Our Commitment to Sustainability

Sustainability is integral to Grand Valley State University's strategic mission, vision, and values and the Meijer Campus in Holland is proud of its commitment to sustainable practices.

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is about meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

To make sure that the environmental, social, and economic impact of our activities will create a high quality of life for our current generation and those of the future, we can look at them through a framework of sustainability factors.

The major factors of sustainable development include:

Increasing environmental stewardship, restoration, and renewal.

Improving overall social conditions and quality of life.

Achieving economic vitality and overall fiscal sustainability.

Building upon the cultural capacity and our collective diversity, heritage, and intrinsic values.

By considering these factors when making decisions, we can become better global citizens. It is everyone's responsibility to work toward a sustainable future. You can learn more about sustainability at Grand Valley's Sustainable Community Development Initative's website.

The Meijer Campus Commitment.

Sustainability permeates all that we do. You’ll find sustainable practices:

… in the classroom

It is not uncommon to see faculty at the Meijer Campus implement a “paper free course.” In such courses, all assignments, tests, readings, and syllabi, etc are distributed and managed online.
Many classes include community engagement activities that contribute to overall wellbeing of the greater Holland area. These assignments include writing grants and developing marketing plans for local nonprofitsorganizations, volunteering at local agencies, and participating in community wide events.

… in our work spaces

We’re committed to purchasing and utilizing recycled paper and office supplies.
We’re travel savvy to cut back on carbon emissions: we limit the amount of deliveries by ordering in bulk and utilize virtual meeting technology.
We utilize central printing hubs and print duplex in order to cut back on electricity, waste, and paper.

… outdoors

Yard waste including grass clippings and leaves are composted.
Our landscaping involves native plants and we’ve reduced our “lawn space” to cut back on water and emissions associated with maintenance and upkeep.
We’ve utilized weather stations, rain gauges, and other technology to decrease watering.

...in our traditions

The Meijer Campus participates in Grand Valley’s annual Sustainability Week to raise awareness and educate the GVSU and local community on sustainability related issues.
Each year students, faculty, and staff participate in Make A Difference Day, providing service to a local nonprofit in need

… and all around campus

Recycling and composting are available campus-wide.
We’ve made adjustments to our lighting and HVAC to reduce energy consumption.

Our Waste Management Program

Triple Bottom Line Recycling

We’re proud to partner with the Holland Rescue Mission’s New Life Recycling Center. The Rescue Mission collections the Meijer Campus recyclables, sorts them as part of their job training program, and uses the profits to help fund their programming.

Centralized Hubs

You won’t find a trash can in any classroom or office at the Meijer Campus. Instead, you’ll find several waste hubs around campus that make it easy to make responsible waste disposal choices – limiting the amount of recyclable and compostable waste that ends up in landfills.

We implemented this change in the Fall of 2011 after conducting an audit (dumpster dive and sort) of what was in our dumpster. We learned that nearly 90% of what was landfill-bound could have been disposed of in a more responsible way. Best practices suggest that providing less opportunities to dispose easily dispose of waste (trash cans in every office and classroom) and more opportunities to make responsible choices (centralized hubs) would encourage our students, faculty, staff and visitors to make better choices. It worked. Within 6 weeks, we dramatically reduced the amount of recyclable waste going to the landfill.

Click on the links to watch videos of our dives.

The Meijer Campus Green Team

Many of the sustainable initiatives at the Meijer Campus were brought about by a dedicated group of students, faculty, staff and community members known as the GREEN TEAM. The Green Team meets monthly to discuss new initiatives, evaluate practices, and plan programming related to sustainability for the GVSU and local community. If you’d like to be a part of the Green Team, email Holland@gvsu.edu.

Click here to watch an interview with members of the Green Team.

515. South Waverly Road • Holland MI 49423
Phone 616-331-3910 • holland@gvsu.edu