In recent years, a list of "the R's of sustainability" has developed. Originally, the list consisted of: Reduce, Reuse, Recylce. More recently, terms such as "Respect", "Refuse", and "Restore" have also joined the conversation. Regardless of the alliteration, the concept remains the same: we can and should be much more intentional about how we live. Below is a simple annotated list to get you thinking.

Reduce waste

There's a ton of ways for you to reduce waste, save yourself some time and money, and be good to the globe at the same time. For the past 50 years, Americans have used convenience items and disposable goods at an ever increasing rate. In 1960, Americans generated 88.1 million tons of garbage each year. This equaled about 2.7 pounds per person per day. In 2000, Americans generated 229 million tons of garbage each year. This equals about 4.4 pounds per person per day. Recycling is an effective method to manage the waste that is already generated and to save money on disposal costs. More importantly, we must reduce waste generation in the first place by purchasing materials with less packaging and reusing materials as many times as possible while not buying unnecessary items. When you avoid making garbage in the first place, you don't have to worry about disposing of waste or recycling it later.

Reuse materials

The media have done a wonderful job of selling us on the attractiveness and benefits of buying "new", "improved", "special", etc. products. However, we already collectively own so much that we could all survive for quite a while on the existing products—if we just reused them a few times.

Recycle

Recycling is an important way for individuals and businesses to reduce the waste they generate and reduce the negative impact of that waste. Because recycling is big business in Ohio, every time you recycle, it also supports the many companies and employees doing this important work. Recycling conserves our natural resources, saves landfill space, conserves energy, and reduces water pollution, air pollution and the green house gas emissions that cause global warming. Together, Reducing, Reusing, Recycling and buying Recycled products make up a comprehensive waste and resource reduction strategy that benefits our natural world and our economy.

Rethink

Rethink when it comes to your garbage. Look for items with reduced packaging. Buy products made from recycled materials. Don't throw away what can be reused or recycled. Another option: Refuse. Opting out of mailing lists can help prevent piles of junk mail or catalogs at their sources.

Campus Organizations

• Bunker Interpretive Center

  • The Bunker Interpretive Center, at the Calvin Ecosystem Preserve &smp; Native Gardens provides approximately 5,000 square feet of space which serves as a home base for programs, a study center for the university community, and an educational resource for the general public to the preserve.

• Bunker Center Solar project

  • The purpose of this website is to provide information about the 20 kW solar photovoltaic system that is installed on �������ϲʿ�����¼����'s Vincent and Helen Bunker Interpretive Center building in 2004.

• Calvin Dining Services

  • “At Creative Dining Services, sustainability is not just another topic of conversation—it is a mode of operation”

• • CEAP is a collaborative effort of faculty across Calvin’s campus, but mainly in the sciences, whose focus is the understanding of the campus and local ecosystem.

• Calvin Sustainability Statement

  • This Statement is proposed as a positive step as we seek to interpret, wisely use, and compassionately care for God's creation.

• • The Office of Community Engagement exists "to coordinate and envision for the purpose of academic engagement Calvin’s efforts within the community in which it resides."

• • Interactive map with information about Calvin's campus and particularly, the Ecosystem Preserve.

• Environmental Geology major program

  • Required courses and cognates, along with a list of related elective options.

• Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies

  • The Environmental Science major program of concentration is intended for students who plan to pursue a career requiring scientific training in environmental problems and their solutions. The Environmental Studies group minor program of concentration is intended for students who are following a disciplinary major and who also have an interest in studying a broad range of environmental problems and issues at the local, national, and global levels.

• Environmental Stewardship Coalition

  • The mission of the ESC is to raise campus consciousness regarding current environmental issues and to emphasize Christian stewardship as a personal and community responsibility.

• • Kill-a-Watt Sustainability Month is a holistic educational program in the residence halls to inspire and instill good stewardship in students. It is set up as a campus-wide competition to increase awareness and application of sustainability in Christian community. The program features educational events such as film and lectures and habit-forming events like the dining hall challenges, as well as both quantitative and qualitative evaluations of on-campus students’ commitment to sustainability .

