Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 54.88
Liaison David Blodgett
Submission Date April 20, 2012
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Babson College
ER-2: Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.00 / 5.00 Asheen Phansey
Director of Sustainability
President's Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution hold a campaign that meets the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

The name of the campaign(s):
1) Dark Dorm Competition, 2) RecycleMania, 3) Zero Waste Challenge

A brief description of the campaign(s):

1) Dark Dorm Competition run by Facilities held since 2006 for students in residence halls over the course of 4 months. Incentives are monthly food events and 4K at end of year for residence hall with best performance.
2) Competed in the national RecycleMania challenge in the Grand Champion, Per Capita Classic, Gorilla Prize, Paper, Cardboard, and Bottles & Cans divisions. Student Eco-Reps helped to promote the challenge.
3) This Challenge started fall 2010 to make students and staff aware of their waste stream. For one week, participants had to carry around any trash they generated for a week that was not recycled or composted. Over 200 students and staff participated. It was run by the Office of Sustainability, student Eco-Reps, and Green Tower.


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign(s):

1) The program saved $20,000 in its first four months and helped decrease our energy use by 6% in the first year. Energy usage on campus has been reduced over the last two years by 17%. The goal is to implement changes in resident behavior and awareness that not only lowers consumption and the carbon footprint while the students are here, but also provides a lasting awareness that students carry with them after they have left Babson.

2) From 2011 to 2012, Babson raised its weekly recycling rate by an average 10% over the course of the 10 week RecycleMania challenge. The total weight of recycled materials increased by over 2,000 pounds. The per capita rates overall, for cardboard, and for bottles & cans also showed increases.

3) We weighed the total waste produced by participants and also saw an increase in the recycling rate during the challenge.


The website URL where information about the sustainability outreach campaign(s) is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

RecycleMania results:
In 2009, Babson was 60th in the nation out of 204 school in corrugated cardboard recycling per person, and 53rd out of 210 schools in Bottles and Cans.
In 2010, Babson ranked among the top ten in Massachusetts in the Competitive Division in three targeted recycling categories:
* Paper, ranked 8 by recycling 5.6 lbs. of paper per person
* Corrugated cardboard, ranked 5 = 9.65 lbs. /person
* Bottles and cans, ranked 4 = 5.39lbs. /person


RecycleMania results:
In 2009, Babson was 60th in the nation out of 204 school in corrugated cardboard recycling per person, and 53rd out of 210 schools in Bottles and Cans.
In 2010, Babson ranked among the top ten in Massachusetts in the Competitive Division in three targeted recycling categories:
* Paper, ranked 8 by recycling 5.6 lbs. of paper per person
* Corrugated cardboard, ranked 5 = 9.65 lbs. /person
* Bottles and cans, ranked 4 = 5.39lbs. /person

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