Water sensitive waste disposal
FIU’s Environmental Management Policy requires all members of the university community to minimize potential hazards to the environment and comply with all local, state and national laws and regulations designed to protect the environment. This includes water quality standards set by the U.S. Clean Water Act and Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection. FIU maintains a zero tolerance policy for illicit discharge within the university. Our commitment is to prevent pollution of all kinds, whether working on campus, in the community, on the water or in the water. This includes plastic waste. With sustainability at the forefront of everything we do, many campus drinking fountains have been updated with modern drinking stations that include a spout for filling reusable water bottles. These stations provide real-time data on a digital screen about the amount of plastic waste prevented with each fill-up and a sticker on the side detailing the energy and water efficiency of the fountains. So in addition to hydration, our efforts are also focused on reducing the use of single-use plastics on campus and improving overall efficiency. It’s also worth noting, all FIU graduation caps and gowns are made of 100 percent recycled material including recycled plastic bottles.
The university community is also responsible for ensuring outside vendors and contractors uphold FIU’s environmental standards. To help reduce plastic waste, our exclusive provider for Panther Dining maintains high sustainability standards that include a policy to reduce single-use plastics and use of to-go containers made of recycled PET or fully recyclable materials. At FIU, we love food, not waste. So our Panther Dining sustainability efforts focus on reduction. Our approach is to bring awareness and education while implementing best practices for waste management, water conservation, energy efficiency and pollution control.
