Since Earth Day is coming up, now is a good time to discuss what our school, Lasell University, is doing to keep the campus sustainable. Even though Lasell has a smaller campus than other larger universities, it’s still just as important for our school to do its part. As students, we can inform ourselves of what the campus is doing which can help us make decisions to stay sustainable ourselves.
Lasell has embarked on a journey that will hopefully lead to an 80% reduction in campus carbon emissions by 2050. Here’s how they plan to do it:
Dining
Since 2017, Lasell’s dining services have been partnered with CERO to compost food waste. This has saved 97 tons of CO2 from entering Earth’s atmosphere during that time. They have also begun to recycle used cooking oil with a partnership through Mass Biofuel. The cooking oil from Lasell is turned into biofuel and heats the Pine Street Inn homeless shelter in Boston.
Facilities and Sustainability Management
There are several refillable water stations around campus, as well as low-flow showers and toilets that use less water. Lasell also has systems in place to recycle rainwater and uses LED lighting, energy-efficient windows and doors, green cleaning products, and Energy Star appliances. The boiler and burner conversions are at 90% efficiency for cooling and heating. Lasell also has a partnership with the Charles River Watershed Association and provides resources for them to improve the river ecosystem.
Transportation
Lasell has hybrid campus police vehicles, and daily shuttle service available to students. There are also bike racks available on campus, 2 EV charging stations, and discounted MBTA Charlie Cards for Lasell students.
Waste and Recycling
The school has single-stream recycling systems in place, and they recycle paper documents, lightbulbs, and metal. There are also recycling/trash rooms in all residence halls to encourage students to recycle. Lasell donates used resident furniture to a partnership with The Reuse Network Surplus Property Program, and in 2018, the campus donated 273 pieces of furniture to help with relief efforts in Guyana. Lasell Leftovers is also a program that the school has, where students can donate clothing, bedding, non-perishables, or school supplies to be sent to local organizations
To learn more about what our campus is doing to stay sustainable, visit Sustainability at Lasell University.