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Celebrating Marianne Martin’s Lasting Impact on �� Boulder

Jenna Morrow — Tue, 06 May 2025 17:28:04 +0000

Celebrating Marianne Martin’s Lasting Impact on �� Boulder Jenna Morrow Tue, 05/06/2025 - 11:28

After more than 25 years of extraordinary service to �� Boulder, Marianne Martin is retiring at the end of this month. As Associate Director of the Environmental Center, Marianne has been a driving force behind many of the university’s most innovative and influential sustainability efforts. Her legacy spans decades, programs, and people—and reflects the kind of leadership the Environmental Center has fostered over its 55-year history.

Marianne began her journey at �� Boulder as a student where she was active with Wilderness Study Group. After helping start a non-profit after graduating, she joined the Environmental Center staff in 1998 and has dedicated her professional career to building a more just, sustainable campus. Under her leadership, the Center’s staff and budget quadrupled. She played a key role in developing institutional sustainability plans and initiatives that set �� Boulder apart nationally such as; Sustainable �� Grants, EcoReps in the residence halls, One Million Acts of Green, green purchasing programs, sustainable food, and campus pollinator gardens, and the Green Office certification program. She also launched programs that engage students directly in sustainability careers and changemaking, including the Campus Sustainability Roundtable, Teach for Sustainability internship, and sustainability action teams. She’s been a collaborator on partnerships such as Ralphie’s Green Stampede, FLOWS, relocating the campus recycling center and the Williams Village greenhouse.

For over a decade, Marianne led the charge to bring the national Bioneers conference to �� Boulder as well as the Annual Campus Sustainability Summits. These events connected students and community with a powerful mix of environmental justice, cutting edge scientific solutions, and sustainable leaders from across sectors. She built community coalitions, coordinated logistics, and inspired innovation across campus, year after year. Her work was recognized in 2014 with the “Women Who Make a Difference” award, and most recently, she received the �� Boulder Campus Sustainability Legacy Achievement Award for her enduring impact.

Beyond programs and plans, Marianne’s greatest legacy may be her mentorship. Hundreds of students and staff have grown under her guidance to become sustainability leaders in their own communities. She’s known for cultivating a culture of collaboration, care, and purpose that will continue to shape the Environmental Center for years to come.

As Marianne retires, we extend our deepest gratitude. Thank you, Marianne, for your unwavering commitment, your vision, and your heart. You’ve made �� Boulder a better place and your legacy will continue to inspire change for generations.

Photos from the archives:

After more than 25 years of extraordinary service to �� Boulder, Marianne Martin is retiring at the end of this month.

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The current state of composting at �� Boulder

Jenna Morrow — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 22:14:01 +0000

The current state of composting at �� Boulder Jenna Morrow Wed, 04/16/2025 - 16:14

For the past two years �� staff and our regional partners have worked to ensure the continued operation of composting on campus. In 2023, our regional composter switched to only accepting food and yard waste, and no compostable materials like napkins or compostable packaging. Since these changes �� has continued to be able to compost 80% of the material that used to be composted on campus. While public facing compost bins had to be removed, staff on campus are working to expand compost access on campus.

One such effort is being led by �� Facilities Management. They are spearheading a pilot program to place small food scrap buckets in kitchenettes and discreet areas around campus. For example, in the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community (SEEC) building, there are buckets in several of the kitchens used by students and staff.

“I started this pilot a year and a half ago, as a demonstration,” says Barry Sparks, Outreach Manager for �� Facilites Management. “We wanted to see how it would work, if it was possible, how much labor it would take. Now we know that it’s possible, we just need to take it to scale.” Each week, Sparks empties the small buckets into a larger compost receptacle, which he then takes to the on-campus Grounds and Recycling Operations Center (GROC), where it’s combined with other food waste for composting. The buckets are currently in 8 locations across campus, with the hope of eventually placing them in every academic and administrative building across campus.

