event from the landfill.  

Waste diversion happens through reuse, recycling, composting, and best of all, waste reduction.  It can be easy, but the key factor is to start when planning the event, before you purchase the items that will be served or used by your attendants.  

Assuming there will be food at your event, here are five simple steps to follow to achieve a Zero Waste Event wherever you are:

• Waste Reduction is a great place to start
• Can you use reusable serving ware?
• If you have recurring events, consider purchasing a dedicated set of reusables or finding a set you could regularly borrow

• Purchase your serving ware - compostable and/or recyclable
• No landfill items to the public
• Simple and consistent is ideal - All compostable is easiest and most successful

• Collect your waste - public vs. "back of house"
• Public spaces only get compost bins (ideal, but depends on what you serve)
• Back of House has Compost, Recycle, and Landfill options

• Remove/Reduce contamination potential
• Keep ALL landfill items to the "back of the house"
• Only serve the compostable/recyclable items to the public

• Train your staff and attendants
• Highlight your efforts towards Zero Waste to teach staff and attendants

For more details and info hosting larger Zero Waste events on campus, visit our page

Compost those pumpkins

Make your own decorations

Here are some decorating ideas that won't give your bank account a scare:

• For a softer glow, place a tea candle in a glass mason jar and fill with popcorn kernels.

• Have a lot of recyclables? Make a Halloween body bag by placing recyclables inside a trash bag and taping them together in the shape of a body.

• Recycle old toilet-paper and paper-towel rolls by cutting out eye holes and taping or gluing a glow stick inside. Place the roll inside of a bush or in a dark spot to give the effect of somebody hiding.
• Milk jug ghosts are an easy decorating idea. Simply rinse out a milk jug, layer the bottom with small rocks to weigh the jug down, place a candle inside and draw a ghost face on the outside in Sharpie!

Are you looking for ways to reduce your office's environmental impact? Perhaps you've received a Green Office Certification through our Green Office Program and are looking for even more ways to reduce your impact.  With our Carbon Offset Bulk Purchasing Program, you can purchase offsets for:

Offsets are not expensive (for travel between $2.50 and $10 per trip based on the length of the trip for example) and by combining our purchases we maximize our impacts. We carefully select our offset projects with Native Energy, our current preferred offset provider. 

Fill out this form to purchase your offsets - SpeedType required  

 

Wondering how many offsets to purchase? Check out Native Energy's offset calculator.

Send questions about the offset program to Michelle Gabrieloff - Energy and Climate Justice Program Manager - [email protected].

Three CU Boulder buildings where missions center largely on sustainability all recently garnered recognition from the United States Green Building Council for the sustainable ways in which they were built and operate. 

Read the full LEED Gold Certification story from CU Boulder Today

Working from a small boat on the choppy lake waters in northern Canada, Sarah Crump, a paleoclimatologist, pulls up a 5-foot mud core sample from the undisturbed lakebed. Crump and her research team work with a sense of urgency. Even in summer, bad weather can move in quickly. And they must always be vigilant for polar bears.