With global warming and the concern for “going green” on the rise, the Physical Plant Services Office is in the process of implementing several new innovative programs on campus to show just how green, and gold, Southeastern can be.

These new programs include the installation of solar panels on the kinesiology and administration buildings, the introduction of a more thorough recycling program and the eventual eradication of dumpsters on campus.

“It’s incredible for the university to take these steps forward,” said Byron Patterson, director of the Physical Plant. “This is something for everyone, faculty and students, to get excited about. We are truly taking things to a new level.”

The solar panels on the Kinesiology and Administration buildings were installed and operational by the end of January. According to Patterson, the solar panels will heat the water used in the Kinesiology Building, which will considerably reduce the heating bill incurred each month by the department. The $149,000 price tag on the system is nothing compared to the gains.

“This system is designed to pay for itself,” said Patterson. “The payback for the system is about four and a half years. The green aspect of it is another bonus. All the energy produced is free energy.”

The recycling program being introduced within the next several weeks is a smaller part of the plan to create a ‘dumpster-free campus.’

“Within ten years Southeastern will be the first dumpster-free university,” stated Russell Evans, manager of sustainability for the Physical Plant.

Evans backed up this bold statement with the outline of his long-term plan for Southeastern. Recycling is just the newest phase of the plan for sustainability on campus. Physical Plant has already implemented the use of used cooking oil from the Cayman Cafe in the mowers as well as closely monitoring and controlling the air conditioning systems on campus. The close monitoring of temperatures in the buildings on campus has, according to Evans, resulted in more than $1.2 million saved in 2010 alone.

“Our short-term goal is to have a single stream recycling system, which would include white paper, newspaper, cardboard, plastics and aluminum. This would be of absolutely no charge to the University,” said Evans. “Our ultimate goal is to take a bulk of the waste from Southeastern out of the landfills for monetary as well as environmental reasons and to get rid of the unsightly dumpsters on campus, excluding, of course, the dormitory and cafeteria dumpsters.”

Southeastern, according to Evans and Patterson, is taking monumental steps towards becoming the first totally ‘green campus’ in America.

Questions regarding the plans for Southeastern’s greener future can be directed to Physical Plant Services at 985-549-3333.