In an effort to reduce waste and consumption, the Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors has implemented a green pilot program at LuValle Commons.
The pilot program, which took effect recently, seeks to follow the sustainability policy of using only what is necessary, said Roy Champawat, director of the student union.
Champawat said LuValle Commons has seen subtle but effective changes in its operations, ranging from waterless urinals in the men’s restrooms to condiment pumps.
“We’ve reduced water usage with faucet aerators and low-flow devices (in the restroom) and we’ve put in low-energy hand driers that only use a little bit of heat, which cuts down on paper use and waste,” he said.
In the food services department, LuValle Commons now dispenses condiments, cream and sugar through large pumps, rather than from small packets.
Second-year French and linguistics student Chris Fleischman said he thinks the green pilot program is a good idea for LuValle Commons.
“The green trend needs to spread everywhere on campus. Other buildings should take a page from LuValle,” Fleischman said.
He added that he was more likely to patron a business that is green and sustainable.
In addition to waste reduction techniques, LuValle Commons carries public recycling for plastic and gas, as well as mixed paper.
In the near future, LuValle Commons plans to feature battery disposal stations where students can dispose of toxic waste, Champawat said.
Jared Fox, a graduate student representative on the ASUCLA Board of Directors, said the pilot program is a test bed to see what aspects of sustainability are feasible.
“We are discovering that we can do things that are positive for the environment and save money at the same time,” Fox said.
LuValle Commons is not the only building at UCLA going green, as other projects are in the works to convert existing structures to sustainable practices.
Tova Lelah, assistant director of capital programming, said the new Life Sciences building will be a green building when it is finished.
“The University of California has adopted a policy where all new construction is green, and this is the first major laboratory at UCLA that falls under that,” Lelah said.
The impending renovation of Rieber Hall, an on-campus residence hall, will also see an environmentally friendly and energy efficient setting, Lelah said.
“They’re considering putting in double pane windows, which saves energy in terms of keeping the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” she said.
Future green plans for UCLA include a renovation of the university police headquarters on Westwood Boulevard and the construction of a new energy efficient pool at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center.
Lelah said the new building will have state of the art mechanical systems and be built from materials that incorporate recycled content.
Champawat said the board may consider expanding green programs at its other locations.
“We will work and see what we can implement in Ackerman and Kerckhoff in the future,” he said.