Welcome to our site. The University Housing Sustainability initiative is comprised of outreach components for residents and staff and an operational component. Our objectives are twofold: to educate Housing members about Sustainability and conduct operations in a sustainable manner. As Housing professionals, we appreciate our clients' transitory lifestyle. Our goal is to provide them with useful "sustainable" information to help them make informed choices along the way. Our one best resource, this constantly evolving website, provides our mission and goals plus a wealth of practical applications for personal use or for sharing (most developed by our own students). Newsletters, fact sheets and poster sets are all here, all downloadable to encourage usage every day. From general illustrations that are designed to capture your interest to applications meant to help you decide how you wish to participate, our site is designed to provide you with helpful information about sustainability.

Our program has grown over the years from collecting cardboard and newspapers to today's collections of most all papers, container types, composting, electronics, hazardous materials and some construction waste. We field special efforts during student MOVEIN and MOVEOUT that collect resident castoffs and huge additional recyclable loads, some donated to local non-profits and charities. Our present recycling rate is over 50% by volume. Details can be found on the University recycling site. We also partner with the University Utilities group to maximize use of energy and water resources and are working to infuse LEEDs criteria into our hall renewal and new construction. See their site.

Our outreach includes the "LeeDer" (Living Example of Eco-Friendly Decision-making) pledge campaign, a new webpage feature that encourages readers to pledge environmentally friendly living online. In return, pledges receive periodic newsletters, national news articles and may become eligible for prizes. We encourage active resident and staff involvement in our programs and conduct contests and campaigns to facilitate the process. RecycleMania is contested every winter through campus Waste Management and Recycling.

Here in Michigan Housing, we strive to identify what's most important to us and how to do it more sustainably. It is a difficult journey but one supported by our AVP for Student Affairs and Housing Director, Carole Henry. As a participant, I can say that I'm on that path though have not yet arrived. I may never fully do so. True sustainable living must to be learned very early in life. I think we should help facilitate the process. Please, enjoy our site.

Jeffrey L. Schroeder
Coordinator of Management Systems and Sustainability
University of Michigan Housing
Phone: (734) 763-5675
E-mail: jeffreyl@umich.edu