Resource Use and Recycling Working Group is currently working on a number of exciting initiatives that will take place on the IU campus later this year.

IUOS Campus Recycling Intern Brendon Baatz has been working on ways to increase recycling rates throughout campus. First, Brendon conducted an in-depth examination of what initiatives and efforts other institutions in the Big Ten have undertaken. This research will be useful when deciding what initiatives would work best to increase recycling rates here at IU. Brendon has also been working on the creation of a comprehensive recycling website for the Bloomington campus. This website will contain useful information for all matters relating to campus recycling.

Also within the scope of the Resource Use and Recycling Group, IUOS Hoosier-to-Hoosier Intern John Patishnock has been working with Steve Akers, Associate Director of the Residence Halls Association's Environmental Operations, and Jacqui Bauer, Assistant Director of the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis. Patishnock, Akers, and Bauer have been coordinating efforts in preparation for the Hoosier-to-Hoosier Community Sale (H2H) that will take place at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, August 21st. 

Students will donate items during the move-out period in May, with items coming from students living in residence halls, Greek houses, and also from off-campus apartment complexes. The items will then be stored and organized at Memorial Stadium over the course of the summer by student and community volunteers. Festivities are open to the public, and 100% of the money raised on the day of the sale will go to various nonprofits within Monroe County, including United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and St. Vincent DePaul. Free parking will be available at Memorial Stadium, and community members are encouraged to show up early for the event. There will be something for everyone at H2H, including live music, food, entertainment, and games.

Some member organizations focus principally on sustainability related issues, while others have broader missions. All of the groups recognize the importance of sustainability and have created internal offices to concentrate on these areas.

Since the beginning of the Spring 2010 semester, three new additional member organizations have been welcomed onto the SSC. The 17 current member organizations now include:

·         Alpha Phi Omega

·         Coal Free IU

·         Environmental Law Society

·         Environmental Management Association 

·         Graduate and Professional Student Organization

·         Greeks Go Green

·         IU Student Association

·         Net Impact: The Sustainable Business Club, Graduate Chapter

·         Net Impact: The Sustainable Business Club, Undergraduate Chapter

·         Residence Halls Association

·         Rethinking Incarceration

·         Revitalizing Animal Well-Being

·         Slow Food on Campus

·         Students in Free Enterprise

·         Students Producing Organics Under the Sun

·         Sustainable Development Association

·         Volunteers in Sustainability

In February, representatives from the SSC participated in the IU Office of Sustainability's 2020 Visioning Retreat, to offer a student's perspective on where IU and IUOS should be in the next ten years.

Currently, the SSC is busy planning and organizing SustainIU (April 9-17), IU's involvement in Earth Hour 2010 (8:30-9:30 PM March 27), several Themester 2010 events, and a sustainability themed IUBeginnings trip for Fall 2010 focused on education, involvement, and service for 15-20 new students.

For additional information, please visit the SSC on the web.

IUB Energy Challenge

March 25th - April 22nd

Visit the IU Athletics homepage for more information on the game.

Themester 2010 - sustain.ability: Thriving on a Small Planet

Fall Semester 2010

Several exciting events are in the works for Themester 2010, sustain.ability: Thriving on a Small Planet.  New sustainability-related courses are available for Fall 2010, and faculty are currently able to register for the Sustainability Teaching and Learning Institute taking place in March and April. Themester 2010 will open with a festival in Dunn Meadow on September 10, 2010, providing students, faculty, staff and community members the opportunity to learn and share ideas about sustainability, while being entertained with music and local organic food.  The rest of the semester will include intriguing speakers, film series, roundtable discussions, art exhibits, concerts, volunteer activities, service-learning projects, and more.  A few confirmed events include: a Cardinal Stage production of The Grapes of Wrath, a community art project facilitated by artist Joe LaMantia, Patten Lectures by Wendell Berry and Jean Palutikof, a town-gown discussion series titled Talking Sustainability, a climate change speaker series, the Grand Energy Challenge, and a keynote speaker soon to be announced.  For more information, please visit http://www.themester.indiana.edu or contact Themester Coordinator, Jeff Weber: themes@indiana.edu.

Event Description:

What's Involved: In Bloomington, the collection event will take place in the Purple parking lot to the north of Memorial Stadium.  For more information or to volunteer please contact Laura Knudsen, Indiana University Office of Sustainability E-waste Intern, at lknudsen@indiana.edu. 

The Perks: Be a part of the monumental effort to collect e-waste on campus and in the community.  We could break our record of 832,000 pounds collected from last year!

Greening Cream and Crimson Volunteer Team

April 8-10th, 9-2pm

Arbor Day Tree Planting Team

April 30th, 10-2pm

Event Description:  The Arbor Day Foundation awarded IUB with one of five national grants to purchasing of 50-60 trees for Arbor Day.  A campus-wide coalition including the Campus Tree Board, the City of Bloomington, the Office of Sustainability and the IU Alumni Association are planning a planting day focused on educating volunteers how to plant trees, while expanding our tree canopy on campus.