As Earth Day approaches on April 22, many people are increasing their focus on sustainable ways of working and living. Missouri State University is a local leader in such efforts, and has several programs and initiatives that decrease waste and energy consumption.

“The university is committed to sustainability, and because of its unique position in society, is well-positioned to adopt and model sustainable actions to the surrounding community and to educate students in life-long strategies for sustainable living,” said Jordan Schanada, sustainability coordinator at Missouri State.

Programs and initiatives

Missouri State has steadily increased its sustainability efforts over recent years by establishing projects such as:

• Eco-Reps — Students provide sustainability education to their peers
• Green Teams — Office or department teams that work to reduce their environmental footprints
• Student sustainability fund
• Energy initiatives like LED lighting; occupancy sensors that turn lights off in hallways when no one has been in them for a set period of time; and timers on water heaters, water fountains and vending machines
• Carbon Foodprint software, which tracks waste generation and energy and water consumption to show areas for improvement
• Trayless dining, which saves 875,000 gallons of water per year
• Campus garden

One of the latest intiatives are the ZipGrow Towers.

“Just in the last couple of years we have incorporated sustainability into the curriculum with the new sustainability minor,” said Schanda. “This minor is interdisciplinary and the wide range of classes available ensure that it will complement just about any major on campus.”

Energy-saving competitions

Missouri State also has two major sustainability competitions running on campus. RecycleMania is a national competition where universities compete to see which one can recycle the most reusable material such as paper and plastic. Flip the Switch is a university-wide competition in which Bears join together to reduce energy across campus.

Racing Extinction

An outdoor screening of the documentary “Racing Extinction,” which exposes issues of endangered species and mass extinction, will be held at 8 p.m. April 22. The screening will be held at the Betty and Bobby Allison North Stadium, 730 E. Cherry St. and will be hosted by the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, sustainability, Sigma Kappa and Missouri State dining services.

“Through education and community outreach, we work to provide students with the knowledge and skills to be environmentally responsible citizens and consider the global ramifications of their actions and the actions of others around them,” said Schanada.