Green Game competition results are in

Colleen Rich — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 16:18:08 +0000

Green Game competition results are in Colleen Rich Mon, 06/05/2023 - 12:18

In the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Race to Zero Waste GameDay Basketball competition, ��AV joined more than 3.4 million college students and staff across the country to reduce the campus waste footprint through minimization efforts by donating, composting, and recycling more than 29.4 million pounds of waste.

Students sort recyclables at the 2023 Green Game. Photo by Benjamin Auger/University Sustainability

As a result, collectively, we have kept more than 200 million single-use plastic containers out of landfills and prevented the release of 29,108 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equal to avoiding the annual emissions from 6,128 cars.

“The impact these colleges and universities have on reducing their waste footprint is tremendous and almost hard to comprehend. To prevent the release of more than 29,000 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and more than 200 million single-use plastics out of landfills is staggering and truly something to be proud of,” said Kristy Jones, director of higher education programs at National Wildlife Federation, which sponsored the competition. “The collective efforts to minimize waste and reduce stress on natural resources is inspiring and creating a better world for wildlife and the environment.”

“Annually the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition provides key tools and opportunities that inspire, empower, and mobilize colleges and universities to improve their efforts to benchmark and promote their zero waste practices,” said Stacy Wheeler, president and co-founder of the competition.

Breakdown of waste from the 2023 Green Game

Mason’s 2023 Green Game was held on January 25, 2023, when the women’s basketball team competed against the University of Rhode Island at EagleBank Arena with 868 fans in attendance. With the help of 21 volunteers, who completed 66 hours of service learning, Mason successfully achieved an 84.2% diversion rate—the portion of waste not sent to the incinerator— (i.e., 41.6% compost and 42.6% recycling) through a post-game waste audit.

The Green Game was Mason’s official entry into the competition. The results are in!

Mason, competing among 23 participants, came in:

4th place Waste Diversion (84.2% diversion rate)
11th place Per Capita Recycling (0.078 lbs. per person)

For the Green Game 2023, University Sustainability partnered with Mason Athletics, EagleBank Arena Operations and Events, Mason Dining (Sodexo), V&G Cleaning SVSC, Facilities Recycling and Waste Management, and volunteers. Read the full story here.

Learn more about ��AV Sustainability’s waste minimization efforts at green.gmu.edu.

For more details about Campus Race to Zero Waste categories and winners, please visit the 2023 Scoreboard.

Campus Race to Zero Waste—formerly known as RecycleMania—is the nation’s premier waste reduction and recycling competition among colleges and universities, managed by National Wildlife Federation, and governed by RecycleMania Inc. Campus Race to Zero Waste has been helping campuses minimize waste and improve their recycling efforts since its launch in 2001.

Discover more waste minimization efforts at Mason

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Enhancing food security through aquaponics

Colleen Rich — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 18:16:25 +0000

Enhancing food security through aquaponics Colleen Rich Thu, 03/30/2023 - 14:16

On Thursday, April 6, 2023 Mason celebrates Mason Vision Day—an opportunity for the Mason community to come together each year to identify and support a deserving initiative on campus. This year’s efforts address campus food insecurity, supporting Mason students who have limited access to sufficient or quality food. Food insecurity on college campuses is a rising, problematic trend that Mason is committed to combating.

George Mason University Sustainability and the Greenhouse and Garden’s Program are contributing to these efforts, promoting healthy eating and helping Mason Patriots achieve food security. One way this team is enhancing food security on campus is through the recent installation of a new aquaponic food system located at the Presidents Park Greenhouse (PPG) on the Fairfax Campus. The PPG is an on-campus site for year-round food production that grows approximately 1,000 lbs. of fresh produce annually.

To support this new initiative, the PPG received generous contributions from Mason Facilities, the Patriot Green Fund, and the Auxiliary Enterprise Management Council. Donielle Nolan, Greenhouse and Garden’s program manager, is spearheading this sustainable effort.

