Sustainability @ WCU: Sharing Resources
As the world honors the environment on April 22, Earth Day 2019, West Chester University
is celebrating its own sustainable practices.
Today, for example, donation bins are being placed in the lobbies of WCU’s residence halls for the expansion of “Pack It Up, Pass It On,” the program whereby students can donate possessions they’d rather not keep as they prepare to move out for the summer. In this pilot program, which originated with an inspired group of students who attended the Zero Waste Conference last fall, the items accepted – which must be in good, clean, working condition – will be stored over the summer and offered to students at low prices this fall at a move-in yard sale. Any money earned will directly support the program next year.
This year, more household items are being accepted: clothing and accessories, electronics, outdoor, yoga, and sports equipment, furniture, bedding and linens, kitchenware and utensils, home décor, and even storage bins. Diverting more items from the waste stream can help WCU “ditch the Dumpster.”
Get involved this year in Pack It Up, Pass It On. Email wcupacknpass@gmail.com for more information; fill out the volunteer interest form; or contact the Office of Sustainability at 610-436-2736.
In the Move Out Food Drive, which also begins today, University volunteers coordinate the collection and sorting of unused and unopened food items that students moving out of the residence halls might otherwise throw away. Donations benefit both the WCU Resource Pantry and the Chester County Food Bank, which fight food insecurity on campus and in the community.
Volunteers are needed on various dates at various times between today and Monday, May 13. Volunteer here.
Endangered Species is the theme of this year’s Earth Fair in the Quad on Tuesday, April 23, from 12 to 3 p.m. Organized by the students in the E.A.R.T.H. (Environmental Association for the Repair of the Habitat) Group, the objective is to celebrate Earth Day and collaborate with organizations on and off campus to spread environmental awareness.
Dig into Earth Week at a tree planting at the Gordon Natural Area (GNA) on South Campus on Friday, April 26, from 10 a,m. – 1:30 p.m. Wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. In case of inclement weather, visit the GNA website.
Closing out Earth Week 2019, the University will host a teach-in on Friday, April 26, led by former Pennsylvania State Legislator Franklin Kury on Pennsylvania's Environmental Rights Amendment: Past, Present, and Future. Kury played an integral role in the implementation of the amendment and was a leader in the enactment of environmental laws such as the Clean Streams Act. The free program runs from 12 – 1:30 p.m. in Mitchell Hall, Room 102.
University President Christopher Fiorentino has affirmed WCU’s commitment to sustainability, stating, “Updating the University’s Climate Action Plan is one of the strategic plan outcomes you can expect to see in the coming year, as well as the development and implementation of Zero Waste Campus guidelines to promote the reduction, reuse, and recycling of material and energy resources. Other new efforts to be implemented in the coming year include a Green Office certification program and a Student Sustainability Peer Education program.”
For more on WCU’s sustainability initiatives, visit the Office of Sustainability.
WATCH: Top 5 ways WCU is dedicated to Sustainability