Media Contact: Dawn Skelly, Carlson School of Management,
(612) 624-8770,
Carlson School of Management students, staff pioneer new green initiatives pilot program
MINNEAPOLIS—(Sept. 2, 2008)—Staff and students at the new Herbert M. Hanson, Jr. Hall at the Carlson School of Management are taking action against waste and toxins. In the new facility, home to the Carlson School’s Undergraduate program, the Undergraduate program office is taking a stand through eliminating non-compostable and non-recyclable items, composting, using non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products and cutting down on energy use.
Mary Kosir, assistant dean of Undergraduate programs, has teamed up with Carlson School student Mark Schiller, the Active Energy Club (a campus-wide student group) and the new Organics Waste Recycling Program to pilot a new program that could one day set the pace across the University of Minnesota. Hanson Hall is one of four buildings across campus to test the effectiveness of the new recycling program.
In the staff and faculty kitchens in Hanson Hall, and cafeteria areas in the Carlson School facility, labeled bins collect left-over food and paper materials. Every day, the bins are emptied by members of Team Recycle, a group of student workers, and brought to the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus to be composted as part of the Organics Waste Recycling Program. Kosir hopes to extend the composting project to paper towels used in the school’s restrooms.
Another change comes in the types of products chosen for use in everyday activities. Kosir purchased reusable and washable mugs and water bottles for her staff, and inexpensive, dishwasher safe dishes, compostable paper plates and durable stemware for the large number of recruiters that the office entertains. “With the sheer volume of recruiters we host during high recruitment seasons, we needed to find a more sustainable solution,” explains Kosir. “By eliminating the use of Styrofoam and non-compostable items, we feel that we are doing a service to the environment.” The new recruiter lounge in Hanson Hall is outfitted with a dishwasher, and the staff kitchens have drying racks for hand-washing dishes. The office has also switched to using Carlson School Board Member Monica Nassif’s Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products, including hand soap and dish soap, which are natural, chemical-free and biodegradable.
Carlson School student Mark Schiller has looked at another aspect of the school’s sustainability, the electricity. Schiller recently presented tips to employees at a town hall meeting. He urged employees to use less energy by simply turning off computer towers and lights at the end of the day. “Using fewer kilowatts of power will not only help the environment, but it will help the school save money everyday,” Schiller beams. Both facilities currently use motion-sensing lights to help reduce the amount of power used after hours.
Schiller also hopes to organize an environmental career fair to be held tentatively on Earth Day in 2009. “So many Twin Cities companies now have environmental teams that are rapidly growing to meet consumer demand,” he says. “I want to help get more Carlson School students interested in pursuing this area of business.”
To learn more about the University of Minnesota’s Organics Recycling Program, visit www1.umn.edu/recycle/organics.html.
About the Carlson School of Management
The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota is a world-class educational institution located in the heart of the Minneapolis/St. Paul business community, which is home to 20 Fortune 500 companies whose leaders engage regularly with the school. The mission of the Carlson School is to discover transformative knowledge about the issues faced by organizations and managers in a dynamic global economy and to create exceptional learning and career opportunities by facilitating an engaged and integrated community of scholars, students, and practitioners. The Carlson School has more than 5,000 students, 6 degree programs, 106 tenure- and tenure-track faculty, and more than 50,000 alumni in a network that spans the globe. For more information, visit carlsonschool.umn.edu.
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