Students at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks dine in small part on greens grown in a campus greenhouse, just one of several sustainability initiatives at the school, reports the Associated Press. The greenhouse, which sits behind the campus power plant, produces up to 120 lbs. of vegetables each week, which is admittedly only a small portion of the food required to feed the estimated 700 students who show up for a typical meal at UAF’s Lola Tilly Commons dining hall. Still, school and dining officials say the symbolism is important and the initiative a good start.
Plans call for expanding the greenhouse and adding fresh herbs. Other environmental initiatives at UAF include selling off about 500 gallons of used cooking oil each month to a local entrepreneur who plans to convert it into biodiesel, and giving food scraps and leftovers to a local musher to feed his dogs. The initiatives combined have allowed UAF to reduce its waste by about half in the past few years.