• • Since the spring of 2004, representatives from the West Michigan Environmental Action Coalition (WMEAC), �������ϲʿ�����¼����, and the Christian Reformed Church have been meeting to discuss a plan to address the problems and the potential of Plaster Creek. This group has evolved into the Plaster Creek Stewards (formerly Plaster Creek Watershed Working Group).

• President's Report 2006

  • "I thank you for joining us in redeeming a good spot of earth on the corner of Burton and the East Beltline."

• Service Learning Center

  • The Service-Learning Center is here to help you connect with people who want to make a difference in metro Grand Rapids. Whether you attend or teach at Calvin, work in a nonprofit agency or want to introduce service-learning at your own college, you'll find your next best step on these pages.

Regional Organizations

• • A Rocha is a Christian nature conservation organization, our name coming from the Portuguese for “the Rock,” as the first initiative was a field study centre in Portugal.

• • AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future.

• • Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies provides university-level courses with transferable credits to over 50 colleges and universities, the framework and services for sustainable community-building, environmental education and restoration for school children and adults, facilities for community and environmental organizations, community and regional conferences and retreats, and outreach services.

• • The Creation Care Study program is a high-caliber academic semester abroad connecting Christian faith with the most complex, urgent global issues of the coming decades.

• • The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) is an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

• • The Community Sustainability Partnership is a diverse network of community organizations in West Michigan who embrace and support sustainability guiding principles in their planning and operations and are striving to make a positive impact in our community.

• • The purpose of Grand Valley State University's Sustainable Community Development Initiative (or SCDI) is to provide the necessary skills, analytical tools, and resources to address global, national, regional, and local sustainability issues.

• • Holy Ground features essays, sermons, and other short pieces from, among others, Pope Benedict XVI, Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, Islamic scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Rabbis Zoe Klein and Arthur Waskow, Evangelical pastors Joel Hunter and Brian McLaren, environmental justice proponents Allen Johnson and Kristin Shrader-Frechette, Native American novelist Linda Hogan, and writers Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder, Terry Tempest Williams, and David James Duncan.

• • This online community aims to help facilitate the discussion of sustainability and the triple bottom line and what it means to your business, organization or personal life. The site aims to serve the pros and neophytes as we all discover and implement and live sustainability.

• • This project, at Emory University, has grown from a focus on course development to include a broader group of experiences, both in and outside the classroom, expanding from faculty to graduate students, in ever-widening circles of dialogue.

• • Set on 661 acres in Southwest Michigan, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute provides visitors with a unique exposure to a rare blend of diverse habitats including wetlands, forests, marshes, streams, lakes, and prairies.

• • Rain Gardens of West Michigan is an environmental education program focused on stormwater education, and on the values of using rain gardens and native plants in the landscape to improve urban and suburban water quality.

• • The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501 c3 non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

• • West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) is a non-profit, 501C3 organization working to protect and enhance West Michigan’s natural and human environments by translating the concerns of people into positive action.

• • The West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum exists to promote business practices that demonstrate environmental stewardship, economic vitality, and social responsibility.

National Organizations

• • The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection. ACEEE fulfills its mission by conducting technical and policy assessments; working collaboratively with policymakers, businesses, and public interest groups; organizing conferences; publishing reports, conference proceedings, and consumer guides; and educating consumers.

• • AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. Our mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. We do this by providing resources, professional development, and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research.

• Creation Care Guide for Churches

  • Published in February 2009 through the Christian Reformed Church's Office of Social Justice, this issue of Justice Seekers focuses on integrating creation care into the fabric of congregations. It includes an explanation of why Christians should care about creation and also tips towards making congregations green.

• • Earth Share, a nationwide network of America's leading environmental and conservation organizations, works to promote environmental education and charitable giving through workplace giving campaigns. Founded in 1988, Earth Share is a membership federation of local, national, and international environmental and conservation charities. Its mission is to build an expanding, sustainable funding source for its member groups by involving individuals and employers, primarily through workplace giving; and, through its member groups, to promote and protect public health and welfare and conserve natural resources for future generations.

