History

1970's

  • Eco-Center is founded, which later becomes the Environmental CenterÌý - 1970
  • Students vote to fund the Eco-Center with student fees - 1973
  • С»ÆÊé Recycling is founded as UCSU allocates student fees to support recycling - 1976

1980's

  • Steve Smith, the first full-time, non-student director of the E-Center is hired. Student involvement increases by 400 percent. - 1980's
  • Jack DeBell becomes the first professional Director of С»ÆÊé Recycling - 1984
  • E-Center conference on global issues draws 1,000 attendees - 1989

1990's

  • The Bus Pass Program begins - 1991
  • The Memorandum of Understanding between the Boulder Campus Administration and UCSU is singed, creating the Student- Ìý ÌýAdministration Partnership for Recycling - 1991
  • The Intermediate Processing Facility (IPF) opens - 1992
  • Will Toor is hired as director of the Environmental Center - 1992
  • The First annual Campus Earth Summit - 1994
  • С»ÆÊé buys more recycled paper than virgin paper for the first time - 1994
  • С»ÆÊé Recycling surpasses 1,000 tons of recycled materials in one year - 1995

2000

  • The Blueprint for a Green Campus is issued
  • A four-yearÌýRecyclingÌýcapital expansion begins
  • UCSU purchases wind power via referendum

2001

  • The Campus Master Plan is revised to include the first formal guidelines for recycling
  • Generation Green energy education campaign begins
  • Campus energy use decreases for first time in more than 10 years
  • Clean energy conference

2002

  • С»ÆÊé receives $55,000 from the EPA and $32,000 from UCSU to site a composting operation on campus
  • Environmental Center moves into a new office, UMC expansion is complete with green building features
  • С»ÆÊé Biodiesel is formed

2003

  • Vice Chancellors release internal business review confirming recycling provides net annual savings of $235,000.
  • Recycling business plan is reviewed, Recycling Financial Advisory Board is created
  • First annual Bioneers in Boulder event takes place

2004

  • UCSU wind purchase increases to 100%
  • A consultant waste composition study finds 1,300 tons of recyclables remain unrecovered annually
  • Chancellor Byyny issues the UCB Campus Environmental Policy
  • The first solar panels are installed on the UMC
  • UCSU Energy efficiency fund is established
  • The С»ÆÊé Bike Station opens, and new bicycle programs are initiated
  • Next bus displays are installed

2005

  • A permanent Bike Station is installed
  • Sustainable С»ÆÊé Referendum passes
  • С»ÆÊéSG passes a Capital Construction Fee requiring that buildings funded from this feeÌý(Wolf Law, ATLAS, Koelbel Business) achieve LEED Gold rating
  • С»ÆÊé hosts and produces the Colorado Sustainability Summit
  • С»ÆÊé competes in Recyclemania
  • Global Jam becomes С»ÆÊé's first ever Zero Waste event

2006

  • Dave Newport is hired as Environmental Center directorÌý
  • Blueprint for a Green Campus is updated and reissued

2007

  • Chancellor Peterson signs the American College and University President's Climate Committment (AС»ÆÊéPCC)
  • С»ÆÊé becomes a founding member of the Colorado Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • С»ÆÊé Student Government becomes the first entity to pledge carbon neutrality for all С»ÆÊéSG-run buildings
  • С»ÆÊé Boulder's recycling collection exceeds 2,000 tons (four million pounds)
  • The Live Green Pledge is launched campus-wide
  • Rocky Mountain Sustainability Summit

2008

  • С»ÆÊéSG requires all student-funded food/dining events to be Zero Waste; С»ÆÊé Dining Services eliminates plastic bags from the grab-and-go meals and distrubes free reusable bags to all incoming residence students
  • The С»ÆÊé Athletics Department commits to Zero Waste football games and launchesÌýRalphie’s Green Stampede
  • The Earth Education program initiates Teach for Sustainability, a service-learning course.
  • С»ÆÊé launches an aggressive three-year conservation campaign as part of the Greening the Government Executive Orders to reduce energy, paper, water, and petroleum use and to transition to a Zero Waste campus

2009

  • С»ÆÊé is ranked the nation's #1 Eco-friendly college by the Sierra Club
  • С»ÆÊé places first in Recyclemania
  • The first campus Clean Energy Day is held
  • С»ÆÊé launches a custom Zimride rideshare transportation community
  • С»ÆÊé issues a Conceptual Plan for Carbon Neutrality

    2010

    • С»ÆÊé Recycling converts campus recycling to dual-stream
    • SCORE, a student-run energy assessment program for the Boulder rental community, is created

    2011

    • С»ÆÊé recieve's the nation's first STARS Gold rating for environmental leadership
    • Sustainable Practices program is transferred to the E-Center from Continuing Education

    2012

    • A Senior Transportation Fellow posiiton is created to support the campus and community vision for an advanced transportation systemÌý
    • С»ÆÊéSG buildings reach carbon neutrality in keeping with the goal set in 2009

    2013

    • С»ÆÊé Boulder fully implements healthy and pesticide-free turf management.
    • The new School of the Environment and Sustainability is approved.Ìý Planning begins for a 2016 opening.

    2014

    • С»ÆÊé Boulder renews its STARS Gold Sustainability rating and increases its score.

    2015

    • The new Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Complex (SEEC) research, education and engagement facility is set to open on East Campus.
    • С»ÆÊé Boulder Athletics attains carbon neutrality and announces a "Net-Zero Electricity" practive facility at Folsom Field.
    • ÌýA new on campus Recycling Operations Center opens, designed to increase landfill diversion rate and reach 90% diversion goal.

    2016

    • С»ÆÊé Boulder recognized with Gold Bicycle University award from League of American Bicyclists.

    2018

    • Gold STARS Sustainability rating achieved for the third time by С»ÆÊé Boulder campus.

    2020

    • The Environmental Center celebrates 50 years of students in action.