Another effort to divert edible food waste from disposal on campus is being led by �� Dining Services. This involves collecting food scraps produced during food prep and transporting it to a local regenerative farm, Golden Hoof. These scraps feed livestock, like chickens and pigs. This not only diverts food waste from the landfill, but it also reduces the need to grow and produce food for the animals, resulting in a win-win for the environment. Misty Bergstrom, Banquet Captain for �� Catering, leads the collection of food waste from her team.

“In catering and dining halls, there is so much food waste,” says Bergstrom. “If we can divert just a little bit of that and help support a local farm, we feel good about that. All the chefs are very excited about being able to do this.”

The Golden Hoof scrap program is currently taking place at the UMC and C4C, with hopes to expand it to Will Vill in the future. Dining Services also composts hundreds of tons of food waste per year from food prep in kitchens as well as from food scraps left over by students when plates are washed in the dish rooms.

Another program to increase composting is handled by the Environmental Center’s Zero Waste Team. During large events like football games, basketball games and concerts, a team of students sort all waste following the event. Students set up tables, wear gloves and hand sort through hundreds of bags of compost and recycling. Dumpsters dedicated to landfill, recycling and compostable items capture the separated materials, which are hauled to each respective facility for processing. During the 2024 football season, the Environmental Center partnered with �� Athletics, Levy Restaurants, Facilities Management, and A1 Organics to pilot a high-quality compost load containing hand-sorted food waste and CMA certified compostable service wares. This process ensures that only the pre-approved materials were purchased for food service and produced a very desirable mixture to be processed at the local compost facility. CMA certified compostable products are tested and verified to break down properly in industrial composting facilities. Thanks to the dedication of this team effort, 17,572 pounds of organic materials were successfully composted this season. Ultimately, with lessons learned from 2023, we need to keep in mind the goal is to transition away from single use systems.

The Zero Waste team is looking at the changes in accepted compost as an exciting opportunity to rethink the way our food disposal and purchasing systems work. ��’s newly adopted Climate Action Plan calls for reducing waste, phasing out single-use plastics, and switching to more reusables for some operations. Instead of continuing to have single-use, compostable products like to-go boxes and cups, �� could implement a reusable system. This might change to all reusables for dining, whether you are eating in-house or taking it to-go. The to-go item would be checked out during food purchase and then returned by the user to be washed, sanitized, and used again. This could help cut down on the “take, make, waste” system of single-use items and create a more sustainable model for our campus.

Students can help bolster these efforts by advocating for programs, getting involved with the Environmental Center or sharing ideas with student government. �� has been a national leader when it comes to sustainability initiatives on campus, and with our new Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Sustainability, the future looks bright for �� to continue carving a path for innovation. If you have ideas on how to solve the single-use issue, sign up for the 32nd Annual Campus Sustainability Summit April 22-23rd.

Despite recent changes in regional composting rules, �� Boulder continues to lead innovative composting and food waste diversion efforts across campus from pilot programs and partnerships with local farms to game day waste sorting and a push for reusables.

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Give and Go: Move-Out 2025

Jenna Morrow — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:17:07 +0000

Give and Go: Move-Out 2025 Jenna Morrow Wed, 04/16/2025 - 15:17

Spring has arrived, and that means �� Boulder students are moving out! With nearly 8,300 first-year students living on campus, the �� Environmental Center is preparing for the annual Give and Go Drive. Drop off stations will be set up in 26 campus halls in common rooms starting April 18 until May 8 to collect items in good condition for donation.

The donated items we will be accepting are clothing, furniture, non-perishable food, personal care products, and school supplies. These items will then be collected and processed by our partners—Resource Central, �� Distribution Center, Basic Needs Center, Buff Pantry, and the newly opened �� Surplus store—to be distributed at little or no cost to those in need, most items will go back to our local community. Last year, an incredible 21 tons of items were donated, as well as diverting 14% of usable goods that could have ended up in a landfill.

By donating, you’re helping to build a circular economy, reducing waste, and strengthening our Buff culture of sustainability. Want to do even more? Volunteer! We’re looking for dedicated individuals to assist with collection and distribution efforts. It is a great way to give back to your city and by getting involved!

