Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.

Sustainability

Waste Reduction

Recycling on campus 

Recycling stations are available in every building on campus, including every residence hall. The college recycles aluminum cans, plastic (#1 through #7), office paper, and newspaper through MinnKota Recycling.

Bins for plastic and aluminum are in nearly every building, with office paper recycling bins available in every computer lab and other campus locations. Magazines and catalogs can be recycled in the post office, and newspapers can be recycled near all newspaper stands.

Tin, cardboard and paperboard, and batteries are also recycled on campus. Tin recycling is available in residence hall kitchens and near the ATM in Knutson Campus Center. Cardboard can be flattened and left for recycling near any garbage or recycling bin. Batteries can be recycled near the post office boxes or at the Mugaas Physical Plant.

Concordia students have a history of leading the way with recycling. Until recently, Minnkota did not provide pickup services for glass. Concordia students organized and transported the recyclables themselves. Green, brown and clear glass recycling bins are located in Offutt Concourse, Brown Hall, Knutson Campus Center and the Bogstad apartments.

Reduced printing

Concordia has a UniPrint system in the residence hall computer labs and the library. The UniPrint system can track paper usage and manage printing.

Often, students accidentally print additional copies of their papers by hitting print by mistake or not realizing which printer they are using. UniPrint requires that students type in their username and password at the printer before the paper is printed – dramatically reducing paper waste. The reduction should save paper and ink, as well as associated costs. In the library, this decreased paper use by almost 20%!

Trash-free classrooms

Concordia has trash-free classrooms. There is one trash can located on most floors of each academic building, right next to recycling bins. We found that many recyclable items were thrown in the trash because the bin was more convenient. This way, the bins are equally convenient, and many students now chose to recycle.