Making the decision to be more sustainable is the first step to becoming more sustainable. Congratulations! CCNY has plenty of opportunities to start your new leaf.
Words to Know
To add some ease in starting your sustainable journey at CCNY, here are some recycling words and phrases you’ll hear when talking about the sustainability status at CCNY.
- Composting — a form of recycling, this waste stream consists only of organic materials. (Ex. food scraps.)
- Hydrostations — built into the walls of most CCNY buildings, these are fixtures that fill up water bottles. Simply put the bottle by the sensor, and it’ll dispense water until you pull the bottle away. This is the term used by CCNY, however for ease of understanding, this website will refer to all hydrostations as hydration stations.
- MGPC — an acronym for one type of waste stream which contains: Metals, Glass, Plastics, and Cartons.
- Recyclables — objects that can be repurposed into other objects via recycling.
- Recycling — the action of sorting waste into the correct waste stream.
- Sustainability plan — a plan for an institution to become more sustainable. The plan can cover various areas like campus energy, greener infrastructure, or educating the campus body on sustainability.
- Sustainability pillar — a specific focus for sustainability, typically described within a sustainability plan.
- Waste stream — refers to one type of waste or recyclable section. (Ex. a green recycling bin designated for paper is holding a specific waste stream, which is paper.)
1. Hydration Stations — Curb your use of plastic bottled water.
Around the campus are hydration stations: water stations where you can fill up your water bottle for free! Some are hybrid and have a water fountain attachment if you don’t have a water bottle.
To get started, here’s a map of all available hydration stations on the CCNY campus.
2. Education — Learn where your waste goes.
Recycling’s goal is to divert items from mainstream garbage to be broken down and remade into a new object. Unfortunately, in New York City, only half of what can be recycled actually is. By increasing recycling at CCNY, the campus body can help increase this effort at CCNY and in NYC. Here’s how you can learn more to increase this effort:
- Our group periodically holds tabling events in the NAC Rotunda. Come for to be educated, stay for the people!
- Curious about where your trash (or recycling) goes after you toss it? Follow Your Waste here!
- If you think you know how to recycle, test your knowledge here!
3. Take a Trip — Look for recycling stations to sort your waste.
CCNY is a huge campus with 15 separate buildings; most of the campus body isn’t well traveled when it comes to visiting all of them. Thankfully, at most buildings, there are recycling stations: separate bins for 3 waste streams — general trash, MGPCs, and paper.
Compost is its own waste stream. Currently, there is one compost bin on the CCNY campus with others around the campus.
4. Take Action — Participate in CCNY organizations that focus on sustainability.
CCNY is home to many programs — including clubs, internships, and fellowships — that are either entirely or partly focused on sustainability. Involving yourself by attending a one-time event or by immersing yourself by doing an internship are great ways to learn about sustainability issues and solutions!
To make CCNY a more sustainable campus is a lofty goal. But change is possible and in reach! The community of students and faculty from interested in changing the future of CCNY keeps growing. In fact, you’re already a part of CCNY’s efforts just by reading this page!
As you pursue your personal efforts to make CCNY more sustainable, just remember:
“We have the power to transform the institutions that we’re a part of. Use your voice and push for the change you want to see in the world. It takes persistence but if you keep at it, people will listen, and you can make an impact.”
Alex Klein
CCNY alum, M.S. in Sustainability in the Urban Environment
