Sustainability at PSC
Overview
The students, faculty, staff and administration of Prairie State College are committed to improving and protecting the environment while promoting fiscal and social responsibility. We seek to educate students to understand the pressures facing the local and global environment and to increase their awareness of the importance of the “green economy.” We will also provide the skills and knowledge they will need to address the social and environmental issues that are important to our community and to support public policies that will contribute to an excellent quality of life both now and in the future.
Sustainability Strategy
The sustainability efforts of PSC are guided by its Sustainability Strategy which is outlined by the Priority Areas below.
Priority Areas
Education
The aim of this priority area is to integrate content from all of the other priority areas into classrooms and other college programs for students, staff, faculty and the greater community.
Energy
Energy refers to the use of energy in all of its forms by and for the college and its community.
Social Responsibility
This area encompasses the social footprint of the college (including topics of food security, personal well-being, representation in governance, social equality, etc.).
Material Flows
Material flows refer to the paths that different materials (paper, food, water, products, etc.) take in their interaction with campus operations, including where they come from and what happens to them after they leave the college.
Emissions & Effluents
This priority area addresses the non-solid waste products (including greenhouse gas emissions) of the college or those produced on the college’s behalf.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity - or the variety and abundance of life in a given area - is a priority of the college to allow PSC’s campus to operate as a habitat for living organisms.
Recognition and Membership
PSC is an active Lead Member of the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN), and a member of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) Center, and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
In addition to these state and national organizations, PSC also has regular representation on the Sustainability Committee of the South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium (SMHEC), the Prairie State Regional Sustainability Network (PSRSN), and the Chicago Southland Green Committee.
Sustainability Film Series - Guerilla Gardener
December 3, 2020
This month Sustainability Film Series participants watched and discussed a TED Talk about a “guerilla gardener” in South Los Angeles. Social justice, health and nutrition, and sustainable agriculture were just a few of the many themes covered in this video and our group’s discussion.
Sustainability Film Series - The Pollinators
November 5, 2020
PSC’s Student Sustainability Club hosted this month’s Sustainability Film Series event which centered on the film The Pollinators. They guided an engaging conversation about the importance of pollinators in our environment and economy, and some of the threats they currently face.
Campus Cleanup
October 22, 2020
The Student Sustainability Club cleared 50 pounds of trash out of the campus Nature Preserve and encouraged others to participate in their neighborhoods. With much of the brush starting to die down, it is much easier to collect hard-to-reach litter in the fall than in the summer.
First Alternative Energy Course Offering
October 2020
In fall 2020, PSC offered its first section of a new Alternative Energy course - the first in a series of courses that now allow students to pursue certificates in wind and solar, or an Industrial Electrician A.A.S. with a focus on wind or solar. The renewable energy industry is seeing immense growth as the world aims to meet its energy demand while curbing carbon emissions. To learn more about this program, contact Georgia Karras at gkarras@prairiestate.edu or Denny Bracket at dbrackett@prairiestate.edu.
Solar Project Construction Begins
October 12, 2020
Installation of a 550 kilowatt rooftop solar array on campus buildings began in mid-October. This project will cover the roofs of the Main Building, Library, Tech Wing, and Adult Training and Outreach Center (ATOC) with about 1,500 solar panels. Once complete, this array will also serve as a living teaching tool for students in PSC’s new renewable energy courses.
The video below shows a time-lapse of the racking and panel system going in on ATOC.
https://youtu.be/e3CyUb-fIas
Sustainability Film Series Goes Virtual
October 1, 2020
The first Sustainability Film Series event of the fall 2020 semester was shifted to a virtual format due to the ongoing pandemic. In this month’s virtual event, the group discussed the film The End Of Meat, which explores the environmental and social issues with reliance on animal products.
First Honey Harvest
September 10, 2020
In September, PSC’s Student Sustainability Club helped to extract the first harvest of honey from the beehive. The yield in this first year of operation was modest, but this was an exciting milestone in the life of the hive!
Preserve Trail Project Approved
August 25, 2020
The Board of Trustees approved a project to build an ADA-compliant walking trail through the PSC Nature Preserve. This includes rest points along the trail and a footbridge across Thorn Creek to allow easier access from the main campus. This project will be funded in large part by a grant secured from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
LED Conversions
July 30, 2020
With many rooms unoccupied on campus due to the pandemic, the Sustainability and Facilities departments teamed up to replace nearly 1,200 fluorescent lamps in the Main building and Tech wing with free LEDs through a ComEd incentive program. This will save an estimated 62,000 kilowatt-hours, 3,970 kg of CO2 emissions, and $4k per year!
