Housing and Residence Life is continually striving to improve the sustainability of our campus community. Explore our sustainability webpage to see what we are doing right now to make us more environmentally friendly.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding sustainability at UWEC, click here. We would love to hear from you!

---

---

---

Housing and Residence Life Sustainability Initiatives

The Think Tank:
• Uses 100% recycled white paper
• Uses 30% recycled color paper
• Save and try to reuse scraps
• Has carpet that is made out of recycled material and can be recycled at the end of its life. If necessary, each 2’x2’ piece of the carpet can be easily removed and replaced without replacing the entire room’s carpet.

Residence Halls:
• Individual recycling containers in each room
• Paper and commingled recycling bins on each floor
• Light bulb and battery recycling station located at/behind the front desk
• Motion sensor lights located in residence halls
• Recyclable carpeting in all halls
• Low flow shower heads

General Operations:
• Energy efficient window upgrade
• Energy efficient HVAC system upgrade
• Battery operated utility vehicle

    

Tips

Here are ten tips you can do to become more eco friendly:

1. RECYCLE!!
   Within the residence halls or around campus, please feel free to recycle any of the above items!
2. Lights out: Turn off the lights when you leave a room!
   And flip the switch if you see lights left on in unoccupied classrooms, study areas, and even every time you leave your room or bathroom.
3. Give it a rest: Switch off computers/monitors at night
   Turning off your computer actually reduces heat stress and wear on your system while saving energy. Turn off that screen saver! Because of new technology, screen savers do not actually save energy unless they turn off your screen or back light of your laptop. Instead, turn your monitor off when your computer will not be in use.
4. Use less stuff
   Keep a reusable mug or water bottle with you. You’re beverage will hold its temperature longer and you can cut down on the amount of plastic you use
5. Be water wise
   Report leaky faucets to your RA or front desk and make sure that you always turn faucets and showers completely off. Use cold water when washing clothes to be more energy efficient. Taking shorter showers, even if by a minute, can save several gallons of water.
6. Unplug Electronics
   Unplug your cell phone chargers, game councils and hair irons and other electronics when not in use, if they are plugged in even if turned off, they still consume energy
7. Don’t go alone: Carpool
   Hang out with friends while carpooling to the mall or grocery store
8. Try the bus
   Going downtown? The bus provides free public transportation (www.uwec.edu/parking/busing.htm)
9. Use that Backpack!
   Do you really need a bag? If you carry a backpack use it! When purchasing items on campus, ask yourself if items you purchase will fit in your backpack instead of taking a disposable bag.
10. Close the loop
    Buy recycled material! Take a look at the label before you make your next purchase, especially with paper products

---

---