Vanderbilt received a Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award for The Commons as one of 14 award winners recognized statewide for their positive impact on the state’s natural resources.
Black + Gold = Green
When it comes to sustainability, Vanderbilt is rewriting the equation. Read the full story in the Vanderbilt View.
Electronics Recycling Event a Huge Success
The Vanderbilt-sponsored Electronics Recycling Event filled 25 tractor trailers with electronics for recycling, with more than 1,000 people dropping off items during the community recycling event.
Vanderbilt Takes First Steps at "Greening" Commencement
Vanderbilt evaluated Commencement and related activities to see where "greener" practices could be adopted.
Vanderbilt University Undergraduates
Lead the Way in Composting Initiative
By Anna Simon
Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Recycling (SPEAR)
Composting reduces landfill waste by recycling usable organic materials. Under carefully controlled decomposition, organic waste turns into a nutrient-rich soil additive that promotes plant growth. Vanderbilt University will utilize the food compost produced at The Commons Center Demonstration Site for soil enrichment and tree rejuvenation as a part of the larger picture of environmental sustainability.
Vanderbilt University has composted yard waste for over 20 years, however the large amount of raw food scraps produced daily from campus dining facilities until this point had never been utilized. The idea of composting raw food scraps at Vanderbilt was sparked by SPEAR (Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Recycling), an undergraduate organization, in an effort to enhance Vanderbilt's environmental sustainability. Erin Feeney ('07) networked with Marcus Kerske, the Co-Owner of Gardens of Babylon, a Nashville based holistic nursery, design, and landscaping company. Together Feeney, Kerske, and other SPEAR members created a feasible design to reduce food scrap waste sent to the landfill each week. In the spring of 2007, SPEAR presented a proposal to the administration to implement the student-led composting demonstration and discovery site at the new Commons Center on campus.
SPEAR presented the proposal as a continuation of environmentally friendly practices present in the construction of the Commons. Vanderbilt is the first university in the state to be recognized for environmentally friendly construction by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. SPEAR was the driving force behind Vanderbilt University seeking LEED certification. Working in conjunction with VU Dining, VU Campus Planning & Construction, VU Plant Operations, and Vanderbilt's Sustainability Coordinator, SPEAR's composting proposal is now a fully operating composting discovery site. Each week, SPEAR collects raw food scraps from the dining facility and coffee grounds from the coffee shop located within the Commons Center. The project is coordinated by SPEAR’s Composting & Dining Committee, headed by Luke Boehne (’09).
The Commons Compost Discovery Area is a first step in evaluating the feasibility of a large-scale composting program at Vanderbilt University. This project coupled with large-scale leaf waste composting already underway will significantly reduce organic waste, increase campus environmental sustainability, and potentially create a model for community members and other universities.
Informational Signs at the Compost Discovery Area
(click on the images below to download a larger copy)
