The Business Honors Program hosts the third Annual Sustainability Day today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to inform students about better environmental choices at UA.
Members of the program will be on the quad with free snow cones and on the Ferguson Center Plaza with free Chick-fil-A coupons and other giveaways, said Caroline Murray, president of the Business Honors Program’s Sustainability Committee.
Along with this, a natural gas vehicle will be in front of Morgan Hall to give students the opportunity to learn about the practical uses of natural gas, Murray said. Bob Strickland, manager of the Natural Gas Transportation Agency at Alagasco, will give an additional seminar on the future of fuel in America at 7 p.m., in Alston Room 40.
“The goal of Sustainability Day is to make students aware of the vast resources available to them on this campus in terms of making environmentally friendly decisions,” Murray said.
After conducting a survey in the fall semester, the program found that students are not opposed to recycling and similar behaviors but don’t know where to begin, Murray said.
“We aren’t out to radically change anyone’s lifestyle,” Murray said. “We want students to realize how much of an impact their actions are having and that they have the resources to control if that impact is positive or negative.”
Bama Dining will also be hosting a “Clean Your Plate” campaign to bring light to the amount of food wasted by students in the all-you-can-eat style dining halls.
“If students bring a clear plate to the dish return, they will have a chance to spin our prize wheel where they can win a Tide Tumbler, t-shirt or sustainability bag,” said Kelsey Faust, Bama Dining marketing manager. “Burke, Lakeside and Fresh Foods will also serve a sustainable and green menu.”
One goal for the day is to draw attention to the off-campus recycling drop located behind the Ancillary Building at 1115 14th St., Murray said.
“[The recycling drop] is such a convenient resource that takes pretty much everything except glass, which Target takes,” Murray said.
Lauren Byrd, vice president of the Sustainability Day Committee, said that although recycling efforts continue to increase on campuses nationwide, many students do not realize the amenities that exist to make recycling easier.
“We want to educate students that it is easy being green,” Byrd said. “Recycling on and off campus is a lot easier than most students may think, and we also want to give other sustainability tips including easier ways to save energy in students everyday lives.”
