Earth Day - 22 April 2007

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22nd 1970 and was intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for Earth's natural environment. It is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in Earth Day campaigns and events every year.

This year's theme is 'taking action on global warming'. You can get involved in this year's Earth Day activities just by taking a few simple steps to reduce your carbon footprint. To calculate your footprint click here. For steps to reducing your carbon impact, click here.

Funding granted for water reuse project

ECU recently received funding from the Commonwealth government (through the Community Water Grants) to undertake a water reuse project involving the cooling towers and the lake at Joondalup campus. The project seeks to channel the 'bleed' water from the cooling towers (used for air conditioning) into the lake for use on the campus gardens and grounds.

It is estimated that this project will reuse approximately 3 million litres of water each year on the Joondalup campus, saving the equivalent amount of ground water which will subsequently not need to be pumped for use on the campus grounds. The project is due to begin construction in June 2007.

Opportunities for students

Looking for some challenging work experience to add to your CV? Look no further than ECU Environmental Services. Work arrangements are flexible, based at Joondalup and projects can be negotiated depending upon your interests and skills.

Students wanted to undertake Travel Survey - two paid positions are available this May to undertake student travel surveys on Mount Lawley and Joondalup campuses.

For more information contact the Environment Officer on 2232.

Mini Bin recycling in full swing

ECU's new recycling program is now in full swing, with Buildings 31 (the new library) and Building 1 (Chancellery Building) now operating under this system. The Mini Bin program involves the replacement of a large desk-side bin with a paper recycling box and a small bin for general waste. In other universities its been found to increase recycling by up to 70%.

The system makes it easier for staff to recycle paper- the primary waste created in office environments, while encouraging the recycling of cans, bottles and cartons within the kitchen facilities. Anecdotal reports suggest that paper recycling has vastly improved and cans, bottles and cartons which were previously not being recycled are placed into recycling bins located in kitchens and corridors. More.

Joondalup's annual waste audit will look specifically at Building 1 to ascertain the relative change in recycling rates due to the implementation of the program. Stay tuned for more!

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