| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.92 |
| Liaison | Amy Brunvand |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2023 |
University of Utah
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Kara
Freedman Engagement & Events Coordinator Sustainability Office |
Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Name of the campaign:
A brief description of the campaign:
What Goes Around Comes Around (WGACA) is a circular economy program directed at students that promotes waste reduction and reuse of high quality used goods. As students move out of the dorms in May, they have the opportunity to donate clothing, bedding, and small furniture items. These items are then held over the summer and redistributed back to students in the fall for free.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
Between 2020 and 2022, the program diverted over 5,000lbs of goods from landfill (the program was paused in 2020 and 2021). In 2022, 97% of that total went back to students, addressing students' basic need for residence hall items like kitchen and bath household goods as well as reducing the demand for new clothing.
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The Clear the Air Challenge is an annual statewide Utah-based competition that promotes alternative forms of transportation. The challenge, which is hosted by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, is all about improving air quality, reducing traffic congestion, and conserving energy in Utah by eliminating unnecessary vehicle trips. By eliminating a few vehicle trips and logging trips other than single-occupant vehicles (walking, biking, public transit, carpooling, working from home, etc) participants can make a big difference in air quality in our community while competing for weekly prizes, grand prizes, and statewide bragging rights. During the entire month of February, the Sustainability Office conducts an outreach campaign through Sustainability Office outreach and social media described in EN-4 and University Marketing & Communications to encourage University of Utah faculty, staff and students to sign on to the TravelWise tracking app and log trips in order to calculate CO2 emissions prevented, money saved and calories burned with better transportation choices. For more information, see http://cleartheairchallenge.org/.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
In February 2022, the University of Utah had over 1,800 participants log 53,000 alternative transportation trips. This resulted in 1.4 million calories burned and 393 tons of carbon dioxide not burned for fuel. See attachment for more details.
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns:
Climate Change Action Plan
In 2022, the Sustainability Office rolled out an outreach and engagement campaign to involve the U community (students, faculty and staff) in determining foundational values along with goals and strategies for an updated climate change action plan. We published and promoted a survey that got over 3,000 respondents, held 4 in person and 4 online roundtables that reached over 250 participants, and created a social media campaign to communicate the meaning of sustainability and advocate for a sustainable future on campus. For more information, see sustainability.utah.edu/climatecommitment/.
Space Heater Exchange Program
Launched in late 2019, the Space Heater Exchange Program was designed to help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while keeping employees comfortable. University faculty, staff and interns are encouraged to bring in personal space heaters and exchange them for an energy-efficient electric blanket or plush non-electric blanket. Personal space heaters are energy drains and greenhouse gas emitters that affect the air we breathe. Electric throws use 90% less energy than a typical portable electric space heater. Energy savings also result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The program was launched in December of 2019. In that first month alone, 53 individuals signed up to participate resulting in the provision of 59 blankets. Thirty-eight space heaters were collected resulting in a reduction in 39,600 watts being used for personal heating. In 2022, 98 electric blankets were purchased, 86 of which were exchanged with a space heater, an energy savings of 91.8%.
URL: https://attheu.utah.edu/announcements/are-you-a-space-heater-user/
URL: https://attheu.utah.edu/announcements/stay-warm-and-save-energy-this-winter-trade-your-space-heater-for-an-electric-blanket/
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.