What do you do with that old TV or computer monitor after Santa brings a new one this Christmas season?

You now have a number of options to consider.  For those that missed the announcement, the Waco City Council, during its December 3 meeting, approved elimination of the fees charged for recycling items with a cathode ray tube, such as TVs and monitors.  In addition, the Council authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement for expanded electronics recycling at the Cobbs Recycling Center!  This program is for Waco residents with out -dated or broken electronics. Now Waco residents can bring in televisions and computers, printers, monitors, and other items at no charge to the Cobbs Recycling Center on a year-round basis. 

A second option, especially for electronics that are still working, is to take them to the Goodwill Computer Works Store on 3332 Franklin Ave (http://www.wacocomputerworks.org/).  Goodwill takes these donations, restores what they can, then offers them for resale to the community.  This is also a great place to look for used but functional (and cheap) electronics components while helping your community.

Wishing you all a Happy Holidays from MCC’s Sustainability Committee

MCC Sustainability Efforts for December 2013

I.    Did You Know?  The USGBC has certified the ESEC building LEED gold, our third building to receive such recognition.  The ESEC building has several unique features that aided in getting the gold certification to include a geothermal HVAC system, 206 panel photovoltaic array, rainwater harvest collected in a 30,000 gallon cistern and used to flush toilets, concrete parking lot paving to reduce heat island effect on the environment, and full cut out parking lot lights to reduce night sky pollution.  In addition, 30 percent of the energy used at the facility is renewable.  The building narrowly missed platinum certification.  The college is also submitting the Student Services Center and the Health Professions Simulation buildings for consideration for LEED certification at a minimum of silver with a chance at gold.

II.    Sustainability Activities on Campus this Fall: 
1.    MCC’s Biannual Shred and Recycle Day on November 15th a Success!  We shredded or recycled 7,391 lbs. (3.7 US tons) of paper and paper products.  That amount of recycled paper saved 63 trees, 1406 gallons of oil, 11.1 cubic yards of landfill space, 14,800 kilowatts of energy, and 25,900 gallons of water!  Furthermore, when added to March's event (2,250 lbs. of paper), the collection for November's Shred-Recycle Day brings our total to 9,641 lbs. or 4.8 US tons of paper collected for shredding and recycling in 2013.  That's 81 trees saved, 1,832 gallons of oil, 33,744 gallons of water, 19,282 kWh, and 14.5 cubic yards of landfill. Way to go, MCC!

Paper made from recycled paper uses 70% less energy and results in 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution. 

2.    Before leaving for our Winter Break, please consider the following:
•    Shut down computers and printers
•    Unplug printers or any charging device that uses ghost energy
•    If you use a portable fan or heater unplug them
•    If you have a microwave in your office or break room unplug them
•    If you have a small refrigerator In your office take this opportunity to clean it out and unplug it
•    Set your room t-stat to low setting
•    Close your blinds
•    Make sure all lights are off

Helps us save on energy costs plus reduces the College’s vulnerability to hackers and other malicious activities this season.

III.    What are your thoughts on our sustainability efforts? 
Check out our website at http://www.mclennan.edu/gogreen/ and our blog at http://mccgogreen.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for your support.  It takes the entire College to make sustainability work!

The MCC Sustainability Committee

MCC Sustainability Efforts for November 2013

I.    Did You Know? 
City of Waco Scrap Tire Day is Saturday, November 2, 2013:  Waco residents (only) may bring in up to 10 passenger car tires per household to the solid waste services parking lot at 501 Schroeder.  This is the first time in seven years that the city of Waco has offered this service.
II.    Sustainability Activities on Campus this Fall: 
In honor of America Recycles Day, MCC’s Biannual Shred and Recycle Day will be November 15th from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm at the back of the MAC parking lot.  Bring your items from home and work.  For more information, go to America Recycles Day at http://americarecyclesday.org/.
a.    Need assistance with materials?  Call Sid Ross at 299-8849 or email Sid at sross@mclennan.edu to have recyclables picked up before the event.
b.    What recyclables can I bring?  Bring paper goods, plastic, metals, cardboard, and corrugated boxes.  No need to remove staples or paperclips.  Plastic containers must be empty.
c.    What is not accepted?  Please do not bring electronics, glass, styrofoam, batteries, tires, appliances, used oil or oil filters, antifreeze, hazardous waste, or carbon paper.
d.    Are items shredded on campus? No, and we do not receive a formal document of destruction.  That service costs additional money.  We do receive confirmation that the paper items were shredded upon receipt by Cintas (previously known as Certishred).
e.    Free Mulch:  The mulch is located at the North 19th St. in a temporary parking lot.  Physical plant folks will be there from 8:00 to 12:00 to load trucks or trailers.
f.    NEW!! In addition to our recycling efforts, we are hosting a freecycle/reuse table.  De-clutter your space and help us keep good stuff out of a landfill at the same time! Drop off clean, working items that you no longer need.  If you see an item on the table that you want, take it.  It's free.  Any leftover items will be donated to Goodwill.
Computer Usage Bonus Quiz:
When can your computer not be hacked?
a.    When you’re reading emails
b.    When you’re surfing your favorite XXX site
c.    When it’s in sleep mode and you are too
d.    When it’s off
The answer is d.  Though not a good idea to turn your computer on and off throughout the day, you save power and equipment wear if you turn off your computer and monitor when you leave for the weekend or extended holiday.  It will not hurt your computer and will frustrate hackers.
III.    What are your thoughts on our sustainability efforts? 
Check out our website at http://www.mclennan.edu/gogreen/ and our blog at http://mccgogreen.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for your support.  It takes the entire College to make sustainability work!

