On Mercyhurst and Sustainability

Sarah Klein, Staff Writer

In regards to the current global movement to increase sustainability and create a better future for all of us, I believe that Mercyhurst has been working hard to do its part.

This past month, Mercyhurst University was named to Princeton Review’s annual Guide to Green Colleges, which profiles over 400 colleges that are strongly committed to green practices and programs.

I am the chair of the Mercyhurst Student Government’s Mission and Sustainability Committee

As a result, I had the opportunity to be educated on all the different ways Mercyhurst is increasing sustainability efforts on campus.

Along with Mercyhurst University’s administration, our Sustainability Club and student government all contribute to green initiatives.

Recent initiatives include LED upgrades across campus, the creation of a pollinator garden in the Sister Maura Smith Garden and recycling plastic bags and Styrofoam.

On top of that, Police & Safety, Maintenance and Recycling have begun using electric vehicles.

We also recently had the purchase of a water saving soaker tub for the Athletic Department.

In addition, Mercyhurst Student Government has purchased reusable coffee mugs for the past two years to distribute to students.

Recently, Mercyhurst purchased solar umbrellas for the picnic tables at the sport court near Ryan Hall.

There are also noticeable green initiatives in all of the dining facilities.

All facilities now have biodegradable straws and the Laker Inn has reduced its use of plastic.

The green to-go boxes so many of us are fond of are also a way for students to contribute to sustainability.

And of course, there are other ways Mercyhurst University students are trying to help the planet.

To get a little bit meta, issues of the Merciad are even re-purposed!

As you can see, Mercyhurst has been hard at work in the sustainability department.

Despite these efforts, there are still ways everyone at Mercyhurst can help work toward sustainability.

There are always going to be more ways in which we can improve the sustainability of Mercyhurst.

One way the average student can help out is by increasing the amount of recycling they do around campus.

There are several places to recycle, the most important being in laundry rooms of upperclassmen and freshmen housing.

Even with all of the other advancements in sustainability around campus, it is imperative that we as students use these recycling bins in order to make an impact.

As students, we are just as responsible for working towards sustainability as the administration.

This means that we must recycle as much as we can.

We also need to turn off lights across campus when we are not using them.

In all, we need to find other ways to reduce our waste.