Sustainability Update: Summer 2020
July 20, 2020
The Sustainability Update is a quarterly newsletter produced by the office of Sustainability at Prairie State College. It strives to connect the PSC community with sustainability-related resources and events and improve overall sustainability literacy on campus.
Virtual Earth Week
April 24, 2020
The pandemic forced the Sustainability Committee to offer Earth Week activities online this year. Recorded presentations, sustainability-related resources, and other programming was delivered in daily emails to the campus community, with each day’s programs revolving around one of the six Priority Areas of PSC’s Sustainability Strategy
Sustainability Update: Spring 2020
April 6, 2020
The Sustainability Update is a quarterly newsletter produced by the office of Sustainability at Prairie State College. It strives to connect the PSC community with sustainability-related resources and events and improve overall sustainability literacy on campus.
Virtual Sustainability Film Screening
April 3, 2020
Adapting to the constraints of the pandemic, the Sustainability Club shifted their film screening of Minimalism to an online watch party and discussion. Minimalism highlights a lifestyle of “enough” while following two self-described minimalists in their journey to provide others with this alternative to constant thoughtless consumerism.
Second RSF Project Approved
March 3, 2020
The second round of applications for the Revolving Sustainability Fund (RSF) closed at the end of February, and in March, the Sustainability Committee approved one new RSF project. This project will purchase new reusable tablecloths for Student Affairs to eliminate their need for single-use plastic tablecloths for student events. This is projected to save about 140 tablecloths and $250 from going to waste each year. The RSF will fund this purchase upfront and will be paid back over time by these savings enabling other projects in the future.
Sustainability Film Series
February 19, 2020
The Sustainability Film Series kicked off on February 19 with the “Frozen Worlds” episode of the Our Planet series, followed by a discussion about climate change. About 40 students attended and contributed to a lively discussion about human impacts on the climate and the natural world led by several members of PSC’s Sustainability Committee. The next film in the Sustainability Film Series was going to be, RiverBlue, which highlights environmental and social issues in the fashion/textile industry, however, due to COVID-19 campus closures, other options are being considered.
Sustainability Club Valentine’s Day Fundraiser
February, 13, 2020
The Student Sustainability Club held its first fundraiser of 2020, selling a more sustainable version of the popular Valentine’s Day gift: roses. They created origami flowers out of would-be waste paper and included a packet of prairie rose seeds. When planted, these will yield flowers for years instead of wilting after a few days like a bouquet of cut roses.
Sustainability Update: Winter 2019-2020
February 6, 2020
The Sustainability Update is a quarterly newsletter produced by the office of Sustainability at Prairie State College. It strives to connect the PSC community with sustainability-related resources and events and improve overall sustainability literacy on campus.
PSC Upcycle Competition
November 13, 2019
PSC’s first-ever Upcycle-palooza’s main event was the student Upcycle Competition. Student groups and individuals were invited to submit creations made from would-be waste materials. Seven very impressive creations were entered into the competition, including a working wind turbine, a vinyl-record coffee table, and an artistic meditation device. However, the winner was a backgammon board made from old electronic components submitted by Jahlel, an Industrial Electrician student. Congratulations to Jahlel and all of the students who participated in the competition!
Reusable Whiteboard Markers Pilot
November 12, 2019
The Revolving Sustainability Fund (RSF) funded its first project this fall semester. This project, submitted by the biology department, retired their single-use whiteboard markers (that go to the landfill after about a week of use) in favor of refillable markers that can be used for years and are fully recyclable at the end of their lives. Along with reducing the waste our classes produce, this will save the biology department about $145 each year, paying back the full project cost in less than three years.
Sustainability Update: Fall 2019
October 10, 2019
The Sustainability Update is a quarterly newsletter produced by the office of Sustainability at Prairie State College. It strives to connect the PSC community with sustainability-related resources and events and improve overall sustainability literacy on campus.
Meatless Event
October 9, 2019
The Student Sustainability Club held a meatless tasting event in the atrium. The students allowed people to try Impossible Whoppers from Burger King as well as chips made from cricket powder. These foods highlight how companies are working to bring more sustainable proteins to consumers who understand the negative environmental impacts of the meat industry.