• • Environmental Defense is dedicated to protecting the environmental rights of all people, including future generations. Among these rights are access to clean air and water, healthy and nourishing food, and flourishing ecosystems. Guided by science, Environmental Defense evaluates environmental problems and works to create and advocate solutions that win lasting political, economic and social support because they are nonpartisan, cost-efficient and fair.

• • The Freecycle Network is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Freecycle Mission Statement: "Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."

• • Global Green USA is a national environmental organization addressing three of the greatest challenges facing humanity: 1) Stemming global climate change by creating green buildings and cities. 2) Eliminating weapons of mass destruction that threaten lives and the environment. 3) Providing clean, safe drinking water for the 2.4 billion people who lack access to clean water.

• • Holy Ground features essays, sermons, and other short pieces from, among others, Pope Benedict XVI, Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, Islamic scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Rabbis Zoe Klein and Arthur Waskow, Evangelical pastors Joel Hunter and Brian McLaren, environmental justice proponents Allen Johnson and Kristin Shrader-Frechette, Native American novelist Linda Hogan, and writers Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder, Terry Tempest Williams, and David James Duncan.

• • The Go Green Initiative is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation.

• • LampRecycle.org serves as a “one-stop shop” for information on recycling spent mercury-containing lamps nationwide. The site is managed by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and sponsored by the NEMA lamp manufacturing section (Lamp Section), which includes virtually all companies that manufacture and sell mercury-containing lamps in the US.

• • NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action organization. NRDC uses law, science, and the support of 1.2 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. NRDC's website provides a wealth of environmental information as well as state-of-the-art online activism tools.

• • For more than 50 years, RFF has pioneered the application of economics as a tool to develop more effective policy about the use and conservation of natural resources. Its scholars continue to analyze critical issues concerning pollution control, energy policy, land and water use, hazardous waste, climate change, biodiversity, and the environmental challenges of developing countries.

• • Zero Waste America (ZWA) is a Internet-based environmental research organization specializing in the field of Zero Waste.

Student Organizations

• • Net Impact is a network of more than 10,000 new-generation leaders (MBAs, graduate students and young professionals) committed to using the power of business to improve the world. The organization recently started a Campus Greening Initiative to help Net Impact student members put their beliefs into action through campus environmental sustainability efforts.

• • Roots & Shoots is the Jane Goodall Institute's international environmental and humanitarian program for youth of all ages. Its mission is to foster respect and compassion for all living things, promote understanding of all cultures, and inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for the environment, animals, and the human community. The Roots & Shoots University & College Program links institutions around the US to further Jane Goodall's mission: empowering individuals to make a difference. The network is based out of Western Connecticut State University.

• • The Sierra Student Coalition is a broad network of high school and college students from around the U.S. working to protect the environment. It has over 250 affiliated groups based at schools around the country. The SSC is the student arm of the Sierra Club. Like the Sierra Club, the SSC is run by volunteers who work on national and local campaigns that promote smart energy solutions and protect the environment. It develops environmental leaders through grassroots training programs and works to maximize its campus-based effectiveness through the creation and maintenance of state and national networks of high school and college students. A small staff supports the work of the Sierra Student Coalition's volunteer-run activities.

• • SEAC is a student and youth-run national network of progressive organizations and individuals whose aim is to uproot environmental injustices through action and education. SEAC defines the environment to include the physical, economic, political, and cultural conditions in which humans live. By challenging the power structure that threatens these conditions, students in SEAC work to create progressive social change on both the local and global levels. SEAC builds networks, teaches skills, educates about issues, and puts ideas into practice with campaigns. It has conferences, email lists, a magazine, trainings, caucuses, campaign packets, and organizing guides.

• • The student PIRGs are independent state-based student organizations that work to solve public interest problems related to the environment, consumer protection, and government reform.

• • USSA works to build grassroots power among students to win concrete victories that expand access to education at the federal, state and campus level. USSA is a voice for students on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and in the Department of Education.

• • USAS is an international student movement of campuses and individual students fighting for sweatshop free labor conditions and workers' rights. USAS' three cornerstone campaigns are the Sweat-Free Campus Campaign, the Ethical Contracting Campaign, and the Campus Living Wage Campaign.