Facilities

Author: Facilities Communication

Green Game Waste Diversion Audit 2023

The 2023 Green Game was held on January 25, 2023, during the George Mason Patriots Women’s Basketball team vs. University of Rhode Island game. With the help of 21 volunteers, who completed 66 hours of service learning, Mason successfully achieved an 84.2% diversion rate, or the portion of weight not sent to the incinerator, (i.e., 41.6% compost and 42.6% recycling) through a post-game waste audit. Tracking the diversion rate is a great way to measure the effectiveness of reuse, recycling, and composting programs.

Each Green Game is aimed at achieving a “zero waste” basketball game, which means 90% or more of all the waste produced during the game is diverted from arena trash bins through green purchasing, composting, or recycling. Mason’s Green Game is an initiative to grow the University’s culture of sustainability at a “zero waste” basketball game. The Green Game enhances zero waste awareness, showcases the essential work of Mason’s recycling, dining, and housekeeping staff, and highlights composting as an essential part of University Sustainability’s institutional zero waste strategy.

University Sustainability partners with Mason Athletics, EagleBank Arena Operations and Events, Mason Dining (Sodexo), V&G Cleaning SVSC, Facilities Recycling and Waste Management, and volunteers to achieve our zero waste goal. Green Game was established in 2014, during George Mason University’s first Atlantic 10 Conference season. Green Game serves as Mason’s official entry into the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Race to Zero Waste (CR2ZW) Game Day Basketball competition.

Since 2014, Mason’s Green Game initiative has diverted 10,899 pounds of waste from incineration, supported experiential learning opportunities for over 330 volunteers, engaged over 37,475 basketball game attendees in zero waste practices, and achieved a top ten ranking in Campus Race to Zero Waste’s Game Day Basketball competition 11 times. In addition to increasing Mason’s waste diversion rate, our 2023 entry into the Game Day Basketball competition encouraged our campus community’s confident engagement in zero waste practices by providing service-learning opportunities for all Mason community members to participate. The CR2ZW competition provided University Sustainability with the opportunity to co-create zero waste outreach and engagement materials with volunteers, staff, and attendees who shared their feedback and experiences sorting at the bin.

Mason students, faculty, staff, alums, and non-Mason-affiliated members of the public, joined together to support the efforts of the partners at this year’s Green Game. Volunteers helped set up centralized waste disposal locations (i.e., co-located waste, recycling, and composting bins), provided at-the-bin education, and performed a waste audit post-event. “We had volunteers stationed at almost every waste station, resulting in more correct sorting behavior before we collected waste, and more efficient use of our time during the post-collection sorting process,” said Gregory Farley, Director of University Sustainability. The post-game audit produces real-time data about waste behaviors, helping University Sustainability and Mason Facilities make operational and logistical decisions to improve Mason’s overall waste diversion rate and campus recycling system. Mason student volunteers earned service-learning and volunteer hours for their participation, and eligible employees used their School Assistance and Volunteer Service Leave to join, an opportunity made possible through partnership with the Human Resources’ Faculty and Staff Engagement Team.

Nearly every foodservice item offered by EagleBank Arena’s concessions during the Green Game was recyclable or compostable. During Green Game, compost bins are organized around the arena in co-located stations with recycling and trash bins to support the arena’s transition to green purchasing and promote access to this new waste streams.

According to the University Sustainability Team, “Although we were just short of reaching our 2023 Green Game zero waste goal (90%), we successfully raised awareness about Mason’s actions to phase out single-use plastics on campus, provided hands-on learning for navigating compostable and recyclable food service ware alternatives, piloted Green Game’s first PPE recycling and hard-to-recycle initiative, as well as supported zero waste signage improvements by testing out bilingual bin labels at the game.”

Update: 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste – Game Day Basketball Competition Results  

The 2023 Green Game was held on January 25, 2023, during the George Mason Patriots Women’s Basketball team vs. University of Rhode Island game with 868 fans in attendance. With the help of 21 volunteers, who completed 66 hours of service learning, Mason successfully achieved an 84.2% diversion rate, or the portion of weight not sent to the incinerator, (i.e., 41.6% compost and 42.6% recycling) through a post-game waste audit. 

