CSUSM Sustainability Newsletter

• Sustainability spotlight
• ASI Sustainability Projects Fund
• Back-to-school sustainability tips
• Composting reminder on-campus
• Upcoming events
• Recent events

After a lot of coordination, communication and working together, a big donation was made to our partner organization Bibliotecas Hermanas in Mexico! Three large gym mats donated from our Athletics Department- and weighing over 200 pounds each- were diverted from going to the landfill. This donation started with Jason Martin who reached out to our Sustainability team to see if the gym mats could be used somewhere else. These gym mats found a new home through Bibliotecas Hermanas: a charitable, educational program introducing recycling projects to young students. It wasn’t easy getting these transported out from our campus, but with the leadership of Tipper Phillips, and the strength of our helpful crew – Symeon, Ed, Franky, and Chris - they were able to load the mats into the truck and send them off to local schools in Tijuana, Mexico. The students will get to play and use the mats to sit on during their reading program.

It’s amazing to see how much waste we can divert from going into the landfill when we work together! Thank you again to all of those who are continuously helping us get to Zero Waste by 2025:

Christopher Cerame – Facility Services

Eduardo Quezada – Facility Services

Ernesto Luna-Sanchez – Facility Services

Eve McDonald – Planning, Design and Construction

Francisco Fierro – Facility Services

Jason Martin – Athletics  

Symeon Martinez – Distribution & Property Control Services

Tipper Phillips – Planning, Design, and Construction

"The Sustainability Projects Funding (SPF) allocates funds to provide support for essential educational experiences and activities that aid and supplement the fundamental educational mission of CSUSM. Sustainability Projects are defined as those activities and projects that are integrally related with helping the campus meet its sustainability goals.

This year ASI has allocated approximately $10,000 to SPF to fund projects that positively affect CSUSM’s sustainability educational efforts, reduce the University’s environmental impact, and help to 'green' our campus.  ASI administers the SPF through a Sustainability Projects Funding Committee."

Applications for these submissions close on October 7th at 11:59pm!

For more information, please visit ASI's website or email them at asi@csusm.edu. 

(PC: ASI)

• Bring your reusable water bottle! CSUSM has over 40 hydration stations available on campus that provide free, cold, filtered water. Save plastic and stay hydrated!
• Bring your reusable bag(s)! There are several instances around campus where a bag is useful to have on hand, including a visit to the Cougar Pantry while grabbing some free groceries every week, carrying leftovers home from Campus Dining, or grabbing some snacks from the USU Market!
• Take the stairs every chance you can (when possible)! Taking the stairs is not only more environmentally-friendly since it uses less energy than taking the elevator, but it is also good for your health and makes elevators more readily accessible for those that experience mobility challenges. Check out CSUSM's 'Take the Stairs' campaign to learn more! 
• If you buy food on campus, consider grabbing something meatless! Dining services compiled a list of vegetarian and vegan options folks can grab while on campus. Check it out!  
• Bring your reusable coffee cup! Campus Coffee (located just outside Science Hall 1) and Starbucks (located in Kellogg Plaza next to the library) are both happy to refill your coffee cup whenever that caffeine craving kicks in. They got you covered!

When it comes to air pollution, we can all do our part! California Clean Air Day is built on the idea that shared experiences unite people to action to improve our community health. By joining together for a unified day of action, we can create new habits to clear the air for all members of California’s diverse communities.

Join us on this day as we pledge to do our parts, individually and collectively, to help clean the air!

For more information about this event, check out Clean Air Day's website or email us at sustainability@csusm.edu.