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STEP tackles everyday, campus-wide, and global issues related to Sustainability which include: renewable energy and energy efficiency, waste reduction and closed-loop recycling, local and organic food and consumerism.

Events, Projects, and Campaigns
STEP’s projects, events and campaigns utilize techniques of Community Based Social Marketing, CBSM and focus on face-to-face communication and fun, social interactions to encourage and establish a norm of sustainability on the Yale campus.

STEP Residential College Tasks

Recycling

  • Hold study breaks in Residential Colleges to provide recycling and environmental information and hear student feedback in an upbeat social setting—example themes include sustainable food (serve local and organic food), and can recycling (distribute sodas with “Recycle me” stickers that announce one fact about recycling a can)
  • Work with RISR to assess accessibility of recycling bins; STEP coordinators place new bins where necessary—rooms, colleges, classrooms, offices, dining halls
  • Attend weekly Residential College Council meetings to publicize STEP initiatives
  • Submit weekly articles and announcements to Residential College newsletters/bulletins
  • Maintain STEP bulletin board in central location in each Residential College—post tips, ways to get involved, environmental news, announcements of upcoming events and campaigns, website and contact information
  • Provide bins to recycle batteries, ink cartridges, detergent bottles, shoes, and clothes in central Residential College locations
  • Advertise the Yale-Harvard Recycling Competition, Recycle Mania and Green Cup.

Paper

  • Distribute office paper recycling bins to every dorm room
  • Bring one-sided “scratch” paper to students’ rooms at least once a semester
  • Post instructions describing how to double-side copies over every University photocopy machine
  • Post signs to encourage frugal use of paper towels in public restrooms

Energy and water

  • Distribute door-hangers that remind students to turn off appliances/lights over breaks
  • Distribute light-switch covers with catchy reminders to turn off lights
  • Encourage use of computers’ Energy-Saver features
  • Post energy saving tips in laundry rooms—cold wash, shortened dryer time, etc.
  • Post water-saving tips in bathrooms—turn off water while brushing teeth, turn off faucets, etc.

Dining

  • Collaborate with Dining Hall Managers to recycle newspapers; set up and empty, if necessary, newspaper recycling bins inside each dining hall
  • Post signs to discourage the use of paper cups and plastic spoons in College dining halls, Commons, HGS, SOM, KBT, and the Law School
  • Coordinate with dining hall staff to move disposable cups away from beverage dispensers in order to discourage in-dining hall use
  • Sell Nalgenes and reusable coffee cups at a discounted price for “to go” beverages to replace use of disposable cups
  • Post simple, catchy signs in every dining hall reminding students to take only what they will eat
  • Set up cans & bottles recycling bins at every College study break
  • Go door-knocking to collect plastic tumblers, silverware, and tableware liberated from dining halls

Lifestyle

  • Hold freshman orientations to the STEP program through Residential College freshman counselor groups
  • Sell canvas shopping bags at a discounted price to discourage use of paper and plastic bags
  • Post information about buying environmentally friendly products—detergents, shampoos, cleaners, organic and local food, recycled paper, etc.
  • Promote “Pledge for a Sustainable Student Day” (in conjunction with YSEC)
  • Advertise green living and sustainability—wear STEP t-shirt, publicize campus-wide environmental events, advertise STEP in the Yale Daily News and The Yale Herald, give out and sell materials (magnets, low-wattage light bulbs)
  • Hold large scale events that celebrate recycling—make holiday cards and wrapping paper from recyclable materials for America Recycles Day; put signs along the major walkways with fun ecological facts on Earth Day; go through one College’s trash and put all thrown-away recyclables on the ground in a massive display of what should be recycled

STEP PROJECT TEAMS Fall 2005-Spring 2006

Integrated Waste & Discard Management
(Team Leader: Alice Appleton)

  • Promote a zero waste standard by encouraging waste reduction at Move-in, through ongoing collections, and a Massive End of the Year collection

  •  Take it or leave it boxes in each college. (collection logistics)
  • Mid-semester & End of semester drives and/or salvage sales. (Fall break, Christmas; Spring Break, End of Year).
  • Dining Hall dish collections at mid-points and end of each semester.  (Incentive Program?)
  • Coordinate Activities with Reach Out, Yale Recycling and other collection drives.
  • Plan events for America Recycles Day, Nov. 15th.
  • Host movie, awards, TV, and sporting event recycling admission nights.
  • Promote recycling at Yale Sporting events (Host tailgates, work for Yale Athletics staff at ticket tent to remind fans to recycle.
    • Yale Football Schedule 2005
      Sept. 24  CORNELL
      Oct. 1  HOLY CROSS
      Oct. 8  DARTMOUTH
      Nov. 5  BROWN
      Nov. 19  HARVARD

Energy Conservation
(Team Leader: Dominic Albino)

  • Work  to reduce energy consumption and green house gas emissions on campus by engaging students in the challenge of energy conservation via a multi media format and personal contact
  • Spearhead undergraduate division of the Yale Clean Energy & Conservation Campaign
  • Work with Office of Facilities to implement energy saving incentive program.
  • Host energy training workshops for all residential colleges. How to keep cool, stay warm info sessions.