Join us in making this move-out season more sustainable and impactful!

Additionally, if you or anyone you may know is interested in participating in the cycle of re-use, Resource Central will be hosting a �� Yard sale for items collected from Move Out on May 17th, starting at 9am. At this sale you can shop for gently used lamps, decorations, storage bins, and fans which will cost significantly less than buying new products while enjoying local music.

Help make move-out season more sustainable by donating gently used items through the Give and Go Drive or volunteering to support collection efforts—plus, don’t miss the �� Yard Sale on May 17!

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Celebrating 55 years at the Environmental Center

Jenna Morrow — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:59:04 +0000

Celebrating 55 years at the Environmental Center Jenna Morrow Wed, 04/16/2025 - 11:59

At the Environmental Center, we love to find reasons to celebrate. Whether it’s walking in the �� Homecoming Parade or congratulating an ECenter alumni on an awesome job they got after graduation, there are many ways to reflect on our work and why we do what we do here.

And guess what, this year, we are celebrating longevity and symmetry... it’s our 55th Anniversary! How cool is that? In honor of 55 years, we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the milestones along our journey and the many sustainability “Firsts” we’ve accomplished here at �� and the Environmental Center.

1970- First global Earth Day Teach-in united �� students to form the EcoCenter

1976- �� Students start the first collegiate recycling program in the nation

1991- The Bus Pass Program begins- it's the first national bus program supported by student fees

1994- �� buys more recycled paper than virgin paper for the first time

2000- The Blueprint for a Green Campus is issued

2000- Environmental Center successfully works to pass first-in-the-nation student fee vote funding wind energy power of UMC, Rec Center and Wardenburg

2004- The first solar panels on campus are installed on the UMC

2004- The �� Bike Station opens, and new bicycle programs are initiated

2005- Sustainable �� referendum passes, creating student-fee funded E-Center administered campus sustainability improvement grant program

2005- First zero waste event on campus when recycling is collected at Global Jam

2008- ��SG requires all student-funded food/dining events to be Zero Waste

2008- �� Athletics Department commits to Zero Waste football games and launches Ralphie’s Green Stampede in partnership with Environmental Center and Facilities Management

2009- �� is ranked the nation's #1 Eco-friendly college by the Sierra Club

2010- SCORE student run energy assessment program created

2011- �� receives the nation's first Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Rating System (STARS) Gold rating for environmental leadership

2012- �� Bike Program opened a second bike station, the Folsom Bike Station outside the Engineering Center entrance

2012- Innovation Lab premiered a partnership with Deming Center for Entrepreneurship

2014- �� Boulder hosted national Sports Sustainability Summit attended by athletes, coaches and sustainability professionals from across collegiate and professional sports

2015- The Recycling Operations Center (ROC) opens, designed to increase landfill diversion rate and reach 90% diversion goal

2015- Environmental Center began new Eco-Social Justice Leadership Program with professional staff supporting student work in Environmental Justice

2015- Sustainable �� funded the installation of campus pollinator gardens in conjunction with the Environmental Design Program

2016- �� Boulder is recognized with Gold Bicycle University award from League of American Bicyclists

2016- �� Green Labs Program was recognized by the International Institute of Sustainable Labs with their “Go Beyond Award”

2017- Environmental Center piloted PIPs Rewards program which rewards students for sustainable actions on campus with “positive impact points”, redeemable for gift cards and other prizes

2018- �� Recycling worked with non-profit partners to divert 44 tons of materials from student move-out (more than double the tons diverted in 2012)

2018- �� Boulder campus waste diversion (measured as weight of material kept out of landfills through recycling, composting, and reusable drive) on campus topped 50% for the first time ever

2019- �� Boulder won the PAC-12 Zero Waste Challenge, awarded to the campus that diverts the most material from a single season football game, for the second year in a row

2019- Environmental Center Transportation Program partners with Boulder B-Cycle to provide free bike-share memberships to students

