UPCOMING EVENTS
Visit our calendar for more info and updates. 
 
Jan. 27 - 29  
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.   
Webinar
 
Jan. 28  
Seminar: "What do Sherpas Think About Climate Change on Mount Everest?"
12 to 1 p.m.
Foster Auditorium,102 Paterno Library

Growing Food to Feed Your Family Workshop
6 to 9 p.m. 
Lehigh County Agricultural Center

Jan. 29
Sustainable Communities Collaborative Spring Kick-Off
4 to 6 p.m. 
The State College Municipal Building
243 South Allen Street, State College, PA 16801 

Polar Science: A Teacher's Guide to Climate Change
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
301D Life Sciences Building
Penn State University Park Campus


CONTACT

Lydia Vandenbergh
814-863-4893
Land and Water Research Building
University Park, PA 16802
CONNECT






 
Test your möbius skills with a game

The College of the Liberal Arts Green Teams recently unveiled a new online recycling game for a computer or a smart phone. The game allows players to sort items into correct recycling bins, and helps learning by providing information about what items belong in particular bins. Test your skills by playing the game. 

 

Recycling Game  

 

How to play? As items drop down into the basket, click on the appropriate bin where it should be placed. Win points for correct answers. Like competition? See how fast you can sort the materials.  

More...   

Holiday Potlucks - Recycle, Compost or Landfill?  

 

In December, the Office of University Development held their holiday potluck, a chance to gather for a winter celebration and feast on delicious dishes whipped up by the staff. In addition to providing a festive holiday occasion, the potluck also revealed an opportunity for improvement in University-wide sustainability efforts.

 

 

 

"There was a lot of beautiful holiday decorating that surrounded the luncheon and along with that, people contributed decorative holiday paper and plastic products," explained Courtney Van Sky, co-leader of the OUD Green Team. "Unbeknownst to most of us, though, those themed products are not recyclable. Since it is difficult to realize that just by glancing at them, many of the items did not make their way into the proper bin," says Van Sky. Read more about this team's plan for changes and ways you can contribute...

 
 
Did you know?
 
Penn Staters increasingly recycle their toner cartridges   



Last year, Penn Staters increased their recycling of toner cartridges by 15 percent to more than 4,700 cartridges  collected by General Stores. It would take over over 1,200 gallons of oil to create those toner cartridge shells. Wondering how to recycle your unit's cartridges and increase our collection even further? Complete this form  and General Stores will collect your cartridges for refilling.   
Buying LED light bulbs made easy





Light emitting diode (LED) bulbs are improving in style, color and cost, and selecting the right one just got easier with Washington Post correspondent Katherine Salant's testing. These bulbs use a fraction of the electricity of the older incandescent ones (more money in your pocket), and they are now available in warm and cool colors (and in soft to hard contrast). They also last longer than traditional bulbs as well. In a location where you replace the bulb every few months, an LED will last for years.  More...
 
Skateboarders turn ocean waste into profits and fun

Ben Kneppers, an avid skateboarder and environmentalist combined his two passions into a business venture  turning damaged fishing nets hauled out of the ocean into skateboards. Fishing gear represents 10 percent of the ocean's plastic waste. This initiative not only addresses this pollution problem, but Ben also sees this as "a great tool for educating the younger generation on this issue." More...
 
How do you Solve a Problem like Plastics Pollution?  
 

"From our homes to our workplaces, schools, supermarkets, shopping centers and places in between, plastic is everywhere. But what happens to all that plastic when it reaches the end of its useful life? Some is recycled, while the rest ends up in landfills, incinerators and the environment." Read more about this problem and solutions...
Download the Infographic on Plastic Pollution