The four “R’s” in our logo represent the following:

Reduce - To bring down, as in extent, amount, or degree; diminish; lower.

Rider’s goal: to reduce the amount of solid waste, energy usage, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions on the Lawrenceville and Westminster Choir College campuses.

Reuse - To use again, especially after salvaging or special treatment or processing.

The more the Rider community is able to reuse, the more this practice will contribute to our reduction goals.  An initiative that was launched in the fall of 2008 was the installation of water bottle refill stations on both the Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses.  The idea behind these stations was to encourage the community to reuse refillable water bottles in order to reduce the number of water bottles on campus.

Refuse - To indicate unwillingness to do, accept, give, or allow.

As good environmental stewards, it is our responsibility to refuse the purchase of products that have no sustainable quality to them when there are comparable items that do.

Recycle - To extract useful materials from garbage or waste.  To recondition and adapt to a new use or function.  To use again, to repurpose.

Rider in conjunction with Unicco, has developed a recycling program using color coated bags in all of our receptacles to make it as easy as possible for the community to participate in our recycling efforts.   Black bags (trash), blue bags (bottles and cans), and clear bags (paper and cardboard).  Rider University has been a participant in Recyclemania in 2008 and 2009.

Averting a climate crisis will inevitably involve changes to long-ingrained habits. But which habits are the most pressing to change? Understanding the fundamental economic, ecological and social dimensions of climate change is important for every 21st century citizen.

AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) defines sustainability in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations.  AASHE is an association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. It was founded in 2006 with a mission to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research and professional development.  Rider University is an  AASHE partner member. 

To coordinate these efforts, we have a full-time Sustainability Coordination Manager, Melissa Greenberg (megreenberg@rider.edu), who helps connect various departments across campus to provide consistent support for Rider University’s Sustainability initiatives.

Any questions, comments or suggestions should be sent to broncsgogreen@rider.edu