Celebrating 55 years at the Environmental Center
At the Environmental Center, we love to find reasons to celebrate. Whether it鈥檚 walking in the 麻豆免费版下载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.听听
And guess what, this year, we are celebrating longevity and symmetry... it鈥檚 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 鈥淔irsts鈥 we鈥檝e accomplished here at 麻豆免费版下载and the Environmental Center.听 听听听听听听
1970- First global Earth Day Teach-in united 麻豆免费版下载students to form the EcoCenter听
1976- 麻豆免费版下载Students start the first collegiate recycling program in the nation听
1991- The Bus Pass Program begins- it's the first national bus program supported by student fees听
1994- 麻豆免费版下载buys more recycled paper than virgin paper for the first time听听
2000- The Blueprint for a Green Campus is issued听听
2000- Environmental Center successfully works to pass first-in-the-nation student fee vote funding wind energy power of UMC, Rec Center and Wardenburg听听
2004- The first solar panels on campus are installed on the UMC听
2004- The 麻豆免费版下载Bike Station opens, and new bicycle programs are initiated听
2005- Sustainable 麻豆免费版下载referendum passes, creating student-fee funded E-Center administered campus sustainability improvement grant program听
2005- First zero waste event on campus when recycling is collected at Global Jam听
2008- CUSG requires all student-funded food/dining events to be Zero Waste听
2008- 麻豆免费版下载Athletics Department commits to Zero Waste football games and launches Ralphie鈥檚 Green Stampede in partnership with Environmental Center and Facilities Management听
2009- 麻豆免费版下载is ranked the nation's #1 Eco-friendly college by the Sierra Club听
2010- SCORE student run energy assessment program created听
2011- 麻豆免费版下载receives the nation's first Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Rating System (STARS) Gold rating for environmental leadership听
2012- 麻豆免费版下载Bike Program opened a second bike station, the Folsom Bike Station outside the Engineering Center entrance听
2012- Innovation Lab premiered a partnership with Deming Center for Entrepreneurship听
2014- 麻豆免费版下载Boulder hosted national Sports Sustainability Summit attended by athletes, coaches and sustainability professionals from across collegiate and professional sports听
2015- The Recycling Operations Center (ROC) opens, designed to increase landfill diversion rate and reach 90% diversion goal听
2015- Environmental Center began new Eco-Social Justice Leadership Program with professional staff supporting student work in Environmental Justice听
2015- Sustainable 麻豆免费版下载funded the installation of campus pollinator gardens in conjunction with the Environmental Design Program听
2016- 麻豆免费版下载Boulder is recognized with Gold Bicycle University award from League of American Bicyclists听
2016- 麻豆免费版下载Green Labs Program was recognized by the International Institute of Sustainable Labs with their 鈥淕o Beyond Award鈥听
2017- Environmental Center piloted PIPs Rewards program which rewards students for sustainable actions on campus with 鈥減ositive impact points鈥, redeemable for gift cards and other prizes听
2018- 麻豆免费版下载Recycling worked with non-profit partners to divert 44 tons of materials from student move-out (more than double the tons diverted in 2012)听
2018- 麻豆免费版下载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听
2019- 麻豆免费版下载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听
2019- Environmental Center Transportation Program partners with Boulder B-Cycle to provide free bike-share memberships to students听
2019- 麻豆免费版下载Boulder becomes first university in the nation to commit to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework听
2020- First President's Sustainable Solutions Challenge with cash prizes from 麻豆免费版下载President鈥檚 Office for student-led sustainable innovations for CU鈥檚 campuses, held online in 2020 in conjunction with the Campus Sustainability Summit听听
2021- Chancellor issues Campus Call to Climate Action听
2022- First Sustainable Solutions Showcase, with student cash prizes sponsored by Mission Zero听
2025- Green Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility taken by more than 750 graduates at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder听
Those are just a few of the highlights from the past 55 years for 麻豆免费版下载and the Environmental Center. Together, we can continue the work of making 麻豆免费版下载and our world a more sustainable place to live. If you鈥檇 like to get involved, check out some opportunities with the ECenter.听听