College of Charleston Launches New Sustainability Initiatives

Water Bottle Re-fill Stations and a Green Roof Garden Are Added

CHARLESTON, SC – September 3, 2012 – The College of Charleston’s Office of Sustainability is kicking off several campus wide projects that will integrate sustainability into the college community.

There are now water bottle re-fill stations on the first floor of Maybank Hall and the first floor of the Tate Center, as a way to encourage students to refill water bottles rather than purchasing plastic bottles. The College also provided all freshmen with stainless steel re-usable bottles. Plans are in the works to add up to six more re-fill stations this academic year.

There is now a small pilot green roof on the fifth floor roof of Liberty Residence Hall. Green roofs are large vegetated areas that lie on top of existing roofs andhelp lessen the effects of the heat and collect storm water run off. There is a possibility of expanding the green roofs throughout the campus.

Another pilot project underway will increase the recycling rates on campus by giving faculty and students personal recycling bins as opposed to one or two large bins per office. The Alcoa Corporation donated 1,068 6-gallon personal recycling bins to the College. The Hispanic Studies Department was the first to try the personal bins in summer 2012. Now the Honors College will work to implement the personal bins in residence halls.

Many initiatives have been created for residential sustainability. The Sustainable Move in and Move Out project created a guide for students to make more sustainable choices when moving in and out of dorms and homes. The Office of Residence Life and Housing created a series of resources to assist RAs in sustainability efforts and students will be educated about campus sustainability from the first day of orientation. Greek communities at the College are also working to make sustainability a core value in their organizations and members who live in Greek houses will be educated on initiatives like recycling and energy consumption.

The College has also committed to setting a climate neutral date and creating a ClimateAction Plan to guide the College to neutrality.