Monthly Newsletter
November 2018
Happy Fall from the Office of Sustainability!
Photo by Jared Flesher
Updates on the Office Team!
Welcome Ellen Fischer, our new Office Coordinator!
As Office Coordinator, Ellen is the key contact for the Office of Sustainability and coordinates administrative operations for the team. She received her B.A. from Rider University in Finance. In her spare time, Ellen loves being outdoors, watching sports, and exploring new things.
Gina Talt '15, is now our Food Systems Project Specialist!
Formerly our Campus as Lab Fellow, Gina now works collaboratively with the Princeton Environmental Institute and the Office of Sustainability to advance educational and operational efforts around food systems, including piloting the campus biodigester . 
Tigers Recycle!
 Each month we bring you a simple recycling tip to help reduce contamination in the recycling bins on campus.

This month's tip: Uneaten food placed in recycling bins contaminates clean recycling. Make sure to empty and clean recyclable containers before recycling them.

News and Updates
Princeton University Receives STARS Gold Rating for Sustainability Achievements
by Jared Flesher
For the first time, Princeton University has received a “Gold” rating for sustainability from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The rating is based on campus-wide sustainability progress in areas that include academics, engagement, operations, planning, administration, innovation and leadership.
Class explores ethos of sustainability on Princeton’s campus
By Emily Aronson, Office of Communications
Students in the class “Investigating an Ethos of Sustainability at Princeton” use the University as their model and the campus as their lab. Taught by  Director of Sustainability  Shana Weber , the course examines global environmental issues through a local lens. 
Photo by Nicole Guglielmo
Apply Now to be an EcoReps Leader!
Applications are now open for the 2019 EcoReps Leaders. The Princeton University Ecology Representative Program (EcoReps) was founded in 2004 and is hosted by the Office of Sustainability. The mission of the EcoReps is to promote the integration of sustainability into life on campus.

Environmentalist McKibben discusses art’s impact on climate action
By Denise Valenti, Office of Communications
Art — painting and photography, in particular — has played an important role in building a romantic narrative of United States history. It also has the potential to inspire people to protect the very wilderness that has been destroyed in the making of the nation, said author and environmentalist Bill McKibben at a lecture Thursday evening in Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University.

Photo by Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications
Greening Move Out and Move-In
Greening Move Out: Interview with New Donation Partner, Grad Bag

As part of the Office of Sustainability's  Greening Move Out   program last spring, we kicked off a new donation partnership with  Grad Bag , an organization dedicated to finding new homes for unwanted, reusable products left behind by students at colleges and universities in the Northeast. In 2018 over 14,000 pounds of linens were collected, in addition to lamps, rugs, pillows, storage containers, fans, hangers and much more, providing dorm items to nearly 1,000 students.

Greening Move-In: Resale Exceeds Expectations

During Move-In this past September, Frist South Lawn once again resembled a yard sale as part of our second annual Move-In Resale. Featured were rows of couches, futons, lamps, rugs, and more. The 3,000+ dorm items were collected the previous semester through the expanded Greening Move Out program. The Resale attracted nearly 500 undergraduate and graduate students, and sold or gave away every single item, generating sales of nearly $10,000.
Featured Student Work
Princeton Conservation Society Creates Documentary Film
This past May, 15 members of the student group, the Conservation Society , went on a trip to Yellowstone and the American Prairie Reserve in Montana. On the trip, they created a documentary, "Where the Buffalo Roam: Restoring the American Serengeti" that documents the Reserve's ambitious goal of rewilding 3 million acres of public and private land, which has massive implications for the native tribes of the area. The trip received partial funding from the High Meadows Foundation for Sustainability Fund . Read more about their experiences on their blog.
"Botanical Gardens Don’t Need to Be Dissociated" by Zoe Zeitler '20
This summer, Zoe Zeitler '20 studied in the Urban Studies department at the University of Copenhagen and wrote a piece exploring the Botanical Garden in the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

Hi ghwire Earth: " Integrating Renewable Energy Parts 1&2"
In their latest article, "Integrating Renewable Energy Part 1: Physical Challenges and Part 2: Electricity Market & Policy Challenges," Kasparas Spok as, a PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering and PEI-STEP fellow, discusses technical and policy challenges for incorporating renewables into the US electricity system. 
Princeton Sustainability Leader Profile

Alumni: Summer Hanson '16
Former Office of Sustainability intern, Summer Hanson '16 is now the CEO of Emeraldology , a new website/media company that is a "guide to Earth-friendly living" with content meant to help viewers lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle. 

Campus as Lab Corner
The Campus Biodigester is Now Operational!

After a busy summer preparing for the start-up, Princeton University’s biodigester is now operational! Watch our new video to see the first batch of finished compost. After five days, kitchen scraps and leftovers and wood shavings become compost that will be applied to campus grounds as a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

For updates, follow along on the Biodigester Blog and subscribe to receive the "Weekly BioDIGESTer."  
Now Hiring: Campus Biodigester Operational Assistant

Help make an impact on campus while working to demonstrate a best practice model for other campuses and institutions!

Time Commitment: 2-4 hours per week
Pay: $11.20 an hour
Job responsibilities:
  • Assisting with recording, tracking, and analyzing food waste data
  • Loading food scraps and wood shavings into the system
  • Off-loading finished compost
  • Cleaning duties
Qualifications:
  • Ability and willingness to engage in physical labor
  • No other skills or knowledge necessary; you will be supervised during the assigned tasks by a University staff member and will receive the necessary equipment and safety and operational training needed for the position.

To express interest, please email Gina Talt , gtalt@princeton.edu
Upcoming Events

Friday, November 9, 2018
Location: Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment

Friday, November 9, 2018, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Campus Club

Thursday, November 15, 2018, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Location: McCosh Hall, Room 50

Tuesday, November 27, 2018, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Fine Hall Professor's Lounge (top floor)

Tuesday, December 4, 2018, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Location: Guyot Hall, Room 10

Thursday, May 9, 2019
Location: Frist Campus Center
#LoveAMug Promotes Reuse
Until November 9, you can bring any size reusable mug to the campus cafes—and fill it with Small World Coffee for $2. Post a picture of your mug on Instagram or Twitter using #LoveAMug and tell us what it means to you for a chance to win a free cup of coffee. Photo by Campus Dining.