Housing & Dining Services

Sustainability

Our Promise

We commit to being responsible stewards, actively engaging our students, guests, and staff in sustainable practices and programs that preserve the environment, are socially just, and are fiscally sound.

Sustainable Initiatives

  • The Spoke at Laurel Village: Student-run bike shop that actively teaches residents how to repair and take care of their bikes. More information about the Spoke
  • Horticulture Campus Grown Produce: Horticulture Intern manages a team of Practicum students on growing produce for the dining centers. This intern additionally leads tours, engages, and grows other produce for programs/events, and pilots growing new produce. More information about the Horticulture Produce 
  • Composting Operation at the Foothills Campus: Student composting intern fully manages the in-vessel composter at the foothills campus by actively adding pre-consumer and bulking waste, taking readings, appropriately adjusting accordingly, leading tours, and distributing compost. More information about Composting 
  • Bees at Durrell Center: As part of the Bee Campus USA certification, HDS supported bringing three student-run hives to the Durrell Center. A bee cam and visibility from inside the dining center helped them become a focal point for visitors. The beehives at Durrell Center were introduced to support a campus-wide initiative to educate the Colorado State University community about the importance of bees to our ecosystem. The hives are funded by the HDS Sustainability Fund and are managed in partnership with the CSU Apiculture Club. More information about the beehives 
  • More information about Living Labs 
  • Each Fall, students can take the Eco Actions pledge (formally known as Green Warrior) and commit to sustainable practices, such as taking shorter showers, and exploring alternative transportation, throughout the academic year. Students receive prizes based on the number of sustainability commitments pledged. Previous prizes have included stickers, solar battery chargers, recycled bike tube pouches and cotton mesh bags.
    • In 2018, students were presented the opportunity to plant a tree in lieu of receiving a physical prize, and since then, over 6,000 trees were planted through The Arbor Day Foundation through the Eco Actions program.
  • Each Spring, students can play a drag-and-drop style zero waste sorting campaign. This campaign helps residents learn how to properly sort their waste when living on CSU campus. Students receive either a stainless steel straw or a reusable Swedish dish cloth with their participation.
    • https://col.st/zerowastegame
    • Since conception, over 12,000 residents have played this game
  • The Housing and Dining Services Sustainability Fund supports grassroots programs that support sustainability on-campus. Past projects include the Bee Hives at Durrell, public access to composting, 3-stream recycling stations, and SkiSU.
  • This fund is open to CSU students (with a faculty/staff advisor), staff, and faculty for proposals. Sustainability proposals must be a one-time funding mechanism and relate to Housing and Dining Services.
  • While the Sustainability Fund prioritizes new initiatives, the Fund can also support cost differences between standard and sustainability items (i.e. gas cart and electric cart) and enhance existing sustainability initiatives.
  • The HDS Sustainability Fund is currently accepting applications. For more information and to apply, click here
  • For more information, email the Assistant Director of Sustainability, Mary Liang.
  • For more information on how to contribute funds to the Sustainability Fund click here.
  • Vision Statement: The HDS Sustainability Council is a group of HDS staff representing the various units within the department, convening to brainstorm and generate sustainability projects and initiatives within HDS. This advising thinktank generates ideas to make our spaces, processes, lifestyle more sustainable within HDS; and members provide leadership and delegation within their individual units to bring initiatives to fruition. Starting in January 2024, more information forthcoming.
  • The HDS Sustainability Council is the new framework to capture sustainability ideas and champions, which was once the Live Green Team (LGT). The LGT has spearheaded may initiatives within HDS – more information about these initiatives here.
  • This program is intended to support members of the campus community who are experiencing food insecurity while also reducing waste by making food left over from Housing & Dining Services catered events available for pick up. Catering by Housing & Dining Services sends text alerts when events have leftover food, which includes time and location information as well as a brief description of what is available. Individuals are encouraged to bring their own containers for food pick up.
  • In its first year, this program hosted 78 events, with over 1,100 people on the text distribution list.

ramfoodrecovery.colostate.edu/

  • Housing & Dining Services is committed to increasing water efficiency, conserving energy, managing waste, reusing materials and building or remodeling to achieve LEED Certified Buildings.
  • To date, HDS has ten LEED-certified residential buildings, including the Pavilion, a LEED Platinum building, located in Laurel Village.

housing.colostate.edu/about/sustainability/buildings/

  • An accessible guide for students looking to live sustainably on campus.
  • Eco Leaders are also a great resource – seek them out in each residential hall and Aggie Village!
  • This webpage is a carbon calculator for residents wanting to measure how much carbon they produce and what they can do to offset the emissions. To calculate your carbon emissions visit either of the links below:
  • After calculating your carbon emissions, visit the following website to offset your emissions: CO Carbon Fund
  • Here are some examples of Colorado projects this fund supports:
    • Southern Ute Methan Capture: captured emissions from underground coal beds and turning it into natural gas
    • Larimer County Landfill Methane Capture: “Most promising sequestration formations in the Rocky Mountain region”
    • Jager Avoided Grassland Conversion: conserve 6,600 acres of the Jagers Ranch in SE Co

This webpage is a guide for students wanting to learn how to increase the longevity of your clothing items, be environmentally friendly and reduce your carbon footprint through your laundering habits and purchasing!

www.chhs.colostate.edu/dm/sustainable-laundry/sustainable-laundry-practices/