Reduce & Reuse

 

Green Products Guide

You are not recycling unless you are buying recycled products. CU has compiled the Recycled Products Guide which contains information on recycled options for a wide variety of office products.

Dowload the Recycled Products Guide, located at CU Environmental Center website.

 

Holiday Waste Reduction

Happy Holidays from the CU Environmental Center!  Here’s a checklist of simple things you can do to reduce waste while you eat, drink, and make merry this holiday season!

 

Reuseable Mugs 

Using a reusable mug when you get your hot drink, in small action that collectively has a big impact.

"If only 15 percent of US college students used reusable mugs instead of disposable cups every day, we would eliminate more than a billion cups a year." The Earth Works Group

When you use your reusable mug on campus and in the community you will save money.

For more information on our Eco Mug program and where to save money check out the UCSU eco-mug website.

 

Green Printing Guidelines

- Reduce your paper use.
- Lower consumption by emailing drafts, notes, and newsletters instead of printing them.
- Make your own notepads using scrap paper.
- Edit documents online instead of printing drafts.
  Reduce your margins when printing
- No Goldenrod, Fluorescents, or bright-colored paper.
- One important way to reduce waste is to print on recyclable paper.
- Many people don’t know that Goldenrod, Fluorescents, and bright colors are not recyclable because of the strong dyes used to make them.
- For your next meeting or event, please choose paper that is recyclable.
- Printer Use.
- Use recycled toner cartridges for laser printers.
- Print double sided and on 100% post-consumer paper.
- Turn off the printer when not in use.

Newspaper Subscriptions

No news is good news. One newspaper subscription uses two trees in just one semester! Do you really need your own? Read the news on-line, share a subscription with friends, or buy from a vending machine when you need one.

Call your newspaper to cancel your subscription. Ask to speak with a subscription representative.

The Boulder Daily Camera 303-444-3444 The Denver Post 303-832-2323 The Rocky Mountain News 303-892-6397 USA Today 1-800-USA-0001 The Wall Street Journal 1-800-369-2834 The New York Times 1-800-NY-TIMES

 

Stop Junk Mail

 

Cut down on Junk Mail!

o   Approximately 90 million trees are used each year to make paper for unsolicited mailings. It would take roughly 340,000 garbage trucks to haul all the junk mail in the US to landfills and incinerators each year. And the average American will spend 8 months of their lifetime.

 

Here’s how to stop Junk Mail:

o    Credit Card Mailings. You can call a single number to get your name and address removed from the mailing lists circulated by four major credit card agencies.
o    Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688)
o    The number works 24 hours a day. You will be prompted to give your full name, address, telephone number and social security number. When given options, press 3 to have your name removed permanently, or press 1 to have your name removed for just two years.
o    Unwanted Catalogs. Take a minute to call the 1-800 number on the back of any unwanted magazines or catalogs. Asked to be removed from the mailing list.
o    Sign Up For The Mail Preference Service to Reduce Junk Mail. Write the Direct Marketing Association and register with their Mail Preference Service - an indication that you do not want to be contacted by solicitors.
o    Write to:
Mail Preference Service
c/o Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
o    In the letter or 3 1/2 x 5" postcard, include the date, your name, address and signature, and write "Please register my name with the Mail Preference Service."
o    Incidentally, you can also register online at http://www.thedma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.htm for $5.
o    For more information on stopping Junk Mail visit: http://www.newdream.org/junkmail/index.php

 

Procurement Contracts

CU Recycling has compiled a variety of environmental attributes that vendors can consider when preparing bids for University contracts...

(complete document)

 

During Move Out

Moving out?  Give your stuff new life!  Donate or sell your clothes and household goods to local thrift stores and organizations.

Students who live in CU residence halls can donate reusable items at stations set up at the end of every spring semester in residence hall lobbies.

Students who live off-campus can click here for a list of commonly accepted donations and local organizations and thrift stores that accept them.