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Paint Test - We’re testing “Armorwall 300” an interior wall coating that satisfies LEED credits for low emitting materials. In addition Green Seal certification has been applied for. Additionally, this paint has a very high “scrub rating”, being able to withstand 300 scrubbings without scratching. This enables us to clean the walls more often and repaint less often, saving the cost ($ and environmental) of additional painting. Our trial area is in the ground floor hallway outside of the Office of Campus Programs (room 0110) beginning at their entrance doors, including the west elevator lobby to the corner by the bank. Our plan is to monitor this area over a 6-12 month period, then decide If we want to expand this trial to other areas of the building. Go to their website

RecycleMania Update - TERPS - In the ACC, Maryland placed in the Grand Champion Top 3 bumping UNC Chapel Hill from the #3 spot. In the State of Maryland, TERPS Hang in 2nd Place. Click here for our latest progress report.

Plastic Recycling - We are pleased to share with everyone that Facilities Management now has a way to recycle all types of plastic. In the past our recycling has been limited to #1 and #2 plastics, but now anything plastic can be recycled. The only restriction is that any food containers must be clean prior to being placed in the recycling cans. Here in the Stamp, most of our plastic recycling containers have round holes, a little larger than a typical soda bottle.

Recyclemania - First the annual Recyclemania contest has begun. This is a nationwide competition among colleges and universities to see who can recycle the most in a number of different categories. Between now and the end of March we will calculate the total amount of recyclables collected on campus. These numbers will be compared to what other campuses are doing. See the this flyer for more information and remember this is a great time to clean out your office and recycle all those old magazines, files and the like. To encourage everyone to recycle, there is a “Caught you green handed” campaign where if you are caught recycling, you can enter a raffle for various prizes. Staff in our own food court are on the look out for recyclers to catch green handed, so pitch in and helps us!

Green Roof - The Atrium and Prince George's Rooms are undergoing renovations to add a new green roof. Click here to learn more.

Water Conserving Faucets - Bathroom faucets in the Stamp Student Union were recently replaced to save water, electricity, maintenance costs and to make the bathrooms more hygienic. The previous faucets, which were a traditional style faucet with leavers that turn on/off the water, were replaced with faucets that only run water when they sense users' hands under the spout. These new faucets use about 70% less water than the old faucets because they cannot be left running and they are regulated to use only 0.5 gallons per minute versus the 1.0 gallons per minute flow rate for a traditional faucet. This means the 102 new faucets in the Union are saving approximately 1,193,400 gallons of water per year. Also, considering the tremendous amount of energy required to heat water, these new faucets also save more than 29 million BTU of energy each year. The total project cost of $26,000 will be paid back through savings in a little more than two years.

Sustainable Carpets - The Stamp Student Union is gradually replacing carpet with a very environmentally preferable carpet that boasts various benefits. First, it is cleaned with only hot water – it requires no detergents or shampoos. This cuts down considerably on chemical use and simplifies the cleaning process. Second, the carpet is made of eco-friendly materials. The face fiber and backing are certified as Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP). The backing also contains bio-based renewable resources and contains 20% post consumer recycled content. Third, the carpet is installed with a low volatile organic compound (VOC) adhesive, which means better indoor air quality for visitors and employees of the Union. Fourth, at the end of its use, the carpet can be removed and recycled into new carpet, thus minimizing the amount of new material that has to be harvested or manufactured for the carpet industry

Green Cleaning – Throughout the building we use mostly green cleaning chemicals and methods. These are environmentally friendly, renewable or otherwise green. Our cleaning philosophy is to use the smallest amount of the most environmentally friendly products and chemicals, using stronger concentrations or chemicals only if needed.

Lighting – We are replacing fluorescent light bulbs with a longer life, more energy efficient bulb. These new bulbs produce twice the light and have 6 times the lifespan of the old bulbs, contain no lead and less mercury and use less energy. In many locations we are now able to use fewer bulbs per fixture with no visible decrease in light.

Living Green Off-Campus – It’s easy being green! Follow these simple tips to reduce your carbon footprint and save money! Click here to learn more.