The MCC Sustainability Committee

MCC Sustainability Efforts for October 2013

I.    Did You Know? 
a.    New Campus-Wide Irrigation System Saves Water: MCC is now piloting the Calsense computerized water management system to irrigate the LTC plaza area of campus.  The system monitors water flows and ground moisture, watering only when needed.  If the system proves itself, it will be expanded to the entire campus, substantially reducing water use.
b.    MCC Recognized by KEEP Waco Beautiful as Business of the Year in 2013. This award recognizes MCC for its beautiful campus and its sustainable activities.  Brad Turner, Sustainability Committee member & MCC Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, prepared and submitted the information needed to win this award. 
c.    City of Waco Scrap Tire Day Set Saturday November 2, 2013:  The City of Waco will hold a Scrap Tire Recycle Day at the solid waste services parking lot at 501 Schroeder.  Waco residents (only) may bring in up to 10 passenger car tires per household.  This is the first time in seven years that the city of Waco has offered this service.

II.    Sustainability Activities on Campus this Fall: 
In honor of Texas Recycles Day, MCC’s Bi-annual Shred and Recycle Day will be November 15th from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm at the back of the MAC parking lot.  Bring your items from home and work.  For more information, go to America Recycles Day at http://americarecyclesday.org/.
a.    What if I need assistance with my materials?  For assistance with picking up recyclables before the event, call Sid Ross at 299-8849 or email Sid at sross@mclennan.edu.  
b.    What recyclables can I bring:  Bring paper goods, plastic, metals, cardboard, and corrugated boxes.  No need to remove staples or paperclips.  Plastic containers must be empty.
c.    What recyclables are not accepted?  Please do not bring any electronics, glass, styrofoam, batteries, tires, appliances, used oil or oil filters, antifreeze, hazardous waste, or carbon paper.
d.    Will my items be shredded on campus?  Shredding does not take place at MCC, and we do not receive a formal document of destruction.  That service costs additional money.  We do receive confirmation that the paper items were shredded upon receipt by Cintas (previously known as Certishred). 
e.    NEW!! In addition to our recycling efforts, we are hosting a free-cycle/reuse table.  De-clutter your space and help us keep good stuff out of a landfill at the same time! Drop off clean, working items that you no longer need.  If you see an item on the table that you want, take it.  It's free.  Any leftover items will be donated to Goodwill.

III.    What are your thoughts on our sustainability efforts? 
Check out our website at http://www.mclennan.edu/gogreen/ and our blog at http://mccgogreen.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for your support.  It takes the entire College to make sustainability work!

The MCC Sustainability Committee

MCC Sustainability Efforts for May 2013

I.    Did You Know?  McLennan Community College has been a member of the American College and University Climate Commitment since 2007. The college conducts annual greenhouse gas reports, has created a campus carbon neutral plan, and has an active sustainability committee that guides campus sustainable activities.

II.    Sustainability Activities on Campus this Spring: 
a.    RecycleMania Results:  The total amount recycled during the eight weeks of RecycleMania this year was 19,499 lbs. (that's 2.13 lbs. per person at MCC).  According to the EPA's Waste Reduction Model, that is the equivalent of 24 metric tons of CO2, or the amount of energy used by 5 cars or in 2 households during that timeframe.

We're down slightly from last year's total of 21,240 lbs., but that could be due to an overall reduction in consumption. We will begin monitoring our trash production in addition to our recycling efforts next year as we enter the "Competition" division of RecycleMania.  This will allow us to calculate our percentage of waste recycled and will give us a more complete picture of our campus behaviors.

Compared to other 2-year colleges in the Benchmark Division of RecycleMania, MCC ranks 4th in per capita recycling! To review overall results, go to http://recyclemaniacs.org/scoreboard/current-results/benchmark-division

b.    Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day on Saturday, May 18 from 8 AM to 1 PM:  The City of Waco is holding its annual HHW day on May 18 at the City of Waco Solid Waste Services Collection on 501 Schroeder Dr.  The service is open to Waco, Woodway, Hewitt, Lacy Lakeview and Lorena citizens.  This year the city will also collect electronic equipment.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day flyer

c.    “Green” Computing Tips:  Help us conserve our computer resources. Please shut down office and lab computers, monitors, and printers on weekends and overnight to save energy and to reduce vulnerability to hackers and other malicious activities. For daily energy savings, consider turning off the monitor when not using your PC for more than 20 minutes and turning off both CPU and monitor if not using them for more than 2 hours.  If you will not be on campus this summer, please shut down your computer and other office electronics until fall for further energy savings. Lastly, instructors, please conserve energy and extend equipment life by shutting down the document camera and projector in your classroom before you leave.

