Sustainable Albertus Magnus College Mission

Sustainable Albertus Magnus College reduces the college's environmental footprint while engaging the college community. Working with various College departments, academics, student groups, and external partners to increase understanding of environmental issues and help find realistic, timely, and effective solutions.

Sustainable Albertus Magnus College

Sustainable Albertus Magnus College is a college-wide effort to operate our campus in an environmentally friendly manner and to incorporate sustainability into our students' experience. The initiative has the following elements:

  • Governance: a college-wide sustainability committee;
  • Campus action to reduce waste, increase efficiency, and tread lightly on the earth;
  • Curriculum: including in a variety of courses;
  • Engagement: opportunities for students and others to get involved

Sustainable Albertus Magnus College Committee

The College executes its sustainability efforts through a committee comprised of students, faculty and staff. The Albertus Magnus College Sustainability Committee has led campus efforts to improve awareness and identify areas for the College to focus its sustainability efforts.

Committee Members:

Dr. Patty Compagne-Post, Professor
Dr. Ragaa Mazen, Professor
Bonnie Dingus, PGS Staff
Michael Burns, Facilities Services
Miranda Richitelle, Student

Recycling and Waste Reduction

Single Stream Recycling

Americans generate millions of tons of trash every year in the form of packaging, bottles, boxes, cans, magazines, appliances, furniture, clothing, and much more. (EPA's overview of What's in America's Trash.) The College has partnered with All American Waste because of their mission to support the environment. Check out their initiatives http://www.aawllc.com/about/environment.

Through single-stream recycling Albertus and our on-campus partners the Falcon Campus Store and Dining Services are able to divert recyclable materials from bulk waste such as

  • Bottles (plastic, glass, metal)
  • Cans
  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Most plastics (#1-7)

Shredding

The College is pleased to announce a partnership with Shred-it. We have two secured blue bins on campus, one in Campus Center Mail Room and the other in Aquinas Hall Mail Room for everyone's use. After the paper has been securely shredded, the confetti-sized pieces are bundled and recycled into paper products.

Hydration Stations

Albertus discourages the use of plastic water bottles by offering refill stations in Aquinas Hall and the Athletic Center to refill water bottles. Keep an eye out for more water filing stations coming soon.

Transportation

  • Zipcar - Members of the Albertus community can use Zipcar, a shared car program. Zipcars are located on campus.
  • CTtransit Bus Pass - The city bus stops right outside Campus on the corner of Winchester Ave and Huntington Street. The College sells monthly bus passes at a significant discount to members of the Albertus Community. Stop by the Falcon Card Office located in the Campus Center to purchase a bus pass.
  • Union Station is located just a short ride from Campus. Both Amtrak and Metro-North trains are available from Union Station.
  • CTrides helps commuters find the best way to get to work or school and offers information & resources for travel options throughout Connecticut. CTrides offers; carpools, vanpools, bus, train, biking/walking and teleworking solutions. CT Rideshare program

Falcon Campus Store

Follette who partners with Albertus to operate the Falcon Campus Store supports sustainability and greening efforts. Here are just a few things they do:

  • Commencement Gaps and Gowns are made from recycled plastic
  • All cardboard and packing material is reused for future shipments
  • Used books, rentals and ebooks
  • Many products for sale in the Falcon Book Store are eco-friendly
    • White out is manufactured with 51% post-consumer plastic
    • Bic pens are made with 62% post-consumer plastics
    • Notebooks are made with sustainable sugarcane fiber

Food and Dining

Albertus' partner Chartwells is dedicated to sustainability and the environment. To read more about Chartwells' initiatives please visit https://new.dineoncampus.com/Albertus/sustainability.

In 2014 Albertus' dining service introduced tray-less program reducing food waste by 30%.

Dining Services recycle metal, plastic and cardboard. Food waste will be composted on campus as part of the academic community garden project.

Some efforts of the dining services include:

  • Commitment to purchase only milk that is free of rBGH.
  • Chicken and turkey produced without the routine use of antibiotics.
  • Fair Trade Certified coffee and tea options.
  • Local spend, and define local as within 250 miles of campus for dairy, produce, grain and meat purchases.

Energy Management and Renewable Energy

Energy efficiency efforts at Albertus have been ongoing for several years. In the Fall of 2016, we began an in-depth energy audit with our local partners Globele Energy and The United Illuminating Company. The energy audit will allow the College to target buildings and areas that have the highest energy use. The goal is to reduce the amount of energy used by installing Solar panels, LED lights, improving heating and cooling systems and adding high efficiency controls.

LED lighting replacement projects have already started around Campus. Dominican Hall was the first building and know has LED lighting in resident rooms and hallways. Aquinas Hall has LED lighting in all the hallways, stairwells and elevators. Exterior lighting is changed over the LED lights as fixtures/bulbs need to be replaced.

Solar panels are coming Fall 2017. Over the past year the College has been working with local partners to design and install roof top solar panels on all the buildings located on lower Campus as well as solar parking canopies in the tier parking lot.

Natural gas is the primary heating and hot water source for Albertus. Over the past ten years the College has been making the switch from oil to natural gas. Natural gas emissions are much lower than oil, producing 50 to 60 percent less carbon dioxide.

Walden Hill Farm

In the fall of 2016 Albertus partnered with Walden Hill a New England focused company located in Union, CT to collect acorns from all around Campus. Albertus is happy to partner with Walden Hill and help support their mission for a better social, economic and environmental landscape for the region. The acorns high in healthy omega-3 fats are used to feed their heritage breed pigs.

Facilities and Grounds

The Academic Community Garden is scheduled to start Fall 2017. This new garden space located between Sienna Hall and Sansbury Hall will offer hands-on experience to students, faculty and staff to learn about gardening, sustainability and environmental issues.

Throughout the entire Campus you will find gardens filled with beautiful perennial plants and outdoor spaces to gather with friends or just relax and contemplate. The College continues to work to improve these areas for the Albertus Community.

Good housekeeping is very important to all of us. But so is the environment. At least 50% of the cleaning products used on campus are green products.

You will notice most restrooms on Campus do not have paper towels. That's because we installed hand dryers to help reduce waste.

Conservation Tips

  • Turn off your computer, printer and speakers when not in use (especially at night)
  • Turn off the lights when you leave any room unoccupied
  • Switch incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent ones
  • Take short, cool showers
  • Only wash full loads of laundry
  • Keep windows and doors closed in heated and air-conditioned areas
  • Unplug appliances like microwaves and refrigerators when not in use over breaks
  • Use reusable water bottles
  • Walk around campus, don't drive