Program Description

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October 4. 2004

Sustainability Program
In 2004, Lane formed a Sustainability Department. Housed under College Operations, the Sustainability Department includes 3 full time staff along with part-time staff and student workers. The staff include a Recycling & Surplus Property Coordinator, an Energy & Indoor Environmental Quality Analyst, and a Sustainability Coordinator. The Recycling & Surplus Property Coordinator will expand and improve recycling, reuse, and waste reduction programs. The Energy & Indoor Environmental Quality Analyst will reduce the college's energy use and expenditures, while helping to provide excellent indoor environmental quality for staff and students. The Energy & Indoor Environmental Quality Analyst goals include developing and implementing a plan that saves 20% on energy usage by fiscal year 2008-09 and developing a plan that results in 10% use of alternative/renewable energy sources by 2009 or sooner. The Sustainability Coordinator oversees all aspects of sustainable operations at the college including coordinating the sustainability group, hazardous materials use and waste reduction, wastewater treatment, green building, and green maintenance practices.

Sustainability Group
Also in 2004, Lane formed a sustainability group. Membership is open to anyone and includes a wide variety of students, faculty, staff, and managers. The sustainability group started in Spring 2004 by holding a 4-hour workshop facilitated by a local sustainability expert. During the workshop the group developed long-term goals including producing not only all energy needed for the campus on campus using renewable technologies, but also producing extra energy that can be sold back to the utility. Other goals were to eliminate garbage and to achieve the highest level of green in building rating systems for all new buildings.

The sustainability group met regularly over the summer to develop data on how Lane is doing in various aspects of sustainability including recycling, energy use, water use, landscape maintenance, wastewater and stormwater treatment, and transportation. This data will be used to set goals for the 2004/2005 school year. Summer activities of the sustainability group also included outreach efforts such as a lunchtime workshop on composting and preparation for a sustainability display and table for students on the first days of school.

View the group's vision here.

Environmental Curriculum
Lane's environmental curriculum includes a 2-year degree program in energy management and a 2-year degree program in renewable energy technology. Lane's Science Division offers many courses that cover environmental issues. The Green Chemistry Club provides opportunities for students to green chemistry at Lane and to learn skills that will help them improve the environmental performance of future academic and employment endeavors. Environmental issues are incorporated into the curriculum beyond Science, as well, including courses on environmental economics, environmental politics, the environment and religion, and writing courses with ecological themes. Continuing education classes from sustainable landscaping to voluntary simplicity offer opportunities for community members to learn how to reduce their impact on the environment.

Recycling & Waste Reduction
Lane has a comprehensive recycling program that includes paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, glass, wood, and grounds debris. Food waste from the kitchen and sawdust from the carpenter shop is composted in an in-vessel composter.

Reuse opportunities include a clothing exchange for students and a reusable office supply exchange for staff and student groups. Leftover food from the cafeteria is donated to a local food bank.

Lane's surplus property program makes every effort to ensure that excess property is reused or recycled. Very little material is thrown away.

Lane has had an active Recycling Committee since 1995, which has been responsible for many of the waste reduction improvements on campus.

The recycling rate for the college was 52% in 2003/2004. Lane continues to work toward reducing landfilled material at the college.

Energy Conservation
The Energy Management Committee formed in 2002 and has coordinated several energy conservation upgrades that have saved the college thousands of dollars. A recent energy conservation project was installing direct digital controls on our heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units that allow more precise control over temperatures and scheduling. Several recent lighting retrofits have also significantly reduced energy use on campus.

Water Conservation
Water conservation projects have included retrofitting old toilets with electronic flushing devices, which reduce the gallons of water used per flush from 3.5 to 1.6. In addition, the grounds staff make a concerted effort to plant plants that will only need water to establish and most lawns are not watered during the summer.

Green Building & Maintenance Practices
The Facilities Management & Planning department has taken great strides towards reducing its impact on the environment. Overall chemical use has decreased and departments try to use the least toxic products available. Pesticide use has been reduced from 650 lbs. in 1999 to 9 lbs. in 2003. Sustainable Earth cleaning products are used & the vendor takes back empty cleaning chemical containers for reuse.

A native landscaping project around the Science and Math building helps to restore wildlife habitat while creating a natural space that requires very limited maintenance.

Electric or hybrid vehicles are replacing conventional maintenance & motorpool fleet. The college has recently purchased two electric golf carts and a Toyota Prius.

Green design criteria are being incorporated into new construction and remodels. Campus trades are incorporating the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Criteria into their everyday practices, including use of low VOC paints. New flooring standards have been adopted. Flooring products were chosen because they emit very low levels of chemicals and have other positive environmental benefits. Campus planners are considering sustainable design including porous paving for parking lots and incorporating as much daylighting as possible into indoor spaces. The college is developing sustainable design criteria to put into construction documents.

For additional information:
Lane's Sustainability Program
Lane's Energy Management Program
Lane's Recycling Program
Lane's Surplus Property Program