Our Mission

Going to school at the University of Michigan, it’s hard not to see a plethora of recycling bins and containers for various paper, plastic, and glass products. Go into any lecture hall, dormitory, or union and one is instantly greeted with a place to recycle products and help contribute to the growing desire to “Go Green.” Out of the University’s 20 program departments, one is dedicated to Natural Resources and the Environment with fields of study including environmental information, justice, policy & planning, sustainable systems, and terrestrial systems. A handful of outside student organizations including the Michigan Sustainable Foods Initiative, RePower America, Student Environmental Action Coalition, and cUltivating community also permeate the campus and allow students with other study concentrations to become involved in environmental action. While students at the University of Michigan are exceedingly advantaged in the possible areas of “Green” participation, our retail sites are still lacking in their conservation contribution. Perhaps it’s an indolence or an embodiment of the, “one person won’t make a difference,’ attitude…or perhaps it’s just a lack of knowledge and awareness of the simple people and places that can make a difference with a small amount of change…

Aside from lecture halls and dormitories—coffee shops are probably the most visited places on a college campus (or any city for that matter) with a constant flow of incoming and outgoing traffic. While most people don’t think about the products being used and consumed at a coffee shop—all of the utensils needed to prepare one beverage from the cup, to the sugar packets, to the stirrer are all paper and/or plastic products that can easily be recycled but instead are aimlessly thrown away. On a campus of nearly 50,000 students, if everyone consumed just one cup of coffee per day, that’s 50,000 cups and stirrers, and an average of 100,000 sugar packets. Per week those numbers multiply by seven, per month by 30, and per year 365. Imagine if those paper products that were aimlessly thrown away were recycled and re-used.

That’s why we started the “Coffee Goes Green” program—to conduct research and attempt to implement a change in the way that coffee shops are operated. Sure, many coffee shops have started offering discounts to those who bring their own mugs—but with the busy and bustling nature of students and city dwellers, bringing a travel mug or thermos is not always the easiest option.

As students, we can appreciate the attempt to recycle and re-use products (as re-consumption supports the budgeted lifestyle that most of us are living). As art students, we can appreciate the attempt to recycle and re-use products for our artwork. These “found objects,” (which are simply one man’s trash) can be the basis for an installation or found piece of artwork that otherwise could cost upward of $50 if we had purchased the supplies in a store. That’s why we encourage you to join the “Coffee Goes Green” effort and help recycle the paper products that you would normally throw away during a routine visit to the Coffee Shop. Your actions will not only benefit the environment, but also contribute to the Green Revolution that is captivating our world.