Everyone has heard mutterings of a new composting system on UMBC campus this semester, but some people are still unsure about the facts. What can you compost and where? What are the benefits of composting and why should I bother?

Composting is a system of decomposing or breaking down biodegradable materials such as lawn clippings, leaves or unwanted food to produce rich, nutritious soil that can be used for growing plants.
This process helps to stem the large streams of waste that go into landfills and reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Compost also can be bought and sold, transforming what would once be "trash" into a commodity that can help to stimulate the economy.

So how is this system of composting working at UMBC? At this point, composting is already effective in the True Grits dining hall. When you put your dirty dishes with your uneaten food on that conveyor belt, it is later scraped into bins by the staff and sent a composting facility in Delaware, eventually becoming soil.

This semester, composting has been extended to The Commons, but this system is a little more complicated because it is up to the student, staff or visitor at UMBC to separate your "waste" into the correct containers.

In The Commons, all food scraps can be composted from any of the locations. You can also compost the new Pepsi cups (made from corn), and Fresh Fusions and Wild Greens have switched to compostable food containers and eating utensils. Large salad containers and parfait cups from Outtakes should also be placed in the compost bin.

So where are the compost bins in The Commons? Unfortunately, as of right now, there is only one compost bin the Commons. It is located to the right of the "Dream Machine" by the doors to The Commons near the breezeway.

At this point, it is just a regular trash can with a sign that says "Compost," but facilities management is working on ordering a set of new bins with separate containers for the various types of waste.
These new bins will be divided into three different sections: compost (food scraps and specified containers from Fresh Fushions, Wild Greens, and Outtakes), recycling (bottles and paper products) and landfill (trash, everything that doesn't belong in the aforementioned containers.)

We will also have new recycling bins in other parts of the campus. UMBC's academic buildings are switching from a "single-stream" recycling system to a "dual-stream" system. Instead of putting all recyclables in one bin, this new system will divide recycling items into two separate parts, one for paper and one for glass, plastic, and cans. This will be helpful in allowing UMBC to gain profit from selling cardboard and other materials instead of simply paying for waste to be brought off campus.

For now though, stick to using the single compost bin by the back doors of The Commons near the breezeway. Every time that you make the effort to walk over to the compost bin with that last bit of your uneaten Salsaritas burrito or to double back to The Commons after class to compost your Pepsi cup, you're helping to recreate and rebuild the circular systems of nature that work so well.

Judy Walton, AASHE's Chief Publications Officer, recently interviewed Herb Sharpe, Corporate Director of Education and Health Care Solutions at Waste Management, an AASHE Business Leader Member. Herb is responsible for leading a team of sales and sustainability professionals to drive value and provide sustainable solutions to Waste Management’s customers. He joined Waste Management in the summer of 2011 to develop and lead the new Education Solutions group within the Public Sector Segment and recently accepted the opportunity to manage the Healthcare Solutions Segment for North America. Before coming to Waste Management, Herb spent 23 years in the telecommunications industry building and managing top performing sales teams and successfully executing growth strategies.

JW: Colleges and universities are more like small cities than large businesses and this distinction is bound to create unique challenges when it comes to sustainability, specifically in implementing waste reduction and diversion initiatives. In your line of business, what are the main challenges you see facing higher education institutions today as they address their sustainability needs?

HS: I think one of the main challenges higher education institutions are facing is the ability to implement sustainability programs while controlling costs. When implementing new programs, universities continually look for ways to balance their long-term sustainability initiatives, which will deliver savings and benefits, with the short-term impact of increased costs. With our Think Green ® Campus Model, Waste Management can help with this challenge. We can help colleges and universities implement cost-saving green programs such as single-stream recycling, composting, solar powered compactors, and e-waste recycling. Programs like these can help control waste disposal costs while at the same reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.

JW: You mentioned the cost benefits of bringing in certain new programs, recognizing that higher education institutions today have serious financial concerns. Can you further discuss how institutions can minimize the costs of solutions while maximizing long-term benefits of becoming more sustainable?

HS: Waste Management can customize unique solutions for higher education institutions depending on how large or small their sustainability goals and budgets are. We can help colleges cut their overall costs by using our Education Solutions team to perform assessments and identify potential savings. A good example of this is Waste Management’s solar-powered compactors. This program cuts operational costs while helping to meet waste reduction goals. Arizona State University and Boston University are enjoying the benefits of this. In addition to looking out for cost saving opportunities, our trained team of sustainability professionals works with campuses to identify areas of great potential for increased diversion (including re-use opportunities) and recommends and/or implements strategies to maximize that diversion.

JW: It’s well known that student involvement is pivotal to the success of any sustainability program, and that the success of a recycling or sustainability program depends greatly on student behavior change. While institutional leadership may remain fairly consistent over the next decade, the student population is constantly changing. What are the best ways to guarantee active participation from students and maintain that involvement from one year to the next?

