Student Health Center Green Team Update

Recycling Efforts

Al Matyasovsky's talk at UHS Day sparked a great deal of enthusiasm.  We want to reach (and even exceed) the 67% recycling goal set by Physical Plant!  Some recent efforts include:

• Pharmacy setting up their own recycling bins in the store room where everything from cotton to cardboard to plastic gets recycled.
• Laboratory and Physical Therapy are composting their wet paper towels.
• Every department is composting their coffee grinds, apple cores, banana peels, tissues, etc. and, with the assistance of Facilities staff, depositing them in the staff lounge for daily pick-up by OPP.

However, there are still questions as to what can be recycled and what cannot.  Doris met with the operations team and asked the managers to put questionable items in a container (Lab and Clinical Services have already started this process) and Al will be asked to come over and let us know what is recyclable, compostible, etc.  A poster will be developed and shared with all staff.   Over the next two weeks, please share your questions/concerns with your supervisor or any member of the Green Team.

New Recycling Container for Styrofoam

OPP can now recycle styrofoam packing peanuts.  A container is outside of Joe Reilly's office.  OPP is working on a way to recycle all sizes of styrofoam and will keep us posted as to when this new service will begin.

Turn Your Computer Off?  Keep It On for Updates?

Every staff member you speak with has a different idea of what we need to do at the end of the day when we are locking our offices and exam rooms up.  Straight from Chuck Moore, here is what we need to do at the present time:

• Log off your computer every evening. 
• Shut off your monitor.
• Shut off your printer.

Updates to the computer software can occur any evening of the week.  If you shut off your computer at the end of each day, the updates will load in the morning and cause your system to be very slow that day.

A solution to save the energy used by computers is called the Big Fix.  UHS and SA IT staff are exploring this option (and others).  Once a technological solution is implemented we will be able to safely shut off our computers each evening, receive updates, experience no performance issues, and SAVE ENERGY.