Moving Toward Greater Social Responsibility

<p>Social Work professor Waldo Klein provides opening remarks for the Committee on Social Responsibility meeting. Photo by Margaret Malmborg</p>
Social Work professor Waldo Klein makes opening remarks at the Committee on Social Responsibility meeting. Photo by Margaret Malmborg

UConn departments have undertaken a range of initiatives to reduce waste and energy use, ensure fair labor practices from merchandise vendors, encourage consumption of locally grown food, and increase recycling.

On March 22, the President’s Committee on Social Responsibility met at the Asian-American Cultural Center to review the progress made to date.

Representatives from the UConn Co-op, Dining Services, the Office of Environmental Policy, and the Division of Athletics discussed their efforts to help UConn be environmentally and socially responsible.

These efforts include the Co-op’s and Athletics’ membership in the Collegiate Licensing Co., which has licensing agreements with hundreds of companies worldwide to produce UConn apparel and other products. All licensees sign on to a Labor Code of Conduct to ensure fair labor practices, workplace rights, and monitoring procedures in factories where goods with the UConn logo are produced. The Co-op pays dues to the CLC to oversee the factory monitoring.

<p>Co-op manager Bill Simpson holds up an example of a recycled product called PooPoo Paper made from cow manure. Photo by Margaret Malmborg</p>
Co-op manager Bill Simpson holds up an example of a recycled product called PooPoo Paper that is made from cow manure. Photo by Margaret Malmborg

The Co-op also offers goods made from recycled materials, such as books and clothing, and has reduced bag use by half since its ‘wooden nickel’ campaign began a few years ago. The wooden nickel is given to customers who don’t want a bag, and they drop the ‘coin’ in a bin for their preferred charity, Charities include Save the Lakes, and the Jasper Howard Scholarship and Carlee Wines Scholarship funds.

In addition, the Co-op recycles printer cartridges and batteries, sells used books, and opts for union-made products whenever possible.

The Office of Environmental Policy has developed an Agriculture Compost Facility that accepts animal waste from the University’s cattle facilities, reducing the cost of having it shipped off site and eventually supplying quality fertilizer for UConn’s farms.

The environmental policy office also runs a Give and Go Campaign at the end of each spring semester that provides collection points at the residence halls and will include a greater number of residence complexes this year. Students moving out in May donate used furniture, non-perishable food items, clothing, linens, and personal grooming supplies – all of which are donated to local charities. Last year, the Give and Go Campaign collected more than 9,000 lbs. of unwanted items, which were re-purposed and kept out of landfills.

Environmental policy staff also reach out to campus departments to review how offices can reduce their ‘carbon footprint’ by using compact fluorescent bulbs, less paper, and safer cleaning supplies.

The Dining Services Department collaborates with the Office of Environmental Policy to host the Spring Fling on Earth Day (April 22, 2010), at which sustainable and eco-friendly products and foods from Connecticut farms are showcased. Dining Services is the largest purchaser of Connecticut grown agricultural products, and has partnered with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources to cultivate honey production for campus use.

Other ‘green practices’ include opening a new food compost facility at South Campus, purchasing more efficient kitchen equipment, offering the Local Routes program in East Campus, buying fair trade coffee for retail outlets, recycling fryer oil for use in campus shuttle buses, and going ‘trayless’ in nearly all dining facilities.

Suggestions for additional socially responsible initiatives for the University may be forwarded to Professor Waldo Klein, the committee chair, or to Gina DeVivo Brassaw in the Office of Community Outreach.