Sustainability

In the Jesuit tradition of living with and for others, we understand that the choices we make today influence the world that our future men and women will inhabit. The Regis University Sustainability Committee helps to educate our student body on environmental issues in this ever-changing world. We confront local issues of sustainability and use our positive voice to inspire change. With creativity and an integrative worldview, we hope to inspire a culture that is environmentally conscious, as well as one that fosters stewardship for our natural world and minimizes the impact we have upon it.

Leaders of Regis University believe it is their responsibility to ensure that every effort is made to conserve and properly manage energy and natural resources, as well as to exercise sound financial judgments.

Implementation of this policy is the joint responsibility of Regis University administration, faculty, students, support personnel, and its success is based on cooperation at all levels.

Ways that students can reduce the cost to the environment are:

• Choose the appropriate set point for your housing unit base on your comfort while keeping the environmental impacts in mind.
• Close blinds on sunny days to reduce heat gain.
• Always keep windows closed when your heating or air-conditioning units are on.
• If you open your windows, turn off the heating/air-cooling unit.
• Turn off lights and appliances when not in use.
• Turn off computers, printers, and other electronic devices when not in use.
• Take shorter showers.
• Recycle, Reuse, and Retain whenever possible!

Eligibility

Only Regis College or Rueckert-Hartman College undergraduate students who pay a Student Activities fee are eligible to receive a packet of ten RTD bus passes.

Services Provided

As a Regis student, you now have the privilege of using the RTD bus and Light Rail system, free of charge with your new bus pass. This is a great way to get around Denver and the surrounding areas. This service is included in your Student Activities Fee for Regis University undergraduate students.

The Bus Pass includes:

• All local routes (numbered routes)
• Discounted Light Rail services in Denver, Skyride service and routes to Boulder and neighboring suburbs

How to get your bus pass

Visit the Office of Student Activities (second floor of the Student Center) and fill out a short form. For an express pass, there is a slightly longer form that needs to filled out. Then walk over to the Cashier's Office to receive your packet.

How to Use the Pass

1. Get connected with RTD information
Use RTD Kiosk next to Walker’s Pub in the Student Center or, access bus route information via the internet (www.rtd-denver.com), or call 303.299.6000.

2. Plan Your Trip
Use a Google map to plan your route. Or, the RTD Website Trip Planner can create an itinerary for your destination. Another option is to visit the Office of Student Activities or the Dayton Memorial Library for a schedule.

3. Find Your Bus Stop
All bus stops have a red and white sign that marks where you can catch the bus. The sign lists each bus route that stops at that location, so make sure your route number is on the sign.

4. Board the Bus

5. Get Off At Your Stop
Stay alert during your ride so that you know when your bus stop is approaching. Let the driver know that you want to get off the bus one block before your stop. If the bus has two doors, exit through the rear door.

BENEFITS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

1. Cost
Compared with rising gas prices, parking, automobile maintenance, and insurance charges, public transit is very affordable.

2. Convenience
Public transit functions on a schedule, making planning your trip easy. Also, you can read or study while riding.

3. Environment
The public transportation system is the ultimate carpool, cutting down on harmful emissions.

The Trust the Tap initiative is sponsored by the RUSGA Sustainability Committee and Physical Plant. The goal of the program is to eventually eliminate the community's dependence on plastic water bottles.

This campaign strives to bring awareness and education to students and faculty about reducing plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions, while focusing on global social justice issues around water privatization and the fundamental human right to clean and safe drinking water. For more information, please email the RUSGA Director of Sustainability. DeSmet Hall, O’Connell Hall, and West Hall all host a “Trust the Tap” machine on the first floor of the respective residence hall.

The Regis University Recycling Program is Single Stream, which means all recyclable material can be dumped in the same bin. No sorting required! Even though plastic bags are not recyclable, we recommend that you bag all your recyclables together, and dump the whole bag into the large, white recycling dumpsters.  The processing center will then remove the bags when sorting the materials.

Each residence hall room also has a recycling bin placed inside.  Please use these bins to separate your recyclable material from your trash, which you can then easily deposit in the appropriate dumpster.

There are six recycling dumpsters around campus:

• Behind O’Connell Hall
• Behind DeSmet Hall
• North of the Residence Village
• West of Main Hall
• Behind West Hall
• Behind the Student Center
• Southeast of Claver Hall (formerly the ALC)

CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T RECYCLE?

The following materials are recyclable:

• Plastics
• Aluminum and steel
• Paper and cardboard
• Glass

The following materials are NOT recyclable:

• Food scraps
• Plastic bags
• Polystyrene
• Cookware
• Ceramics

Regis leads the way in helping the state to develop renewable energy resources. Energy from the wind has been powering classrooms and facilities at Regis University. In 1997, the University signed up to purchase electricity from Colorado's first "wind farm" in northeastern Colorado.

Regis has committed to purchase 240,000 kWh of electricity per year from the ten-megawatt "wind farm," which equates to approximately five percent of the University's total electric consumption. This commitment to renewable wind energy has the same equivalent benefit as preserving 100 acres of trees, or of not driving a car for a half million miles. Regis' purchase of wind power will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by 168 tons a year.

The wind turbines are located at Public Service Company of Colorado's Ponnequin Wind Facility, just inside the Colorado border about ten miles south of Cheyenne, Wyoming.