III.    What are your thoughts on our sustainability efforts?  Check out our website at http://www.mclennan.edu/gogreen/ and our blog at http://mccgogreen.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for your support.  It takes the entire College to make sustainability work!

The MCC Sustainability Committee

MCC’s Green Week Observance

March 25 – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

2:30 p.m., MAC 111
Presented by Elaine Fagner, Claudette Jackson and Sarah Johnson
Learn how to minimize your ecological impact by reducing consumption of energy and resources, reusing and repurposing old products, and finally recycling appropriate waste. Topics will include using internet resources (Free-cycle, Pinterest, etc.) for project ideas, tips for replacing single-use disposables, and what can and cannot be recycled.

March 26 – MCC’s Community Garden

2 p.m., Lecture Hall building
Presented by Claudette Jackson
Learn about MCC’s own community garden and how you can rent your own plot. Participants will also learn how to create small herb and vegetable container gardens from recycled materials. Tips will be provided on organic gardening.

March 27 – MCC and Sustainability

2 p.m., Lecture Hall building
Presented by Sid Ross
Learn about sustainability efforts. Mr. Holt Kelley will discuss solar and renewable energy sources, addressing both residential and commercial options. Then take a tour of the Science building with MCC’s sustainability officer, Sid Ross, who will point out sustainability features in the building.

March 28 – Arbor Day Observance and LEED Certification Ceremony

1 p.m. – Student Volunteer Event, meet outside the Science building to spread mulch around campus trees
1:30 p.m. – Science Building LEED Gold Certification Ceremony
2:30 p.m. – Arbor Day Observance and Tree Dedication Ceremony, meet outside the Science building for our Arbor Day observance and tree dedication for Professor Henry Apperson and Professor Gary Duncan to celebrate their 45 years of service to MCC.
After Dedication – Tree tour of the MCC campus

MCC Sustainability Efforts for February 2013

I.              Did You Know? The Science Building was certified LEED gold by the United States Green Building Council in January 2013.  An award ceremony and presentation of the plaque will be forthcoming.

II.  Sustainability Activities on Campus this Spring:
a.    Recycle Mania begins on February 1st.  This is MCC’s fourth year to participate in the friendly competition.  We have committed to the benchmark level for this year and are striving to improve our waste reduction and recycling efforts by 25% from last year.  We recycled 13.8 tons last year and are striving to reach 15.0 tons this year.  In 2014, MCC will enter the competition level which means we need to kick off recycling efforts campus-wide this year.  Thank you for supporting Recycle Mania!  http://recyclemaniacs.org/

b.    MCC Semi-Annual Shred & Recycle Day:  MCC has two shred and recycle days each year, one in the fall and one in spring.  The next event will be March 1 from 8 AM to 1 PM in the MAC parking lot.  Look for the Certishred truck and large dumpster.  We will be collecting the following:

• For shredding, any paper including sensitive files such as grades, tests, or other materials, including personal paper items from home. You need not remove staples. Just bring your paper goods, and Certishred will do the rest!
• For plastics, cardboard, corrugated boxes, and metals (no glass!) a recycling dumpster will be provided.  Please take glass to the Cobbs Center (see below).
• Certishred provides MCC with verification that the materials have been shredded but they do not shred anything onsite. 

If you have class or meetings during the event or if you need physical assistance handling your paper goods, contact Sid Ross directly at 299-8849 and he will arrange for pick-up.  For additional questions, contact Elaine Fagner at 299-8442.

c.    Glass Recycling: Cobbs Convenience Center accepts plastic, aluminum and other metal, cardboard, paper, and corrugated box material from anyone, including those living outside the Waco area.  Glass is accepted only from Waco residents.  Cobbs Convenience Center is located at 2021 North 44th Street and is open Tuesday through Saturday (8 am - 5 pm) to drop off your materials free of charge.  For a map to the site and more details go to: http://www.waco-texas.com/solid-waste-recycling.asp

d.    Free Mulch:  Free mulch from the Bosque river stage area on March 1.

e.    Arbor Day Celebration on March 28: For Arbor Day this year, MCC will be recognized for earning its first Tree Campus USA certificate. We will also plant two trees honoring Gary Duncan and Henry Apperson for 45 years of service.

f.    The MCC Bike Program has moved to the Physical Plant! 
Students and faculty can contact Janice Kasner at 299-8863 to rent a bicycle for the semester.

III.  What are your thoughts on our sustainability efforts?
Check out our website at http://www.mclennan.edu/gogreen/ and our blog at http://mccgogreen.blogspot.com/.  Check out our new Facebook site at: https://www.facebook.com/SustainabilityMCC

Thanks for your support.  It takes the entire College to make sustainability work!

The MCC Sustainability Committee