Sustainable Living at Appalachian

Sustainable Living at AppState

learn more at sustain.appstate.edu/sustainabilityguide

Sustainability a

not a trend

Wellness

Food Water

Energy

Tran

at Appalachian

d, a tradition

The Appalachian community is living our commitment to sustainability and you are an integral part of this commitment and this community.

The daily choices you make matter.

Together, 20,000-strong, Appalachian has a major impact on our environment, our local economy and the health of our community.

The sustainable lifestyle depicted here is not a mere suggestion, it represents who we are, Appalachian State Mountaineers, leading by example as engaged citizens.

nsportation

Waste

Stuff

Citizenship

Be W

your well being is as impo Get a Check Up

Preventative care is a healthy habit. Visit the on-campus HEALTH CENTER or your local physician for regular checkups to make sure your body stays healthy.

University Recreation

UREC is a great way to get involved and get moving, offering activities from a climbing wall to Adventure Trips to Group Fitness. Grab a buddy and go to the Rec Center.

Quit Smoking (or don’t start)

Yes, its bad for you. Respect yourself, others, and the environment. Think of the money you will save.

Take Care of Yourself

Listen to your body and mind. Besides water, nourishment & sleep; make time to care for yourself. Spend time relaxing.

You Have a Beautiful Mind

Appalachian’s Mental Health Ambassadors work to remove the stigma associated with talking about mental health and to make mental health issues part of a broader campus discussion. Good mental health is important to your overall well being.

Drink More Water

The healthiest thing to drink is water. Keep your water bottle filled so you can feel refreshed and ready all day. Hydrate.

Be Responsible

Be aware of your actions and your limits. Friends look after freinds. Your actions affect one another. Be smart, be safe and check out It’s Up To Me.

Well

ortant as the environment

Th i n k a b o u t

your dietary choi

Read the Ingredients

Labels on food are oftentimes misleading. It’s best to read the ingredients listed on packaged foods, and whenever possible, choose food with the fewest ingredients.

Eat Local

Whenever possible, eat foods grown locally. Seek out fresh produce and products grown in the region. This helps maintain a healthy diet while supporting your community.

Learn to Cook

With just a basic knowledge of cooking, sustainable food choices become easier to make. Learning to cook your favorite foods using local ingredients can make a real difference in the types of food you consume.

Consume Less Meat

Hundreds of studies suggest that diets high in fruits and vegetables may reduce cancer risk. Both red and processed meat consumption are associated with colon cancer. Join Appalachian Food Services for Meatless Mondays.

Eat Seasonally

When you eat produce that is in season, there is an increased chance that your food was grown locally. In the summer, eat salad vegetables and summer fruits. Eat root vegetables, hearty greens and apples the fall. Even milk and eggs are more abundant certain times of the year.

Control your Portions

More is not always better. Learn to control your portions. Your waistline AND your wallet will thank you.

Fair Trade?

Where does your food come from? Who are you supporting?

Get to know who produces the items you’re buying and how?

Your dollars can do good things.

t your F o o d

ices affect your life

Conserve C all the water that will

Drink Filtered Water

Start reusing your refillable water bottle everywhere; it will save you money and keep plastic bottles out of the landfill. Filtered filling stations are avaialble in all dorms.

Save Water in the Shower

There is no need for a 30 minute shower, even if it’s free.

Instead, set a timer for 5-10 minutes, and you should have plenty of time for all your squeaky clean business.

Turn off Water

Whether you are washing dishes, brushing your teeth, or washing your hands, turn off the water between rinses.

Wash Full Loads

Whether it’s the dishwasher or washing machine, make sure you fill it up and try to use cold water instead of hot.

And when possible, share a load of laundry with a friend.

Don’t Flush Medication

It’s an unsafe habit that contaminates our water supply.

Learn about App’s on-campus OPERATION MEDICINE CABINET, and how they dispose of medications.

Fix the Leak

Don’t waste time or money; fix leaks as soon as possible.

Aside from being annoying, 20 drips a minute wastes a gallon of water a day. Don’t be a drip.

Keep Streams Clean

When litter ends up in our streams it can flow to our oceans and that is no place for trash. Pay attention to local streams and make sure to keep them clean. Adopt a Stream.

Clean Water ever be is right now

B e E ne rg

let the light bulb go off and thin

gy Sav v y

nk about how to best conserve Turn It Off

Did you know that many devices, if plugged in, continue to draw electricity even when turned off? Use a power strip.

Charge Wisely

Most electronics take minutes or hours to charge, not all night, so plug in only when needed.

Program Energy Settings

Screen savers don’t save energy, so let your computers sleep. By doing so you can save up to 70% of the energy used. Let it sleep or even better, turn it off.

Choose Efficiency

Quality counts. Buy and utilize products that are the most efficient and help you save over the long term. Try using LED light bulbs, for one.

Save Money in the Kitchen

Pack items tightly in the freezer to keep it all cold and loosely in the fridge to allow proper air flow so food doesn’t spoil. Use the microwave for small items rather than the oven. Keep refrigerator and oven doors closed.

Temper the Thermostat

68 in the winter. 72 in the summer. Those extra few degrees use a tremendous amount of energy. Cold in the winter? Put on a sweater and your favorite cozy socks.

Use your Windows

Open or close your windows to adjust temperature. Open to regulate the air and enjoy natural air flow. Close curtains to warm a room or open them for natural light.

Travel

so many ways to get from here to there Hop on the Bus

Whether you need to get around Boone or travel to a more distant place, take the bus. Use the APPALCART to get around town.

Home for the Weekend?

Find out about your local regional public transportation options from the NCDOT.

