Sustainability

Sustainability is the ability to sustain behaviors that have little to no impact on our environment. At UWM University Recreation, we believe that a little bit of awareness can go a long way. Please read the following if you would like to learn a few tips on how to join us on our mission to promote sustainability, at minimal cost to you!

Water

Water is important for many forms of life. Being aware of our usage and taking these few simple steps can have a major impact. It’s not about cutting things completely out of your life, but simply being mindful of the valuable resources around you.

  • Sinks
    • Turn off faucet when brushing teeth
    • Scraping plates by hand instead of rinsing
    • Unthawing food overnight rather than running a faucet
    • Pre-chilling water in the fridge
  • Take shorter showers
  • Toilets
    • Putting a brick in your toilet’s tank to displace water
    • Flushing less per day
Carbon

Think green. Reducing our carbon footprint by picking up eco-friendly habits is a major step in the right direction!

  • Waste
    • Use refillable bottles
    • Bring containers to restaurants for leftovers
    • Reuse old food containers before recycling them
    • Use your own bag at the grocery store
    • Buy items second-hand & repairing torn clothes
  • Electricity
    • Reduce the amount of time watching television or gaming
    • Unplug chargers when not in use
    • Turn down the heat
    • Hand washing and drying dishes
    • Air drying clothes
  • Recycle (specific to Milwaukee)
    • Glass bottles & jars
    • Plastics 1, 2, 4, and 5
    • Mixed paper & junk mail
    • Aluminum containers
    • Cardboard & paperboard
    • Metal pots & pans
    • Steel cans & empty aerosol cans
Food

Food waste by North American consumers amounts to nearly 250 pounds per person per year. Here are a few simple ways for you to not only limit your food waste, but also how to keep a little money in your pocket.

  • Food Waste
    • Buy items with less packaging
    • Buying less per shopping trip makes it less likely to spoil
    • Always take leftovers home
    • Compost
  • Mileage
    • Buy foods that are produced locally or seasonally
    • Make your own food or drink
    • Collect wild edible foods
    • Shop at farmer’s markets or join CSA’s
  • Food type
    • Reduce the amount of animal products in your diet
    • Vegetarian & vegan diets tend to consume less water and produce less carbon
    • Vegetarians & vegans also tend to be healthier than omnivores
Exercise & Transportation

Want to improve your health while improving the environment? Take these few ideas into consideration next time you’re on your way to class, and you might just start to enjoy them!

  • Take the stairs
  • Commute by foot or bike
  • Jog outside or on a track, rather than using treadmills or other electronic machines
  • Recreate outdoors in parks or on the water (Lake Michigan’s great for that)
  • Use public transportation when available
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