Electric Vehicles at Touch-a -Truck
September 21, 2019
For the first time since the event began, electric vehicles (EVs) were represented at the Touch-a-Truck event at PSC’s Transportation, Warehousing, and Logistics building. With increasing use of electrified vehicles in company fleets and among everyday consumers, their presence at these events is becoming more important. PSC’s Sustainability Coordinator and Photographer shared their plug-in hybrid cars with event attendees and answered questions about EVs.
Homewood Disposal Tour
September 19, 2019
The Student Sustainability Club took a tour of Homewood Disposal’s transfer facility to learn more about how recycled products are processed for use in new products. Watch the video here.
Watch The Homewood Recycling Plant Tour
Commuter Survey of PSC Community
August 5, 2019
A survey of the PSC community was conducted in spring 2019 to help the college quantify its indirect carbon footprint, and understand what the college could do to enable people to engage in more sustainable and healthier modes of transportation.
A Bench Made of Bottle Caps
July 13, 2019
In July, a project which started in spring 2018 culminated in the installation of a new bench at PSC's Matteson Area Center (MAC). But this bench was different from others in that it was created from 250 pounds of bottle caps and lids that had been collected by the PSC community over the past year.
These caps had served their purpose in the bottles and yogurt containers for which they were originally created. But the value of the materials in them will continue to be utilized in the form of this "new" bench.
PSC Seeds a Revolving Sustainability Fund
July 10, 2019
Seed funding of $10,000 was approved to finance internal projects that meet two key criteria:
- have a positive return on investment
- make a positive sustainability impact (save energy, water, waste, material, etc.)
Approved projects will be paid for upfront by this fund. Future savings will then be used to replenish the fund and enable other projects. Details on the application process will be made clear in the coming months.
To learn more about what are generically called "Green Revolving Funds," check out the Billion Dollar Green Challenge here.
Sustainability Update: Summer 2019
June 4, 2019
The Sustainability Update is a quarterly newsletter produced by the office of Sustainability at Prairie State College. It strives to connect the PSC community with sustainability-related resources and events and improve overall sustainability literacy on campus.
PSC’s New Beehive
May 30, 2019
Prairie State College recently adopted a colony of honey bees, which will provide pollinating services to our campus Nature Preserve and the surrounding area. Bees play a critical role in the reproductive lives of flowering plants, including many staple crops.
Resident Beekeeper and PSC Economics Professor Michael Massengill will work with students to conduct weekly hive inspections and harvest honey when the time is right. The bees will also serve as a hands-on teaching tool for biology students learning about pollination.
Earth Week 2019
May 5, 2019
Between April 22 and 27, Prairie State College held eight sustainability-related events as an extended Earth Day celebration. These events covered many topics, including climate change, pollinators, native species, electric vehicles, sustainability in Native American culture, and geologic resources.
Attendees also helped catalog PSC's Nature Preserve during the annual BioBlitz and enjoyed hands-on learning activities at the annual Kids@College Go Green event.
Student Sustainability Summit
April 12, 2019
Several PSC students and faculty attended this year’s Student Sustainability Summit at Governors State University. Presenters at the summit addressed the group on topics from renewable energy to invasive species removal and prevention.
The students networked with like-minded students at other colleges and met with representatives from various organizations in the area with sustainability-related missions, employment and volunteering opportunities
PSC Nature Preserve Cleanup
April 6, 2019
A team of students and faculty members volunteered their Saturday mornings to help clean up our campus Nature Preserve just in time for spring. The group filled about 20 garbage bags with trash, including lots of plastic bags, bottles, fast food packaging, wrappers, and even a pager!
Thanks to all who came out!
Don't contribute to the problem: use durable, reusable goods whenever possible, and don't litter
Sustainability Update: Spring 2019
March 27, 2019
The Sustainability Update is a quarterly newsletter produced by the office of Sustainability at Prairie State College. It strives to connect the PSC community with sustainability-related resources and events and improve overall sustainability literacy on campus.
Conscious Consumerism
February 25, 2020
As part of the "Learning at Lunch" series hosted by PSC's HR department, Sustainability Coordinator, Joel Nightingale gave a presentation to various staff and faculty members about being a "conscious consumer." The presentation included using tools from the Global Footprint Network and Good Guide to understand how our personal habits impact the environment and what we can do to improve.
