Top 10 Campus Sustainability Projects Of 2017

December 15, 2017 mesthill

Many people and projects advanced campus sustainability in 2017. Here are a few highlights:

1. Campus Bikeshare Debuts

In mid-August NC State Transportation began a pilot program with LimeBike, a bike share service that provided campus with 300 public bikes available for short-term rental.

2. Harrelson Hall Salvaged

During the 2016-2017 deconstruction of Harrelson Hall, the university recycled or salvaged 95 percent of the building’s non-hazardous materials and contents.

3. Carter-Finley Stadium Sets Record For Waste Diversion

Carter-Finley tripled its compostable material collection to nearly 28,000 pounds, which helped push the season’s average waste diversion rate to 42 percent.

4. New Apiary on Centennial Campus

On the day before Earth Day, a new campus apiary with seven honeybee hives was inaugurated on Centennial Campus.

Talley Student Union’s new rooftop garden has raised beds for planting herbs and vegetables that will be used by NC State Dining. The Department of Horticultural Science will also use the garden for experimental pollinator plants and perennials.

6. Campus Welcomes First Bus Stop With Solar Power

If you happen to be at the Dan Allen Drive bus stop near Witherspoon Student Center, you can recharge with free renewable energy courtesy of a new solar-powered charging station.

7. Campus As A Living Lab

Our students boosted sustainability in so many ways. They designed and built a food processing building at the sustainability-focused campus Agroecology Farm, which grows food for NC State Dining. They recovered leftover campus food for people in need. They researched the launch of a paper towel composting program at Talley Student Union, designed a pollinator garden for NC State’s new Gregg Museum, improved sustainability at McKimmon Center, replaced invasive plant species and more.

8. Nile Project Builds Bridges Through Music

To promote a sustainable approach to water use among the peoples sharing the Nile, musicians from the 11 countries encompassed by the river’s drainage basin formed a collective called the Nile Project, which visited NC State in March 2017 for a full week of musical performances, workshops and lectures exploring how music can build community.

9. LEED Certification For Reynolds Coliseum

Reopened in September 2016 following a 16-month renovation, the building achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Silver level in March 2017.

10. New Sustainability Strategic Plan

After more than 18 months of cross-campus planning, the NC State Sustainability Council completed development of the university’s second Sustainability Strategic Plan, which will guide sustainability efforts through 2022.