Green Alfred

Did you know you don't need fancy cleaners to wash your windows? Just mix a little vinegar and water, and use those left over newspapers that you've finished reading. The vinegar is a natural disinfectant, and the newspaper leaves a streak-free shine.

Green Alfred wants to remind you to keep your thermostat at a reasonable temperature while we're still experiencing the throes of winter. If you get too cold, a sweater, blanket, or significant other can help to maintain body heat.

Try to stock your kitchen with reusable items, like water filter pitchers (instead of water bottles) and plastic containers (instead of plastic wrap). If you prefer aluminum foil, reuse large sheets as much as you can, and then be sure to recycle.

If you have not bought notebooks yet for your classes, consider finishing your partially used ones first. Not only do you save money, but you also save a tree! If you have to buy because you finished your used ones, look for eco-friendly or recycled paper products.

Did you know that November 15 is America Recycles Day? Green Alfred and other members of the community will be celebrating by assisting Kacie Dean in a waste audit of the Alfred University campus. This will include collecting bags of trash from various dumpsters across campus and taking an inventory of how well the recycling and composting programs are working. Interested in helping, or want to add your name to Green Alfred's recycling petition? Email greenalfred@alfred.edu.

Now that temperatures are dropping, Green Alfred would like to remind those readers not living on campus to keep the thermostat at a reasonable level. Even if you do not directly pay for heat, it is still good to be aware of how much energy you use. On average, people feel comfortable at 68 degrees in the winter.

Bottled water can be a convenience, but it can also be innately wasteful. Filtered water pitchers, while slightly more expensive than a pack of water bottles, can be a great long-term investment. Most filters are advertised to last for 2 months, or 300 bottles of water. If you're not convinced, at least be aware that in New York state, water bottles can be returned for 5 cents for each bottle; it's even more incentive to recycle!

Look on the ground in Alfred these days, and you’ll see more than leaves. Cigarette butts can be found everywhere. It takes 25 years for a cigarette butt to biodegrade, which is a substantial amount of time when you consider the fact that the cigarettes littered in one year alone (worldwide) can stretch from the moon to the earth almost 300 times. There are MANY locations across campus to place the remainder of your cigarette, including places outside academic buildings and dorms. Please, take the few extra seconds, find one of these places, and deposit your butts there.

Are you frustrated by soda bottles in the garbage? Are you irritated by the piles of paper thrown away in the mail room? If you are, look soon for a petition to increase the recycling program on campus. The petition, signed by Alfred University students, will be submitted to the Council for Green Efforts to ensure that the recycling program, started by Green Alfred only a few years ago, is supported and increased. If you are interested in participating, visit the Green Alfred blog (greenalfred.blogspot.com) for updates soon!

While it's understandable that walks across campus can be long or difficult, keep in mind that the weather's still nice! Driving across campus can be handy, but there are other more environmentally-friendly and health-conscious options. Is walking too slow for you? Bikes, boards, skates, scooters or magic carpets are all great, fast ways to get across campus. If you couldn't fit your bicycle into your two-door sports car on the way here, The Saxon Bike Hub (located in the offices of Davis Gym) is a great place to rent one for cheap! Visit my.alfred.edu/bikehub/ for their hours.