Housing & Dining Services

Living Green

Guide

There are multiple ways to be sustainable year-round on campus. Check out some strategies below!

Alternative Transportation

  • Bike on and off campus! CSU has been designated as a Platinum Bicycle Friendly University for since 2011. Campus has over 10 miles of designated bike paths and 16,000 bike parking spaces! Over 80% of students living in the residence halls bring their bikes to campus. Register your bike with CSUPD and check out resources to cycle around campus.
  • Looking to maintain and repair your bike?
    • HDS’s on-campus, student-run repair shop, The Spoke, is located at the Pavilion.
    • The Spoke Mobile Shop is even available during warmer months.
  • Looking for short-term bicycle rental?
    • Spin offers flexible bicycle rental locations around Fort Collins. Discounts for students, and you can either pay per ride or once a month for unlimited rides.
    • CSU Bicycle Rental service offers year-long rentals with included maintenance for CSU students, faculty & staff.
  • Ride the bus. The City of Fort Collins public transportation system, including Transfort, and MAX, is easy for staff and students to use the bus pass include on all Ram Cards. Around the Horn, a cross-campus shuttle, is also an excellent way to transport around campus.
  • Rideshare. Consider carpooling with friends, roommates and co-workers. The Zipcar program, an on-demand car sharing service, is also an alternative to using a personal vehicle. Zipcar provides students and staff opportunities to check out vehicles at a discounted rate right here on-campus.

Energy & Water Conservation

  • Be energy efficient
    • Turn off lights and electronics when not in use, and when leaving the room.
    • Purchase Energy Star appliances and electronics (computers, laptops, microfridges, lamps, etc.).
    • Unplug electronics from the wall when not in use.
  • Be water efficient.
    • Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and take shorter showers to conserve water.
    • Run the laundry machine using cold water and only when full
  • Visit the Interactive Green Room to learn simple tips for making your residence hall room more eco-friendly

Waste Diversion

  • Reduce
    • Pack reusable cutlery, serving-ware, and storage containers to use during mealtimes instead of using single-use items.
    • Dine in at dining centers instead of using a to-go box when possible.
    • Invest in a reusable straw to opt out of using plastic ones.
    • Avoid the use of dryer sheets and use reusable dryer balls instead.
  • Reuse
    • Fill up a reusable water bottle at any one of the hundreds of water bottle filling stations around campus.
    • Bring a reusable coffee mug to any of the on-campus coffee shops to get a discount on beverages.
  • Recycle
    • CSU has single stream recycling meaning all recyclable materials can go into one bin – no need to sort! However, recycling guidelines have changed for plastic recycling – only plastic jugs, tubs, and bottles are recyclable now. Review the new waste sorting guidelines to learn more about CSU’s waste and recycling streams.
    • Properly dispose of electronic waste on campus. All residential halls have techno-trash bins to collect batteries, ink cartridges, and lamps. CSU Surplus has also implemented the Electronics Recycling Program to assist the campus community dispose of electronics properly.
  • Compost
    • Keep a compost bin in your room and empty it frequently at the nearest waste station.

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