Greenhouse and Gardens Program manager Donielle Nolan demonstrates the aquaponics system.

Mason Facilities leadership is proud of the Greenhouse and Gardens program, and its contributions to campus food security and education. "Our greenhouse is an incredible asset to the campus community,” said Greg Farley, director of University Sustainability. “It is very unusual for a university to grow—and serve—fresh produce to a campus. We work hard to contribute to student food security, and to teach Patriots of all ages how to grow and prepare fresh, nutritious foods. That makes Mason unique.”

Nolan’s newest staff members include 15 goldfish that grow plants organically, without the use of soil, creating a fertilized environment for many of University Sustainability’s greens. In the aquaponic system, the fish produce waste that nitrifying bacteria then convert into nutrients for the plants. The plant roots absorb these nutrients, and in doing so filter the water so it can be safely recirculated back to the fish.

The aquaponics system includes a 200-gallon fish tank and three grow beds for the plants—producing harvestable, donation-ready items including vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs.

The Greenhouse and Gardens Program partners with the Patriot Pantry, a university program that provides food-insecure students access to nonperishable food and hygiene items and raises awareness about food insecurity within the Mason student population. The pantry is housed under the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) in the Division of University Life. The Patriot Pantry serves hundreds of students every semester. The Greenhouse and Gardens Program helps fill the gap by providing free fresh produce for those who are food insecure via the Greenhouse and Garden’s Program online portal. Donations include, but are not limited to tomatoes, lettuce, kale, bok choy, and soon strawberries.

Greenhouse and Gardens Program is always taking volunteers to help with its operations.

In order to grow and harvest the produce, the PPG relies heavily on its volunteers. Anyone can gain hands-on experience with both hydroponic and aquaponic systems while volunteering. Inside the greenhouse, participants can learn how to compost indoors with worms, harvest crops, sow and transplant seedlings, solve pest issues using natural organic methods, and support a thriving farm-to-table sustainable food operation. Another perk of volunteering is the chance to try the produce grown and take some home, as there is usually a surplus.

“Most of the produce goes to donations for the Patriot Pantry, and when students volunteer, they get to take home harvest-ready produce and herbs,” said Nolan. "We are always seeking ways to connect fresh food sources to those in need on campus.”

Another way University Sustainability and the Greenhouse and Garden’s Program is addressing food insecurity on Mason’s campus through educating students on healthy, sustainable food preparation in the form of on-campus cooking events.

“Our program educates students about healthy eating to promote overall well-being and sustainability. Many students are hesitant to request or accept healthy, sustainable donations due to limited knowledge regarding preparation and cooking with fresh ingredients,” said Nolan. “In addition, many students do not have access to a kitchen in their dorm rooms or do not have the time due to academic course load or employment obligations.”

In November 2022, the program hosted its first cooking event, “Earthsgiving,” yielding a large turnout of volunteers and students. Two free, sustainable cooking events are being held in Spring 2023. One in March and one in April to celebrate Earth Month. The March 31 cooking event is a partnership with the Patriot Pantry, Housing and Residence Life, Recreation, and Mason Dining to focus on education in preparing inexpensive meals, using commonly featured items from the Patriot Pantry. The cooking event in April 2023 has an international food theme. Keep an eye out on the Earth Month website for details regarding upcoming events.

“There are so many opportunities to combine the sustainable aspects of food, as well as the food security efforts that are gaining popularity amongst our students,” said Nolan. “These events help build community and educate and inspire students to eat more plant-based and home-prepared meals, which both promote environmentally conscious lifestyles as well as an increase in well-being.”

The Greenhouse and Gardens Program also maintains two outdoor sites that produce vegetables and fruit organically for donation, such as figs and passionfruit. They offer tours and educational activities for groups of all ages. To get involved, check out green.gmu.edu.

Learn more about how you can support Mason Vision Day and volunteer with University Sustainability. To volunteer, sign-up using our online platform, which can help you track your service hours for classes and more! 