The University of Iowa (UI) College of Dentistry conducted a waste audit on April 14 to commemorate Earth Month.
The audit measured the effectiveness of the college's efforts to reduce waste, recycle, and reuse and to identify additional sustainability-related opportunities, in particular, composting.
UI President Sally Mason signed the Sustainability Partnership Program with the Environmental Protection Agency in October 2010. The program outlines seven environmental goals for the university by 2020, including decreasing UI waste production by 60% and increasing opportunities for students to learn about sustainability, according to a story in the Daily Iowan.
The college's first waste sort was organized in September 2008 to support UI's mission to reduce its environmental footprint through education, sustainable environmental practices, and social responsibility, according to the school's website.
The audit data helped launch new practices, including using recycling containers, recycling of disposable clinic gowns, powering down computers, using energy-efficient hand dryers in restrooms, buying supplies in bulk, and adding bike racks.