Green Game was Mason’s official entry into the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Race to Zero Waste GameDay Basketball competition. The results are in! 

George Mason University (among 23 participants) for the Campus Race to Zero Waste GameDay Basketball Competition: 

  • 4th place Waste Diversion (84.2% diversion rate) 
  • 11th place Per Capita Recycling (0.078 lbs. per person) 

Read more about 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste here!

Story and Photo Credit: Benjamin Auger and Colleen Regan

New Art Supply Sharing Initiative

Photo Credit: Yassmin Salem
Story by: Sarah D’Alexander

 

Yassmin Salem, Murals at Mason Program Manager with Mason Exhibitions, helps divert waste while supporting students by creating a free, art supply, sharing resource at the School of Art. The Free Art Supply Cabinet is a socially-conscious resource that provides access to valuable art supplies that aren’t always affordable, promotes a culture of sharing amongst students, and encourages recycling unused or unneeded materials instead of throwing them away. The emphasis on social issues is rooted in Mason Exhibitions’ mission and partnership with Provisions Research Center for Art and Social Change, which offers books on 33 social change topics as content resources for artists and researchers. Provisions is located in L001 of the Art and Design building.  

“Donating unwanted materials, repurposing items you already have, and sharing excess supplies are practical ways to incorporate sustainability into your own life and build community with others,” says Salem.   

Undergraduate art students can spend hundreds of dollars per semester on art supplies including paint, brushes, sketchbooks, pens, and canvases. Once the semester is over, many items are left unused and could be given a second life. Salem recognized the opportunity to coordinate a centralized resource to redistribute these items. Various forms of art-making are part of  hobbies and self-care practices, so this organically lends as a resource for the entire Mason community.  

Inside the Free Art Supply Cabinet, you can expect to find things like beads, pastels, charcoal, canvases, scrap paper, sketch books, resin molds, ribbons and yarn, office supplies, and other mixed media materials.  The Free Art Supply Cabinet is located in room 2046 of the Art and Design building on the Fairfax campus. 

With support from the Patriot Green Fund, a grant from Mason Facilities that allows the campus community to contribute to solutions that reduce Mason’s environmental impact, Salem applied for the cabinet and shelves needed to make the Free Art Supply Cabinet accessible to Mason students.  

“This is a wonderful example of a Patriot Green project,” says Sarah D’Alexander, Sustainability Program Manager of the Patriot Green Fund. “Not only does it help prevent unnecessary waste, but it creates a culture of reuse and resource sharing at Mason that we hope other departments are inspired to adopt.”   

If you have excess office or art supplies to share with the Mason community, please visit room 2046 of the Art and Design building during school hours to donate. Contact [email protected] or @muralsatmason on Instagram and Facebook if there are questions about the Free Art Supply Cabinet. 

If you have a project idea of your own to make Mason more sustainable, let the Patriot Green Fund know through the project interest form.  

January 2023 Facilities Employee of the Month – Geoffrey Lopez


Celebrating Geoffrey Lopez as the January 2023 Employee of the Month

Geoffrey Lopez, HVAC Technician, was selected as January’s GMU Facilities Employee of the Month. In addition to his preventative maintenance program responsibilities, Lopez correctly identified and responded to unanticipated computer room air conditioning (CRAC) related issues with notable urgency.

The CRAC units, located within the Aquia Building and Engineering’s Data Center, monitor and maintain temperature, air distribution and humidity. Quick to accommodate clients’ needs, restore CRAC unit functioning, and ensure the safety of the data center’s equipment, Lopez is well-deserving of this honor.

“Geoffrey has consistently demonstrated a positive attitude and approaches every work order with the same urgency. He has a great relationship with his colleagues and helps them out without hesitation or complaints,” said Gordon Lansdowne, Supervisor for Facilities Management.

Interested in submitting a GMU Facilities Employee of the Month nomination?  Check out the new process here!