2019- �� Boulder becomes first university in the nation to commit to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework

2020- First President's Sustainable Solutions Challenge with cash prizes from �� President’s Office for student-led sustainable innovations for ��’s campuses, held online in 2020 in conjunction with the Campus Sustainability Summit

2021- Chancellor issues Campus Call to Climate Action

2022- First Sustainable Solutions Showcase, with student cash prizes sponsored by Mission Zero

2025- Green Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility taken by more than 750 graduates at �� Boulder

Those are just a few of the highlights from the past 55 years for �� and the Environmental Center. Together, we can continue the work of making �� and our world a more sustainable place to live. If you’d like to get involved, check out some opportunities with the ECenter.

This year marks the Environmental Center’s 55th Anniversary and a perfect moment to celebrate our legacy of sustainability “firsts,” reflect on why we do what we do, and honor the milestones that shaped our journey.

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�� Boulder's Zero Waste Initiative: A Pledge for Climate Action through Regenerative Agriculture

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 22:48:43 +0000

�� Boulder's Zero Waste Initiative: A Pledge for Climate Action through Regenerative Agriculture Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/22/2024 - 15:48

With confirmations that 2023 was the hottest year on record, your support is needed to take a proactive approach to addressing climate change through regenerative agriculture and building healthy soils. The University of Colorado Boulder is making significant strides in sustainability with its Spring Zero Foodprint pilot, a commitment that extends beyond the campus borders and into the Colorado community. In collaboration with Zero Foodprint, �� Boulder's effort to organize business owners and the �� community is helping build healthy soils across Colorado, focusing on regenerative agriculture projects and climate action.

The Zero Foodprint Pledge:

One of the core elements of �� Boulder's Spring Zero Foodprint pilot, is the pledge taken by third-party vendors to contribute 1% of sales towards supporting build the Restore Colorado grant. This often amounts to cents out of your total bill! This 1% addition is designed to mitigate the climate impacts of businesses and people, as well as showcase a steadfast dedication to climate action and the regenerative agriculture movement. Funds collected from the participating businesses are directed into a pool used to provide grants to local farmers and ranchers. This financial support not only aids in sustainable agricultural practices but also acts as crucial matching dollars to unlock additional funds from philanthropic donors, corporate sponsors, and government grants. To date, the collective action of the Zero Foodprint community associated with Colorado has resulted in the deployment of $323,336 to 30 farms. This financial support is expected to sequester over 42,000 tons of CO2 equivalent, which is the same as 13,000 tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled. This remarkable impact underscores the effectiveness of collaborative efforts in addressing climate change through regenerative agriculture.

Tim Schiel at the UMC Subway has been participating in the Zero Foodprint program since 2021 and is setting an example for other business owners on campus.

�� Boulder encourages its business community to sign up for the Zero Foodprint Spring Pilot program. Participants in the program practice transparent financial transactions. When contributing to the cause, businesses explicitly name "Zero Foodprint" or “Restore Colorado” in their storefront and receipts. This ensures that anyone interested in learning more can easily find information about the Zero Foodprint program. Moreover, it’s important to note that these contributions are voluntary and not a tax- if you don’t want to contribute financially to Zero Foodprint, you can always opt-out!

By actively engaging the �� community into the Zero Foodprint efforts and fostering transparency in financial transactions, we as the �� Boulder community can make significant strides in achieving a sustainable and climate-friendly future. Through ongoing commitments and collaborative efforts, the �� Boulder community members and businesses can set an example for how people can join together to make a positive impact on the environment.

Do you support this initiative? If so, please sign our letter of support here to let your favorite on-campus business know you want to see them participate in the Spring Zero Foodprint pilot!

Questions? Please reach out to ecenter@colorado.edu

UMC Subway has been participating in the Zero Foodprint program since 2021 and is setting an example for other business owners on campus.

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�� Boulder's Zero Waste Initiative: A Pledge for Climate Action through Regenerative Agriculture