Waste

Big Ten’s Eco Efforts: University of Michigan

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In the spirit of our “Green Gridirons” series (but just in case college football wasn’t your thing), the “Big Ten’s Eco Efforts” series highlights creative off-the-field sustainability efforts. In January, the University of Michigan launched an online certification program to promote sustainable behaviors and culture. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to join the Planet Blue Ambassadors by completing brief modules about energy, food, waste, water and community. “Ambassadors earn points per sustainable pledge they complete on their dashboard and earn badges the more pledges they complete,” said Dana Elger, media relations representative at the Office of Public Affairs. “The program is designed to educate the campus on the various ways they can assist in creating a culture of sustainability and motivate them to act.

Waste

Green Gridirons: Michigan State University

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A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Spartan Stadium

School: Michigan State University

Built: 1923

Capacity: 75,005

2012 diversion rate: 56.3 percent

Scouting report: Michigan State University has 80 recycling containers inside Spartan Stadium during games. Staff handpicks recyclables from the grounds outside stadium gates and on Sunday mornings from tailgating lots.

Waste

Big Ten’s Eco Efforts: University of Maryland

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In the spirit of our “Green Gridirons” series (but just in case college football wasn’t your thing), the “Big Ten’s Eco Efforts” series highlights creative off-the-field sustainability efforts. Students at the University of Maryland are so passionate about protecting their environment that they’re willing to pay for it. In fact, they volunteered to. In 2010 students created the University Sustainability Fund, a self-imposed $12 fee per student each year. The money is then distributed to environmental projects across campus.

Waste

Green Gridirons: University of Michigan

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A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Michigan Stadium (“The Big House”)

School: University of Michigan

Built: 1927

Capacity: 107,521

2012 diversion rate: 22.7 percent. Scouting report: Recycling efforts at the stadium began almost 20 years ago in 1994, and the University of Michigan currently has the biggest stadium recycling program in the nation.

Waste

Green Gridirons: University of Maryland

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A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Byrd Stadium

School: University of Maryland*

Built: 1950

Capacity: 54,000

2008 diversion rate: 41 percent

Scouting report: Maryland’s “Feed the Turtle” program began in 2008 to expand food composting and recycling at home football games. The program’s name refers to the mascot of the school, a terrapin.

Echo

Green marina training moves to Web

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Modules focus on topics such as sewage handling and petroleum control. Webinars are held every few months; past topics include boat-bottom washing, aquatic invasive species, storm water and grass runoff.

Echo

New Year’s resolution: Eat less chikin

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On the first of January, I turned over a new, er, leaf. I left behind my days of buffalo chicken wraps and bacon-covered bacon for a life of vegetarianism. And I stumbled upon the Vegetarian Calculator — this handy tool that calculates the actual, tangible impact that I’ve made by going meat-free, using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Maybe it’s only been a few weeks, but I’ve supposedly already saved the lives of 16 adorable animals and prevented the release of 126 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. Everyone’s been asking me why I made the switch.