Green College Spotlight: Western Washington University

Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington is another American college leading by example in terms of sustainability.  At WWU, students have seized on eco-initiatives ranging from energy and transportation to food and recycling, creating clubs that coordinate efforts to green up the campus as much as possible.

WWU has joined dozens of colleges and universities across the country in signing the President’s Climate Commitment, setting the school on the path to carbon neutrality by conducting a greenhouse gas inventory and also developing a carbon neutral action plan that will address all of the areas in which WWU can still improve. It’s an important move that will set the stage for even more ambitious green initiatives, to join the ones already in place.

Western Washington University also has a Sustainability Committee, another step that’s becoming more and more popular for colleges that put environmental stewardship at the top of their priorities. The Sustainability Committee will oversee the school’s commitment to carbon neutrality, coordinating efforts on campus to conserve energy and water, decrease resource consumption and reduce waste.

Check out this video, which outlines some of WWU’s green efforts:

WWU has a remarkable number of student clubs, organizations and programs dedicated to environmental responsibility, from Students for Renewable Energy to the WWU Go for the Green residence hall challenge, in which students compete against each other to be the greenest hall.  There’s also a student-led Green Power initiative, which has met the admirable goal of making WWU powered 100% by alternative energy sources.

Students at Western Washington University also enjoy sustainable food service, dining on local food and fair trade coffee. ‘Seafood Watch’ guidelines are used for fish purchases, a ‘recycle mug’ program reduces use of disposable cups, and the WWU Dining Services is one of the three largest recyclers of food scraps in Whatcom County.  WWU also has one of the longest-running university recycling programs in the country, founded in 1971. It’s student-run, and collects 3,800 pounds of recyclables every day.

WWU is in the midst of planning many more sustainability initiatives, including expanding their pesticide-free garden bed program and working to make buildings on campus even more eco-friendly. This college will surely be one to watch in the future, as the competition between schools to go green heats up!

Link [WWU]

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