Mason Welcomes New Fleet of Vehicles

Mason Facilities has a new fleet of flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the Fairfax Campus. Nine new vehicles were added this winter to the Facilities inventory! Both efficient and practical, these new vehicles are required for large, heavy-duty work including hauling, snow plowing, fuel and material deliveries, and much more.

The upgrade aligns well with Mason's sustainability goals, reducing fuel consumption and the university's carbon footprint. As a result of the university's decision to purchase FFVs for the fleet, Mason is able to claim alternative fuel credits with the state, increasing the university's fuel economy by an average of 71%. This saves Mason in fuel costs, significantly. The upgraded vehicles, outfitted with ladder rocks, tool holders, and additional accessories, will allow the Facilities team to perform their job functions better and safer, while promoting a "cleaner and greener" image for Mason. 

Keep an eye out for the new vehicles around campus!

New LED Lighting at the Rappahannock River Parking Deck

Mason Facilities transitioned to LED lighting at the Fairfax Campus’s Rappahannock River parking deck – replacing over six hundred fluorescent light fixtures. Mason’s new LED lighting offers consistent illumination, glare control, and significant energy savings. “The Lithonia LED light fixture spreads light evenly and further to improve the overall photometrics of the older fluorescent fixtures. This fixture also reduces glare from the light fixture that would make it easier on the motorist navigating through the parking garage. The lighting fixtures are equipped with a motion activation feature – remaining dim until motion is detected, resulting in considerable energy savings,” said Christopher Thorpe, Electrical Supervisor. Mason Facilities, in partnership with Parking Services, worked diligently over the span of five months to successfully complete the installation. The new parking deck lighting greatly enhances both the parking experience and safety for Mason community members.

End of Year Facilities Appreciation Event

What a year! 2022 has flown by and Mason Facilities has achieved great things all thanks to you and the teams within this division. We were able to accomplish so much this year allowing this university to run smoothly and efficiently because of the work you put in. Your investment into Mason continues to elevate our success as a division and is a testament to our culture of thriving together. Thank you for another successful year. We celebrated your dedication and hard work throughout 2022 and at the End of Year Facilities Appreciation Event. Check out some of the highlights below.

We hope you have a wonderful rest of the year, and you are able to recharge and make memories with your family and friends this holiday season. I look forward to seeing all that we will accomplish in 2023!

Happy Holidays!
Frank Strike
Vice President, Facilities
[email protected]

Amber Saxton Co-Hosts Session at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

During the fall semester, Amber Saxton a Program Manager in Facilities’ University Sustainability office co-hosted a session with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) at the 2022 Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education. The conference had over 4,700 attendees from 353 institutions and 23 countries. Amber’s session, “Tackling Single-Use Plastics on Campus,” was one of only 24 discussion sessions.

Leading a session continues a long-standing connection between Mason and The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) who runs the annual conference. Mason was the first university in Virginia to earn an AASHE STARS Gold ranking, which is the second highest rating in what is recognized as the most comprehensive university sustainability ranking system available.

Amber has also been deepening ties with AASHE leadership and NWF through her role on the national board of NWF's Campus Race to Zero Waste (CR2ZW). This year she authored the NWF’s CR2ZW 'Plastics Reduction Partner' certification program, which universities around the country can now use to guide them through campus-wide plastics reduction, and receive AASHE STARS’ Innovation credit for their participation.

During the global conference session, she advised attendees on the importance of prioritizing going plastics free as institutions of higher education, potential solutions, and was able to highlight George Mason University as a case study after our university eliminated over half its single-use plastics within the past year, including plastic water and soda bottles and foodservice containers, and received the 2022 Virginia Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for our commitment, leadership, and progress.

Story credit: AASHE. 

President Washington’s Donut Drop-off!

Before the winter break, President Washington stopped by with donuts as a thank you to our Facilities Management team. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to Mason Facilities!

"I enjoyed our visit! Your important work touches the lives of every student, staff member and faculty member at Mason. We greatly appreciate your expertise, caring, and commitment to the university community," said University President Gregory Washington. 