Sustainability Update: Winter 2018-2019
February 4, 2019
The Sustainability Update is a quarterly newsletter produced by the office of Sustainability at Prairie State College. It strives to connect the PSC community with sustainability-related resources and events and improve overall sustainability literacy on campus.
Meatless Tasting Event
January 23, 2019
The PSC Student Sustainability Club introduced many on campus to plant-based meat alternatives, including Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Attendees tasted a meatless chicken alternative and two different types of plant-based hamburger.
Animal-based meat products are very resource intensive, which means shifting to a more plant-based diet can significantly reduce one's environmental footprint. While a quarter-pound burger may only cost the consumer a few dollars, the production of that beef costs the environment dozens (if not hundreds) of gallons of water, about 13 pounds of feed, 65 square feet of land, and about 4 pounds of atmospheric carbon.
Sustainability Update: Fall 2018
October 18, 2018
The Sustainability Update is a quarterly newsletter produced by the office of Sustainability at Prairie State College. It strives to connect the PSC community with sustainability-related resources and events and improve overall sustainability literacy on campus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I recycle on campus?
Paper must be clean and dry to be recyclable (no soiled pizza boxes, for example)
- everyday printer paper
- newspapers
- brochures
- magazine
- cardboard boxes
- milk cartons
- poster board
Plastic must be free of any food residue to be acceptable in our recycling
- water/soda bottles
- take-out containers (free of food and debris)
- yogurt containers
Metals are some of the easiest to recycle but should also be rinsed out before disposing
- aluminum cans
- food cans
What's the best way for me to get involved in sustainability on campus?
If you're a student, join the Student Sustainability Club!
If you're a staff or faculty member, the best way to get involved may be to get in touch with the Sustainability Committee.
Where can I recycle/dispose of electronics, expired medicine, paints, etc.?
This helpful guide can help you find nearby recycling/disposal options for many odd waste streams. Also, look out for collection events that are often sent out in the Sustainability Update newsletter.
Are there resources available for efficiency projects at PSC?
Yes! Prairie State College has a Revolving Sustainability Fund (also known as a Green Revolving Fund) which can internally finance projects with both (1) positive financial returns on investment and (2) other (non-monetary) resource savings. For more information check out the RSF here.
I have an idea for a sustainability-related campus project. What should I do?
You can get in touch with PSC’s Sustainability Coordinator!
Can I charge my electric vehicle (EV) on campus? If so, how?
Yes! The college offers free EV charging to the PSC community via three level-2 charge ports on the west side of the Tech wing of the Main Building. Each of these ports can add up to 25 miles of range to an EV per hour of charging. To start a charging session, you’ll need to set up a free account with ChargePoint. Then you can use your smartphone or ChargePoint card to start a session.
Revolving Sustainability Fund
Fundamental to sustainability are long-term thinking and planning for the future. But in a world where putting out daily fires can be an all-consuming distraction, more immediate needs often take precedence over progress towards a sustainable future.
Green Revolving Funds are one way that some institutions encourage long-term thinking and continuous improvement. PSC’s Revolving Sustainability Fund was seeded in 2019 with $10,000 to help source and enable sustainability-related project ideas from the on-campus community. Anyone on campus (including students, faculty, and staff) are encouraged to submit project ideas!
How it works:
Project Eligibility:
Projects must meet two key criteria:
- A positive financial return on investment (i.e. the project will pay for itself over time)
- A positive sustainability impact (reduced waste, water use, energy use, emissions, etc.)
Example:
PSC’s Biology Department noticed that the typical single-use whiteboard markers used in class ran out of ink quickly and weren’t recyclable or reusable. They proposed an RSF project to purchase reusable/refillable whiteboard markers for the department.The Sustainability Committee approved the project, and the markers and refill ink were purchased. The new markers are fully recyclable, and they can be refilled with ink and reused for many years. This project eliminates the waste of hundreds of markers used by the department each year and also reduces marker costs since it is cheaper to purchase ink than a whole new marker.
How to apply:
If you have an idea for a potential RSF project, get in touch with PSC’s Sustainability Coordinator
If your project is already well-developed, you can fill out this form to formally apply for RSF funding. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but are reviewed and approved in two batches each year. The deadline for the fall batch is September 30. The deadline for the spring batch is February 28 (or 29).