Sustainability at Bryant University

At Bryant, not only are our top-ranked business programs aligned to the needs of industry and society, but our university is also making strides towards becoming more environmentally friendly! Our campus-wide initiatives focus overall on planning and policy, education and action, and operations. These ideas integrate strategies in leadership and decision making with an efficient use of resources while building an understanding, deepening knowledge, and inspiring careers.

We try to apply these subject matters across ten major areas, including:

• Academics and research
• Energy
• Buildings and land use
• Health and wellness
• Food and dining
• Supply chain management
• Transportation
• Waste reduction and recycling
• Water
• Community engagement 

The Sustainability Committee is headed by Dr. Gaytha Langlois, Ph.D., of the Department of Science and Technology, and guides the process and campus engagement, as well as holds the Bryant community accountable. It is facilitated by EcoMotionInc., a company with more than 30 years of experience developing sustainability initiatives for campuses, cities and corporate communities.

We have several organizations on campus that are involved in maintaining our environmental awareness, including Bryant Enactus' Green Team, the Bryant Environmental Society, the Scientific Community Initiative (a student club that promotes sustainability on and off campus through events, outreach, and collaborations), and the Community Activism and Leadership Organization (CALO) that focuses on directing student effort toward social good. The Bryant University Green Initiative primarily focuses on finding sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and opportunities on campus and in the surrounding community. Additionally, students and faculty collaborate in ongoing academic and research opportunities in immersive programs, outdoor field studies, and internships.

Bryant currently offers 13 courses with a direct focus on sustainability, and 43 courses that are related to sustainability. Campus energy costs are approximately 2% of the entire University budget. Bryant continues to explore opportunities for energy conservation and green buildings as we are currently considering green roofs on campus and means to better measure energy and water consumption. We have taken steps towards sustainability through reaching out to students to make small changes in their daily lives that can lead to major results, such as recycling, saving water, promoting non-wasteful behavior, and offering programs for mental and physical health. We have recently installed water filtration refill systems that allow students to fill water bottles with purified water in order to decrease plastic waste! We encourage students to practice eco-friendly transportation, like taking the RIPTA, using a ZipCar, and carpooling. Bryant strives to coordinate projects with the local community, support community service, increase social media activity and webpage viewership, and host events in order to exchange best practices with other organizations. The University is also considering holding a Farmers Market on campus for students to purchase local goods!

Our Sustainability Plan 2014 explains in further detail the University actions towards preservation of resources and sustainability. 

 

Keep up to date on the latest sustainability news and events on social media:

Twitter: @SustainBryant

Facebook: Sustainability at Bryant

Email: sustainability@bryant.edu 

To learn more, visit: http://www.bryant.edu/about/sustainability/

Author: Bridgette Kosek

Follow me on Twitter! @BridgetteKosek

Stay up to date with all of our activities by following @BryantMKT421 on Twitter!

 

Sustainability: Coffee and Produce

If you haven't had the chance to visit the Pawtucket/ Wintertime Farmers Market, I highly encourage you to check it out! It's filled with vendors dedicated to providing their communities with the highest quality and freshest products while remaining committed to sustainable practices.

New Harvest Coffee Roasters

Some of the best coffee in RI can be found right at the Pawtucket Farmer’s Market. New Harvest Coffee Roasters is dedicated to providing the highest quality coffee while practicing sustainable efforts. The entire coffee process from growing to harvesting to processing and roasting and ultimately brewing is acutely monitored with passion. What I found unique about New Harvest is their Source Direct program. They traveled to farms in Central and South America to connect directly with small farms producing coffee with greener efforts. This not only ensures a strong lasting relationship with farmers but also supports farmers taking good care of their land and paying their workers well. The strong relationship also ensures the highest quality for New Harvest’s expectations while benefitting coffee-growing communities at large.

Overall I learned there’s nothing easy about great coffee but New Harvest strives to provide the best and really takes each stage of the process a step further. If you can’t make it to the Farmer’s Market to try their coffee stop by their home Hope Artiste Village or look for their coffee supplied in cafés, restaurants, bakeries, groceries and households in all 50 states.

Freedom Food Farm

Freedom Food Farm was one of the many local farms at the market. Their mission is to provide healthy, nutritious food to members of the community throughout the socioeconomic spectrum. All of their produce, eggs, pork, and chickens are grown and raised with exclusively organic and biodynamic principles; their efforts are to mock a natural ecological cycle. All their hard work is just to provide healthy food for the community while reducing their foot print! I loved how they go beyond certified organic allowances. Even if it’s allowed they vow to never spray chemicals or pesticides on their fields and crops. They have endless practices with the compost and animal rotation to have the entire farm working as a natural ecosystem. Freedom Food Farm is a prime example of farming sustainable not just to provide healthy safe food to the community but to also preserve the farmland for future generation.

