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NewsvineCompared to the average all-campus bash, Sigma Nu’s Sunsplash was remarkably environmentally friendly last spring, thanks to efforts by Students for a Sustainable Stanford (SSS). As part of the group’s ongoing efforts to make Stanford parties more sustainable, SSS is writing reports evaluating their eco-friendliness.
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Sunsplash organizer John Mulrow ‘09 was largely responsible for making the Sigma Nu bash a success as the first party to attempt sustainable practices.
“[Mulrow] will literally cringe upon finding a red cup crushed in the corner of a room,” said fellow organizer Wes Mateo ‘07. “If anyone deserves credit for the gradual strides toward sustainability this campus has made, it is him.”
Sigma Nu’s efforts to make Sunsplash environmentally friendly spanned from advertising to waste management. Organizers printed 300 black-and-white posters on recycled paper salvaged from Sigma Nu’s computer cluster.
“The way we looked at it, there really wasn’t any reason to waste a pack of new paper for a bunch of flyers that people would probably only be taking passing glances at,” Mateo said.
Organizers also bought recyclable plastic cups, as opposed to the typical red ones used at parties. While the new cups cost five cents more than the red cups (10 cents as compared to five cents), the Sunsplash coordinators thought they were a good investment in light of the 1,500 to 2,000 cups typically used at large campus parties, according to the SSS report.
“The morning after Sunsplash, all glass, aluminum and plastic were cleaned up into big recycling bins,” the sustainability report stated. “There was hardly any landfill-bound trash generated at the party.”
While the Sunsplash organizers spent more money on cups, they made up for the cost by spending less money on lumber. Wood for party decorations and structures was bought at Palo Alto’s Warehouse Building Supply, which reclaims lumber from demolished homes.
The coordinators also cut back on lighting, as Sigma Nu relied solely on power supplied to the house. Resulting technical difficulties leading up to the party, however, may lead organizers to revert to using generators in the future.
Mateo described the reaction to the party as overwhelmingly positive. He and his fellow organizers said that they hope the example set by Sunsplash will serve as an inspiration to future party planners.
“Sunsplash demonstrated for everyone to see that you can incorporate sustainability into your party objectives and still execute an overwhelmingly successful and enjoyable event for the community,” Mateo said.
ASSU President Jonny Dorsey ‘09 and Vice President Fagan Harris ‘09 are enthusiastic about the blossoming eco-friendly practices around campus.
“We want to make sustainability more student-driven,” Dorsey said.
In the fall, the ASSU will pursue subsidies to make it easier for students to buy the recyclable cups. They also plan to work with the Office of Student Affairs to implement a green label that will “advertise green-friendly parties,” according to Harris.