Sustainability

Pacific Lutheran University Loves Where You Live!

How important is sustainability at PLU? Important enough to include in our University Mission Statement, “to educate students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care – for other people, for their communities and for the earth.” Sustainability is part of the culture here at PLU and our Residential Life teams partner with various university departments to offer students sustainable living practices on campus.

Did you know...

Did you know that every minute of a shower uses approximately 12 bottles of water? PLU does, so Military Shower Stops have been installed in all Traditional Halls and in each shower in South Hall apartments. This device allows the user to save water by temporarily stopping the flow while soaping/shampooing and restore it to the pre-set temperature with just the push of a button! Additionally, Residential Life in partnership with Sustainability added faucet aerators to all traditional hall bathroom sink faucets while maintaining the full flow feel. These aerators cut the water flow by 50%. Aerators installed in South Hall Apartment kitchens reduced the flow there by 25%.

What can you do? Try the military shower stops and turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth and shave. Letting your faucet run for 5 minutes uses almost as much energy as running a 60 watt bulb for a whole day! Consider your laundry…what is actually dirty and what can you wear or use again? When you wash, do only full loads to save both money AND water!

Did you know that leaving your chargers, TV’s, gaming systems and DVD players plugged in when not in use wastes tons of energy? Res Life knows, so we have equipped each room with an energy-saving Smart Strip.

What can you do? Don’t be an energy vampire! Shut lights off when you leave a room, and use natural light whenever possible. Learn how to use the Smart Strips. They don’t work if you don’t use them! Confused? Here is a quick video with some easy directions.

Did you know that every 3 seconds a baby is born? In that same time 140 cans are born! PLU knows, so recycling and composting are available in every residence hall and water bottle filling stations are available in all Traditional Halls.

What can you do?  Sort your recyclables and compost food scraps whenever possible. Here is a list of what and how PLU recycles. Use a reusable water bottle rather than disposable ones. Water bottle filling stations are also available in Stuen Hall, Tingelstad Hall and many academic buildings around campus. There are so many ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. Pick your favorite and challenge yourself to make it your habit.

PLU and Res Life really do Love Where You Live!

We care about our students, our campus and our world. If you have any questions,ideas, suggestions or success stories please check out our Sustainability webpage. You can get involved by talking with your Resident Director or joining your Hall’s Residence Hall Council. Each RHC has a Sustainability Director who works to support programs in the halls to educate students.