Freedom Food Farm was very knowledgeable about where they grow and raise their food and how it’s treated to arrive at the end results. I encourage you to buy local and direct from farmers with attempts to enhance food production overall, it will create a healthier world and a healthier you!

Learn more about sustainable practices as we head to Costa Rica! You can also follow us on Twitter! @BryantMKT421

-Krysia Syska

Buy Local!

The Pawtucket Winter Farmers Market was such a wonderful experience. I love going to farmers markets in the summer, but I had never been to an indoor farmers market. There was so much to take in at the Pawtucket Winter Farmers Market. The location (Hope Artiste Village) was great, the winding hallways and open spaces gave each vendor a unique setting. I loved the exposed brick, bright lights and the surrounding fresh and organic produce!

It is so important to buy local and to support the local economy. There were many vendors with varying products however they were all local and many supplied organic products. I found Langwater and Allen Farms to be outstanding family run vendors at the market.


Langwater Farm is a family run business located in North Easton, MA. The farm is USDA certified organic.the farm specializes in a diverse mix of Certified Organic vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, berries and pumpkins. They practice organic growing methods as well.

The family run farm has background in small-scale sustainable agriculture. The farmers are a passionate and energized crew. The farm provides healthy and delicious products to its local community. After speaking to those at Langwater Farm, I spoke with Tom from Allen Farms.

Meet Tom! Tom is from Allen Farms in Westport, MA. Allen Farms is a family operated farm that provides certified organic herbs, greens, vegetables and flowers since 1897.The farm utilizes seven greenhouses year round providing fresh and organics produce for the local areas. Allen Farms strives to be healthy and organic, providing great products to their local consumers. As a family owned and operated farm, Allen Farm's encourages sustainability and promotes health with their organic and wholesome products. Tom's mother, Debbie, is the owner of the farm. He was very helpful and enthusiastic about sharing information with me about his family's farm and what makes them unique. They had wonderful and fresh veggies!

  Highlight of the Day:  

Bridgette, Ethan, Krysia and I took Wheatgrass shots! Wheatgrass is full of nutrients and great for your body. I was a little nervous to try it...but it tasted much better than I originally thought it would and was a fun experience. I'm looking forward to the many new drinks and food we try in Costa Rica!

Thanks so much for reading,
Emily McLaughlin

Follow my adventures as I travel to Costa Rica to discover sustainable practices on twitter! @EmMcLaughlin
See what our class is up to as well @BryantMKT421 on twitter! 

Herbs & Ice Cream

Before traveling to Costa Rica to discover the sustainable practices that are implemented in another country, we explored our own area to get a sense of sustainability and to see what some of the members within our own community do in order to be environmentally friendly. 

We followed the painted tomato signs through the
maze of hallways to discover even more vendors!

The Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market located in the Hope Artiste Village provides local grounds for community members and merchants alike to exchange goods. 

The majority of the vendors supply organic or homegrown produce and other goods. While all the sellers expressed an interest in environmental health and lessening their carbon footprint, there were two in particular that exuded an incredible passion for their companies and the goods and services that they provide.

Situated on a five acre farm in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, Farmacy Herbs Community Health and Education Center offers herbs and consultation for natural remedies. They have a large selection of bulk dried herbs, local honey, books, herbal blends, and herbal products, including small simple items, such as lip balms, and infused oils containing plant extracts for wellness and relief. They also offer a wide variety of tea blends, including custom blends that can be made for specific tastes or uses based on the main ingredients. Additonally, Farmacy Herbs has a classroom space to host classes and training sessions to educate interested individuals on the use and practice of natural medicine. Not only does Farmacy Herbs use organic ingredients and products, but they encourage the sustainability of life through general health and wellness by offering goods that are wholesome for the mind and body.

Tricycle Ice Cream is another independent vendor that follows environmentally friendly business practices by offering ice cream on a tricycle! This extremely unique business uses the energy generated directly by man to power through Providence and the roads of Rhode Island, reducing emissions and pollution into the air unlike a typical delivery vehicle. To top it all off, Tricycle Ice Cream has delicious and creative flavors that are sure to satisfy even the most insatiable sweet-tooth. 

Author: Bridgette Kosek

Follow me on Twitter! @BridgetteKosek

Stay up to date with all of our activities by following @BryantMKT421 on Twitter!