CSUSM Sustainability Newsletter

• Upcoming events
• Sustainability spotlight
• Fall seasonal produce guide
• Sustainability tips of the month
• ESA updates
• Resources for upcoming election
• Recent events

• It's more environmentally-friendly! Eating seasonally reduces the demand for out of season produce which further supports more local produce and supports local farming in your area which means less transportation, less refrigeration, less hot houses, and less irradiation of produce.
• The produce is less expensive! When farmers are harvesting a large abundance of produce due to the crop being in season, the cost of the produce goes down.
• Better tasting produce! When fruits and vegetables are picked for consumption that have been naturally ripened on the vine or the tree and harvested at the right time, it will have much more flavor and nutrition.

• Reuse instead of buying materials for decorations! Gather supplies, arts, and crafts throughout the year. Examples include:
  • Paint foam peanuts (packing materials) and turn them into worms
  • Clean Styrofoam and make Halloween masks
  • Turn cardboard boxes into tombstones
  • Reuse your decorations from the previous year
• Make your own costumes! Keep old clothes that can be used as good pieces or parts of costumes, like worn t-shirts, black pants/shorts, etc. If necessary, shop at local thrift shops (like Goodwill or Valley Thrift Store), consignment stores, and yard sales instead of buying retail.
• When having a party, cut down on waste by avoiding disposable cups, plates, and cutlery. Use regular dishes or buy biodegradable ones, and use a marker (or apply cute labels) to identify cups so party-goers can keep track of theirs.
• Buy locally produced foods, candies, and treats! Look for goodies with minimal packaging and/or those made packaged in recycled materials.
• Use (and decorate) household items to collect candy in when going trick-or-treating! A bucket, pillowcase, or old even an old bag can be decorated inexpensively at home - and reused year after year.

October 6th was California Clean Air Day! CSUSM celebrated with a tree planting ceremony in the morning, followed by a Clean Air Pledge event shortly thereafter. 

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped support both events on this day. It was an excellent turn out this year, and we're excited to do it again next year! 

To learn more about this year's events and what it meant for participating CSUSM staff, including our very own Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, check out this article.