HS: Visibility is important. By that, I mean ensuring that all programs are implemented in a way that is visible to the student body. Placement of recycling containers at the student unions and large gathering places sends a strong message and keeps the institution’s sustainability goals at the forefront of students’ minds. In addition to that, ongoing education is important. g College websites, student newspapers and bulletin boards, for example, are constant re-enforcers that help to remind students and faculty what the campus is doing to meet its green objectives. With our network of schools, we are able to foster collaboration and share best practices from our different partners. We see an emphasis on a green culture from before the students arrive on campus, until they eventually leave. Green Move-in days, Greening Game Days, Zero Waste Events and appointing sustainability ambassadors are all programs we have identified as critical to getting active participation from students.

JW: We hear a lot about Zero-Waste these days. Is Zero by 2020 realistic for most campuses? What can make attaining that a reality?

HS: A goal of 80 percent waste diversion by 2020 is attainable, especially with Waste Management’s focus on organics. Organics is a major portion of the waste stream. In some universities, organics is a big issue and we are putting together several different pilot programs in order to help with diverting organics away from the landfills and turning it into a reusable source.
I mentioned move-in and move-out programs earlier. This program offers another great way to divert waste from the landfill through recycling and re-using. For example, a lot of furniture, such as desks and dressers, is thrown away each year as students move out. We’ve implemented programs on some campuses where we capture those re-usable items and give them to students coming in the following year so that those items don’t go to the landfills. Waste Management has several case studies of successful waste reduction programs, including those at Rutgers, ASU and the University of New Hampshire. Our goal is to help institutions get to zero waste. Advancements in collections systems and new technology will dictate whether we can reach 100 percent waste diverted, but 80 percent is definitely achievable by 2020, or even sooner.

JW: What about reporting programs showing students year over year how much was recycled and the impact that had? Does Waste Management offer programs like that?

HS: Absolutely. Reporting is key because it helps students - as well as faculty, staff and administrators - see the successes and motivates them further. To help universities and colleges track and meet their set goals, Waste Management provides quarterly and annual reports on how successful the institution has been in achieving those goals, and the impacts it has had year over year. Those reports can then be posted as another visible way to remind students and faculty of the institution’s sustainability programs and goals.

JW: What do you do in your spare time?

HS: My 18 year old daughter, Chandler, is an amazing soccer player and her mom and I just love watching her play. So most times, you’ll find me on the sidelines cheering her or at home watching my beloved South Carolina Gamecocks football.

Job Description – Basepop Intern

Summary of Position:

Duties and Responsibilities:

Every January, we as a community acknowledge the need for awareness and education related to stalking. While we often joke about "facebook stalking," the fact is that stalking isn't a joke and can be a very scary experience for victims and their families. Please read the proclamation below for more information.
Additionally, be sure to check out UMBC's Relationship Violence Awareness and Prevention website for more information on stalking and other forms of interpersonal violence.

If you need support from campus members related to a stalking incident, please contact a member from the SARVRT team. For more information from the Stalking Resource Center: http://www.victimsofcrime.org/

Presidential Proclamation -- National Stalking Awareness Month, 2013
NATIONAL STALKING AWARENESS MONTH, 2013
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Each year, millions of Americans face the fear, isolation, and danger of being victims of stalking. At some point in their lives, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men will be stalked, and many of these crimes will go unreported and unprosecuted. During National Stalking Awareness Month, we rededicate ourselves to supporting victims of stalking and sharpen our resolve to bring perpetrators to justice.

Stalking is a pattern of unwanted contact that causes victims to fear for their safety or the safety of family members. It can include implied or explicit threats; harassment; or nonconsensual communication through phone calls, text messages, or emails. The perpetrator is usually someone the victim knows. Stalking behaviors may appear innocuous to outside observers, but victims often endure intense physical and emotional distress that affects every aspect of their lives. Many feel forced to move, or change jobs. Tragically, stalking tends to escalate over time, and it is sometimes followed by sexual assault or homicide.

My Administration remains committed to building a robust criminal justice response to stalking -- one that holds offenders accountable, offers protection and support to all victims of violence, and empowers them to break the cycle of abuse. In January 2012, we held the first-ever White House stalking roundtable with survivors, law enforcement officers, victim advocates, and researchers. We have built partnerships with communities across the Nation to implement anti-stalking efforts. And we continue to support nonprofit organizations and local, State, and tribal governments as they develop more effective responses to violence against women -- including direct services, crisis intervention, transitional housing, legal assistance to victims, court improvement, and training for law enforcement and courts.

We are also working to address the threat of cyberstalking. While advances in technology are making this crime more prevalent, they can also pose unique opportunities to address it. Communities are developing new tools that help connect victims to local services, and State governments are updating statutes to further protect people from cyberstalking. Through our Apps Against Abuse challenge, my Administration recognized mobile applications that are empowering people to defend themselves against dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Thanks to the dedicated work of law enforcement officials, community leaders, advocates, organizations, and survivors, our country has made great strides in combating stalking. During National Stalking Awareness Month, we resolve to keep building on this momentum until no American lives in fear of this crime.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2013 as National Stalking Awareness Month. I call upon all Americans to recognize the signs of stalking, acknowledge stalking as a serious crime, and urge those impacted not to be afraid to speak out or ask for help. Let us also resolve to support victims and survivors, and to create communities that are secure and supportive for all Americans.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA