Four ways to reduce your footprint on campus

Though many school programs are on hold, UVU’s mission to become a more sustainable campus is continuing forward. These resources remain available to students who want to contribute to a greener campus.

Charge an electric car for free

UVU has ten stations for charging electric vehicles. 

“There is a lot of demand for these charging stations,” Sustainability Coordinator Genevieve Richards said. “We want to have turnover so everyone who has an electric vehicle has the chance to charge their vehicle.”

The stations have a three-hour limit. Charging a vehicle is free with a valid parking permit for the lot where the station is located. Visitors can use the charging station in the SWLC parking garage, but the hourly parking rate applies.

Charging locations are marked on the parking map.

Pay attention to recycling bin labels

Recycling is more expensive and difficult when bins are contaminated with the wrong objects.

 “One apple core in a full bin of perfectly clean soda bottles could mean that whole bin has to be thrown in the trash,” Richards said.

UVU has two kinds of recycling bins. Aluminum bins are for empty aluminum cans only. Paper bins are for white and colored paper (preferably with staples and paper clips removed), newspapers, softcover books, and cardboard that has been broken down so it lays flat. Hardcover books are not acceptable. Students can recycle notebooks only after removing spiral bindings and plastic covers.

Volunteer for the community garden project

A planned garden on campus will grow produce for UVU’s food pantry as well as native Utah plants. Student volunteers help organize the project and write grants to fund it.

Volunteers appreciate the chance to build connections with faculty and outside organizations. Kaija Nielsen, a botany major and volunteer, said, “I don’t feel like I’m just a student right now. I feel like I am an active member of an important professional group of people trying to get something forward.”

Join a committee

The Sustainability Committee, the Tree Advisory Committee, and the Waste Reduction Committee implement university-wide projects – and new members are always needed. 

“The committees are a great way for students to get involved,” Richards said. “They definitely shouldn’t be intimidated being on a committee with faculty and staff.”

Any student interested in joining one of these committees or the community garden should contact her at [email protected].

*Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article mentioned plastic recycling bins at UVU. At this time, UVU is not recycling plastic materials. The article has been updated to reflect that information.