A student-led initiative through a 2016 Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Capstone project resulted in adoption of a pilot program aimed at reducing waste and improving efficiency by eliminating paper towel dispensers in Crawford Hall. Instead, energy-efficient Dyson V-Blade hand dryers were installed. In order to measure the success of this pilot program, the student group will be conducting a student survey at the end of the spring semester to determine if the waste reduction effort is sustainable.
The LEAD program at Drake seeks to bring positive social change to Drake’s campus and community by aligning students’ values with the University’s. This past semester, student groups set out to make Drake a more environmentally sustainable campus and to foster habitual environmental living within our Drake community. They chose to bring this initiative to life because they believe it is vital to the future success and excellence of Drake’s students and faculty, as well as the environment as a whole. The initiative aligns directly with the University’s mission statement and commitment to acting as engaged global citizens and champions of environmental sustainability. Their capstone outlined four main ways to address these facets of the University’s mission statement:
- Replace paper towels with hand dryers in campus building restrooms
- Start a yearly “Blue Goes Green” education and awareness week on campus
- Establish a monetary incentive for using reusable cups in campus coffee shops
- Implement a mug wall into campus coffee shops with reusable mugs that can be checked out by students
A survey was completed with responses from 170-plus students and faculty members in strong support for the implementation of hand dryers and other sustainable initiatives. Focus group sessions were then held in October with Drake students to dive deeper and gauge their feelings about the hand dryer initiative. The same ideology stood out: They all wanted to see Drake become a greener campus.
During the week of Nov. 7, 2016, students hosted a week of education to coincide with their current projects. The three activities included:
- Educating their peers on the importance of environment sustainability
- Informing them on how they can make sustainable choices while living on campus
- Communicating current green initiatives
Through a variety of activities both in-person and via social media, the week was a success. The multimedia campaign on social media included videos, shared photos, and an engagement contest. Students were interested and engaged with messages, and we received positive feedback throughout the week.
They also collaborated with President Marty Martin to produce promotional and educational videos that can be seen below:
Moments with Marty #1: https://youtu.be/GMsdsc-3ehY
Moments with Marty #2: https://youtu.be/ZK1ZeV9eniE
The student group is passionate about the hand dryer initiative at Drake and eliminating paper towel waste. This will be a huge step forward for Drake in cutting operating costs and making our University more sustainable.
—Manny Toribio, Facilities Planning and Management