To assist in achieving these waste reduction goals, the CAP recommends a zero-waste policy that sets a goal to “eliminate 100% of organic materials from the waste stream by 2025 through a robust composting program.” Wanting to understand the receptiveness of such a program, all 6,340 Northfield households had the opportunity to complete a survey. The survey asked what they know about and what is their interest is in recycling, specifically household organic waste.
Category Archives: Focus: Waste
Waste Management in Northfield
This paper, written by Carleton student Irene Stoutland for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar, builds on work done by the Waste Working Group to implement the Climate Action Plan waste management goals. This paper focuses on measurement of waste prevention, community-based recycling, and the need for state and national legislation.
Fixing the Food System: A Twenty-Year Plan for Food Waste Management in Northfield
This paper, written by Carleton student Riley Pohlman for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar, proposes a plan to address food waste that would be implemented over the next twenty years. The primary goal of the plan is to divert food waste from landfills, with the secondary goal of slowing the accumulation of food waste through prevention efforts.
Recommendations for eliminating single-use plastics in Northfield
A draft policy recommendation by the City of Northfield Materials & Waste working group for eliminating single-use plastics in Northfield.
An Ethical Analysis of Carleton’s Geothermal Heating and Cooling Plan
This is a paper completed for Prof. Smith’s Fall 2016 Environmental Ethics class. In Fall 2016, Carleton College Board of Trustees approved a plan to replace Carleton’s current steam heating system with a geothermal heating and cooling system supplemented by a hot water boiler. This system will significantly reduce the college’s carbon emissions and put the College on track to meet its Climate Action Plan. However, implementing this new system will require Carleton to retire its steam boiler halfway through its engineered lifespan. This paper analyzes the ethical implications of this plan on both Carleton and its stakeholders.
Should We Ban the Bottle?
Students in Prof. Smith’s 2016 Environmental Ethics course examined the ethical case for banning the sale of bottled water at Carleton College, using a corporate social responsibility framework.
Ole Thrift Shop
Founded in May 2013, the Ole Thrift Shop is a student-led business committed to increasing the sustainability of St. Olaf College by extending the life-cycle of goods that would normally be discarded.
We are dedicated to empowering students with the knowledge of how their purchasing choices can be both environmentally conscious and economical, and aim to establish responsible consumerism as a practice that is continued by students throughout their lifetime.
Ole Thrift Shop collects gently-used goods on St. Olaf campus for a week during May. During the next school year Ole Thrift Shop holds sales open to the Northfield Community in order to recycle these goods.
SERC InTeGrate Project
The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) works to improve education through projects that support educators. InTeGrate is a specific SERC project funded by a 5-year STEP Center grant from the National Science Foundation. The program supports the teaching of geoscience in the context of societal issues both within geoscience courses and across the undergraduate curriculum. Our goal is to develop a citizenry and workforce that can address environmental and resource issues facing our society.
Northfield Energy Task Force
The Northfield Energy Task Force (NETF) was created by resolution of the Northfield City Council in May 2007 to respond to challenges presented by reliance on fossil fuels and climate change. Their report, “With Hope: A Resilient Community” was presented to the City Council in May 2008, but follow-up was limited due to other political priorities at the time.
Contact: George Kinney, geokinney@gmail.com
Institutional Food Composting
St. Olaf College uses a Wright Environmental in-vessel composter to convert food service scraps and uneaten foods into rich soil amendments used throughout the college’s gardens and on its public green ways. For more information, see https://wp.stolaf.edu/sustainability/composting/