On September 21, 2017 , the Campus Recreation Complex (CRC) is going receiptless at their Member Services desk.

Instead of receiving a traditional paper receipt after transactions, members will be sent a digital copy to their email. Tangible receipts will be available upon request. Walter Kolis, Assistant Director of Member Services, discussed the motivation behind the switch and its impact.

“We realize that we generate over 30,000 receipts annually. If 50,000 receipts equal a whole tree, then we can save almost a full tree over the course of a year,” he said.

This is one of the many ways in which the Department of Campus Recreation demonstrates a commitment to sustainability. The Roe Stamps Turf Field Project was the first of many projects on the CRC’s list of initiatives. Jonathon Hart, Assistant Director of Facilities was a key player in the facilitation of this project. He explained the careful consideration of the Georgia Tech Landscape Master Plan during the project’s planning and execution. The field was built to manage and monitor the landscape to perform ecologically through the infiltration and storage of rainwater.

Operations Manager, Rod Bolden, leads a task force working with Johnson Control as well as the Department of Operations and Maintenance. The task force hopes to install occupancy sensors in all areas of the CRC so that lights will automatically shut off in unoccupied areas of the building. An ongoing project for the team is the conversion of light fixtures to LEDs. According to Bolden, in only the last year, CRC initiatives have contributed to the use of 5% less electricity and 60% less steam. The CRC reduced its energy usage by 27% in the last year.

“We are not only making improvements but also measuring our contributions. When you talk about green initiatives you must be cognizant that you are trying to accomplish something,” he said.

The CRC received a Work Green Certification from the Department of Sustainability in May. Facilities Coordinator Nyssa Owen spear-headed the project and put forth the application for the certification. Owen explained that there are a multitude of ways in which employees of the CRC participate in green practices within the work environment. She says CRC leaders have a unique opportunity to generate a profound effect on their employees.

“Our students see us choosing sustainable practices every day. When they are here, they do those same things,” she said. “All the little decisions add up.”

The CRC strives to stay in line with the concepts of the Georgia Institute of Technology strategic plan for sustainability. Whether it is choosing their own personal sustainability practices or implementing initiatives on a larger scale, the CRC does its part to ensure a better future for the community and the environment.