Recycling Through the Years

BigBelly bins are placed outside of Starbucks as a cooperative project between students, the Office of Sustainability and employees from Mason Facilities. Photo by: Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications/George Mason University

 

Mason Facilities' waste management and recycling operational processes have undergone significant changes over the last two decades. During this time, Mason Facilities identified several ways to streamline processes and workflows to improve efficiency of Mason’s waste management and recycling efforts.  

Someone who has seen these changes firsthand is Facilities Management Recycling Supervisor of twenty years, Wiredu Adade. He has played an important role in the department’s progress and the identification of growth opportunities.  

Prior to Adade’s employment, the campus “slim jim” waste and recycling containers were not lined – “we would have to pick up all the bins, load them in our trucks, bring them to the yard, sort them, wash them, and bring them back.” To cut down on the manual process, he spearheaded the campaign for the use of liners in campus waste and recycling containers.  

“Mason Waste Management and Recycling (WMR) team has made major improvements to help move the university forward, including but not limited to: our waste diversion rate, composting program, and the addition of smart technology with Mason’s “Big Belly” campus bins,” said Kevin Brim, Facilities Management Waste Recycle Supervisor. “Our work as a department, with the support of the Mason community, is ongoing in efforts to reduce our volume of trash and reach our zero waste goals.” 

Mason’s WMR team, in partnership with University Sustainability, is working toward increasing the campus waste diversion rate to 90% and to eventually become zero waste. Waste reduction, reuse, and donation, as well as diversion strategies like composting and recycling, are needed to support Mason’s sustainability goals. Mason has a robust multi-stream recycling program that is continuously being improved upon. The WMR team sort and collect multiple recyclables to keep cross-contamination low and to maintain clean recyclable material. Mason has also switched to high percent recycled content items (e.g., paper bags or aluminum cans), which are also proven to have high product circularity and recycling rates.  

In October 2022, an interior zero waste station was installed at the Starbucks Northern Neck on Mason’s Fairfax campus. The zero waste station itself, installed by the Zone 6 Team, is made of approximately 1,655 reclaimed milk jugs – key to supporting post-consumer recycled (PCR) purchasing mandates – and offers updated zero waste design features like restrictive openings and better bin messaging. The interior pilot station includes five waste streams: glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans and plastic/aluminum bottles, paper, trash, and compost. Brim oversees collections and operations at the site in partnership with Mason Dining. University Sustainability, Operations & Business Services and its vendors will support planning, coordination, and data tracking/results.  

The progression of Mason waste and recycling exemplifies Mason’s commitment to a sustainable future. Achieving zero waste will take the entire Mason community. According to Adade, there is an opportunity for increased correct disposal methods that can positively impact how the Mason community uses waste and recycling streams. As an example of how waste can accumulate, following move-in week, 44k pounds of cardboard was recycled by Mason’s WMR team! Adade, alongside Facilities Management and University Sustainability, continue to work toward educating students, faculty, and staff on proper waste disposal, recycling, reuse, and donation methods. As George Mason continues to expand, it is taking steps to do so responsibly. Learn more about waste management and recycling here. 

Facilities Management Recycling Supervisor, Wiredu Adade, who for the past twenty years has overseen Mason’s WMR efforts, will retire in January 2023.

“Earthsgiving” Event

 

On Thursday, November 17, 2022, Mason’s Greenhouse and Garden’s program hosted its first “Earthsgiving” sustainable, cooking event. Students, volunteers, staff and community members learned how to make meals out of local, wild, foraged, and campus-grown ingredients. The Greenhouse and Garden’s program partnered with Mason Dining and the School of Art – hosting the event in the Art and Design Building with the support of Benjamin Ashworth, Sculpture Studio Supervisor for the School of Art.

“The goal of the event was to teach community members how to properly cook and prepare food, using local ingredients. Our team grows food all day – we want to inspire others to eat and live sustainably,” said Donielle Nolan, Greenhouse and Gardens Program Manager.

Starting in 2023, Mason's Greenhouse and Gardens program will focus on food security and student-focused events. Join them as they transition toward food security as the focal point of their efforts!