Drive Smarter

Take your time and drive the speed limit. By driving smarter you are saving gas, creating fewer emissions, and being safer. Relax, be courteous; enjoy the drive.

Use your Human Power

Move your legs, and arrive in style. Walking, biking, even unicycling will all get you there; sometimes faster than a car or a bus. Don’t worry about parking and do your body a favor at the same time.

Use the Stairs

Use the stairs to save energy and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Elevators use way more energy than you think.

Your body and the environment will thank you. Going up?

Share the Ride

ZIMRIDE is your ride sharing resource. Match yourself up with others going where you want to go when you want to go. This web-based resource will amaze you, save you money and make you new friends.

Need a Car? Use Ours

Register for UHAUL CARSHARE and you are good to go. Not 25? No problem. It’s an affordable and efficient way to get around. Gas and insurance included.

Lite

e without getting behind the wheel

Wa s te

use it again, or m

e N ot

maybe not at all Bring your Bags

Bring a stowable, reusable bag where ever you go. From the cafeteria to the grocery store and even the bookstore, you use more bags than you think. Canvas and fabric last longer than paper and plastic.

Refill your Cup

Carry your own resuable cup or mug. Many places, including Food Services, offer discounts. Plus, you keep paper, foam, and plastic cups out of landfills.

Litter is for Kitties

This beautiful campus is our home. Stop litter when you see it.

Reuse Don’t Dispose

Buy quality items that last! A cheap pair of shoes or small appliance is not cheaper if you have to replace it every year.

Recycle/Compost It

Think before you trash it. 88% of Appalachian’s current waste stream can be composted or recycled. The bins are everywhere; learn what can be recycled and composted.

Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk saves money and time while limiting the waste associated with packaging. In the grocery, shop in the bulk section to avoid unnecessary packaging. Bulk items are often higher quality and lower cost.

Go Paperless More Often

Turn in assignments and share information digitally.

Challange your club, your class and your friends to go paperless. If you must print, save money by printing on both sides.

U s e Le s

what we want and what w

ss Stuff

we need are seldom the same Consume Fewer Resources

Be intentional about what you consume. Pay attention to the items and resources you consume unconsciously every day: things like napkins, ketchup, cups and bags.

You Don’t Need It

When it comes to all the stuff in your life, ask yourself: Do I really need it? Can I get by without it?

Shop Local

Support local businesses and farmers. Spending your money in your community helps strengthen local economies and saves resources. Not only are local products often higher quality but you may build lasting relationships along the way.

Clean with Green

Clean with products that are designed to be sensitive and friendly to the environment. These decisions lead to better water and indoor air quality; for you, for others.

Share

Before you buy it, see if someone has one to borrow.

And always offer to share.

Pass it on or Swap it out

Have items around your home that someone else could use? Bring your unwanted items to a local thrift store.

Tired of the clothes in your closet, set up a fashion swap.

Purchase Quality

If you have to buy it, buy quality. It might be more expensive now, but it will last longer and produce less waste. And you are worth it.

Be G o o d i n y o u

community citizen

r Neigh bo r h o o d

nship, it’s up to

It Really Is Up To You

Get to know Appalachian Cares for information and updates on matters of student health and safety. Find resources for help when you are uncomfortable or unsafe.

Be In the Know

Stay informed about things that matter to you.

Whether it’s the local or global environment, where your food is grown or when the next 5K is happening, find a good source for reliable news and use it.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Always respect your neighbors and the people who live around you. Pay attention to noise ordinances, recognize that others my have different lifestyles than you and be mindful of other people’s property, especially when parking, driving or biking.

AppCares about You

Text “appcares” to 50555 to easily bookmark these resources on your mobile device: Crime report, Health Services, Safe Ride, Counseling Center, Recovery Services, OAISIS, Sexual Assault Hotline, Suicide Prention. Know how to help yourself and others.

Share your Time & Talent

Volunteering is a great way to get connected with your community. Appalachian has a diverse range of volunteer opportunities all over campus and beyond, and participating with organizations is a great way to meet new people.

Kindness is Contagious It’s simple. Be good to one another.

Become a

We all share the opportunity and Boone and our world a better place. practices, we encourage you to get leader and a truly engaged Appalac many organizations and opportunit bigger difference.

Find Zimride PART Hickory Hop UHaulCarShare University Recreation Food Services Sustainability

out More

The entire Appalachian community has served to create this guide through its commitment to leading a sustainable lifestyle.

Zoe Croft, Appalachian Alumna 2014 Tara Early, President, REI Allie Garrett, Sustainable Development Nicole Loew, Web Content Specialist, Office of Sustainability

a Leader

d responsibility to make Appalachian, . Beyond mindful and sustainable living t involved in our communtiy, become a chian citizen. Below is a sampling of the ties that exist for you to make an even Join a Club

ASU REI ASU Sustainable Energy Society Sustainable Service Initiative Club Sustainable Development Student Alliance Sustainability & Environmental Education Club Club of Environmental Sciences Boone Bike Initiative

A special note of thanks for the dedication and commitment to both sustainability and the creation of this guide shown by:

Ged Moody, University Sustainability Director Jennifer Maxwell, Resource Conservation Specialist Jim Dees, Data and Assessment Specialist

Take the Pledge Sign the Sustainable Living Pledge online at http://sustain.appstate.edu/ sustainabilityguide

Sustainability is the ability to endure; an endurance that crosses all areas of life, from the natural environment to urban planning to health care, social justice and economics. Future generations can live, work and meet their needs, ONLY if our generation acts responsibly and is conscious of the effects of all we do.

I want to live in a sustainable community.

I pledge to use the Sustainable Living Guide as a benchmark of sustainable practices and a reminder to remain conscious of the fact that how we live now will affect future generations