Sustainability Matters at UMBC

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Energy and Resource Saving Tips

 

Make it a personal challenge to consider and act on the energy and resource consequences of all that you do on campus, home and at work.

Here are some tips to get you started:
Air Conditioning/Heating | Awareness | Electricity | Food/Grocery | Hygiene | Recycling | Transportation | Yard | Additional Resources

Air Conditioning and Heating

  • Set your thermostats to 78° F in summer and 68° F in winter (wear a sweater). Use a fan.
  • Optimize the use of window coverings to keep sun out in summer and keep heat in during winter.
  • Set your home water heater to 120° F.


Awareness

Electricity

  • Turn off your computer when you aren’t using it and set your computer monitor to hibernate after 10 minutes of inactivity.
  • Plug machines into “smart” power strips that automatically turn off equipment when you’re gone.
  • Make your technology greener by using rechargeable batteries or Energy Star products, which cut energy use by 50 percent.
  • For employees – Be sure to turn off lights, monitors, printers and copiers at night and on weekends.

 Food/Grocery Shopping

  • Take your own recyclable bags.
  • Buy local produce when possible. (Food produced in Australia, Chile, etc. must be transported to Baltimore.)
  • Eat lower on the food chain; decrease your meat, fish and animal product intake.
    – www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/community-tips/3284
    – www.sierraclub.org/sustainable_consumption/factsheets/food_factsheet.asp
  • Find ways to conserve energy in your kitchen:
    – cook two dishes in one pot or pan
    – in winter months, save hot pasta water in your sink until it cools before draining
    – turn off the burner or electrical element before the dish is completely cooked – residual
       heat will complete the cooking
    – only heat as much water as you require for a cup of tea or coffee
    – avoid microwaving frozen food by planning ahead and letting it thaw in the refrigerator
    – run dishwasher only when full
    – collect running water while waiting for it to become hot and use it for watering houseplants)
  • Refill plastic water bottles from your tap.

Hygiene

  • Take shorter showers and reduce the water flow. Collect the warming water for plants.
  • Turn water off while brushing teeth or shaving.
  • Use cold water wash and rinse when washing clothes. Use a clothesline rather than a dryer.
  • Use one sheet of paper towels at a time.

Recycling

  • Recycle your paper, cans and bottles. Containers marked for recycling are found throughout the UMBC campus in hallways, academic departments, resident hall lounge areas and apartment stairwells. Enough energy is saved by recycling one aluminum can to run a TV set for three hours or light one 100 watt bulb for 20 hours.
  • Purchase recycled paper and other recycled products.
  • Print or copy on both sides. Or think twice about printing or making a copy and rely on paperless communications.

Transportation

  • Use the MTA or UMBC Transit.
  • Carpool. UMBC carpoolers are entitled to prime parking spots.
  • Live on or near campus. The closer you live to campus, the less you have to trave
  • Bicycle or walk when and where possible (especially to your workout at the gym).
  • Use stairs rather than elevators.
  • Combine errands in a single trip.
  • Keep tires properly inflated.

Yard

  • Cut your lawn less frequently.
  • Minimize use of fertilizer, herbicide and lawn/garden watering.

Additional Resources