 

 

Freshman Orientation Team:
(Team Leader: Shevaun Lewis)

  • Create a norm of sustainable behavior at Yale by making sustainability an integral part of the freshman experience
  • Assess successes and failures of recent fall events.
  • Work with Freshman Counselors to host sustainable events with freshman.
  • Strengthen ties and collaboration with FOOT. 
  • Organize Old Campus Activity Meetings
  • Uncover opportunities to incorporate sustainable living information in freshman info packets, Move-in guides and purchasing suggestions. 
  • Work with Caroline Howe to promote/sponsor Sustainability Freshman Teas or Discussion groups. 
  • Organize Old Campus Recycling or Energy Competitions.

Communications & Marketing Team
(Team Leader: Kathryn Matlack)

  • Creatively market & publicize STEP events and sustainability initiatives on campus.
  • STEP Website Updates, YDN Articles, editorials, cartoons, Yale Bulletin event postings (classifieds, weekly events). YTV, Yale Station postings, Elms Magazine Submissions, photo-journalism, STEP scrap-book.
  • Emailing and contact with other environmental groups on campus. 
  • Student Rep of Communications & Marketing Taskforce.
  • STEP Lunch/coffee Discussion Groups, mini-interviews, Question of the week? Quote, Tip, Fact of the week

Off-Campus Team
(Team Leader: Sarah Jane Selig)

  • Provide information on sustainable apartment living and educate students about energy conservation, recycling and green purchasing.
  • Host Off-Campus Happy Hours to distribute bins, cfls and sustainable guidelines.
  • Communicate with Off-campus students via e-newsletters, email, and web-site postings.

STEP Project Team Reports: Spring 2005

Project Team

Objective

Goals

Accomplishments

Freshman Outreach & Orientation

To create a norm of sustainable behavior at Yale by making sustainability an integral part of the freshman experience. 
  • Collaborate with freshman counselors, FOOT, and organizers of freshman orientation. 
  • Identify opportunities to engage and maintain freshman interest in sustainability initiatives on campus.
  • First STEP and Freshman Counselor pizza night and information exchange. 
  • Sustainability Poster Contest and fall poster distribution
  • STEP & FOOT  will team-up for Freshman orientation skit
  • Design and distribution of Campus Sustainability Welcome Package for next fall. 
  • Planning Sustainability themed Freshman Master’s Teas and event series. 

 Waste Reduction & Collections

To promote a zero waste standard by encouraging waste reduction at Move in, through ongoing collections, and a Massive End of the Year collection.
  • Identify hot spots areas for type and quantity of waste.
  • Designate clearly marked, attractive, and well placed collection bins for these items
  • Encourage recycling of used items on campus between students, staff and Yale community and donations of items to local charities.
  • Quantify waste reduction efforts by calculating bags collected and distributed.
  • During the bi-monthly STEP activity meetings, all 12 residential colleges have been stormed at least once by the team of 24 STEP Coordinators collecting a total of 6 large blue bags filled with recyclables in each campus run.
  • Sorted through, picked up and donated 23 bags of clothing and shoes to Salvation Army and 15 bags of clothing to the Reach Out (alternative spring break program that donates the items to families in South America).
  • Initiated a food waste reduction poster campaign and dining hall plate and utensil return boxes have been placed outside each of the 12 dining halls to save money on lost dinnerware.
  • In the process of planning logistics and awareness for the End of the Year Move Out collection. 

Energy Campaign & Energy Forums:

 

To work with the Yale Energy Taskforce Education Outreach Committee to reduce energy consumption and green house gas emissions on campus by engaging students in the challenge of energy conservation via a multi media format and personal contact.
  • Inform the undergraduate community about Yale’s current energy practices and future conservation strategies.
  • Solicit feedback on areas that require improvement and on best ways to engage the students.
  • Yale 2005 Energy Survey: 1063 students or (20% of the student population) responded to the survey.
  • Key Findings:
    • Over 70% of respondents think that it is important for Yale to be a model of energy efficiency and green house gas reduction and to teach its students to be energy conscious citizens and that Yale is only moderately visible and effective in these efforts so far.
    • Over 80% of respondents would be wiling to pay $10 per year (27.4% would pay $30) to help Yale reduce emissions and save energy. 

 Recycling Incentive Program

To design a recycling incentive system that builds upon the past successes of Green Cup (the intercollegiate recycling competition).
  • Identify barriers that prevent students from recycling
  • Test incentive program and assess success
  • Residential Colleges have hosted successful recycling nights and study breaks in which recyclables are exchanged for “buttery bucks” or organic food. 
  • Silliman College piloted the first in a series of “Special Event Recycling Nights” in which recyclables were used as admission tickets to the viewing of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championships on the college’s larger screen TV.   

 Move Out Collection and Move In Sale

To reduce the amount of “stuff” that is thrown out at the end of the year especially in dorms that are to be renovated and do not have summer storage.
  • To promote a culture of reuse and establish a system of end of year collection and Fall resale that funds STEP waste reduction efforts with the profits from sales. 
  • In process: Pilot project in Trumbull College that will collect, store and host a Fall re-sale of excess “stuff” that is collected above and beyond what can be donated to local charities.  A sale will take place on Old Campus during freshman move-in.


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