An effective campus improvement plan is one of the best investments a college or university can make. Across the country, educational institutions are reaping the benefits of such plans, particularly how they improve the quality of life for students, faculty and staff as well as make campuses more attractive to visitors and prospective students.

Colleges and universities are becoming increasingly aware of the need to act in environmentally responsible ways. Many institutions of higher learning are discovering that in this quest to “go green,” one creative and cost-effective approach is a proper materials management plan.

Through a number of innovative and comprehensive solutions, a materials management plan will consolidate and efficiently handle an institution’s core services. And the “green” results can be significant: reduced energy use, lower carbon emissions, the minimization of traffic congestion, improved safety, and the streamlining of operational flows.

Cluttered, Muddled and Inefficient

As many colleges and universities have discovered, expansion leads to an increase in the amount of space devoted to basic infrastructure. Large portions of campus real estate are consumed by the receiving, delivery, storage and removal of supplies and materials. Delivery trucks compete with pedestrians; loading docks are in plain sight; trash dumpsters are prevalent; and lobbies, hallways and stairwells are often used for storage space. The end result is a cluttered, muddled and, often, inefficient campus.

A creative, cost-effective materials management plan can address these issues by:

Clustering service points to reduce the number of loading docks and truck parking. This decreases redundancy, increases effectiveness, and cuts vehicle idle-time and emissions.

· Creating new central loading locations as well consolidating service areas and docks from separate buildings into one building. Such solutions create more-streamlined approaches to shipping, receiving and vehicle movement. They also rectify any “island” situations where individual campus buildings have developed their own system for vendors, logistics and delivery.

· Re-evaluating truck delivery and service vehicle routes. Truck traffic is reduced by making vehicle types and schedules more compatible with surrounding neighborhoods. This minimizes traffic congestion, creates a safer setting for pedestrians, and a more-attractive environment.

· Re-evaluating solid and hazardous waste removal, storage, and recycling. This includes creating efficient waste-management guidelines and increased recycling initiatives.

A Multitude of Benefits

Institutions of higher learning can expect a multitude of benefits from a materials management plan. For starters, there are long-term cost savings because consolidating, reconfiguring and better managing a campus’ core infrastructure will reduce annual operating costs. A college or university will also create more-efficient land-use strategies, which result in better use of campus real estate.

Through the removal of unsafe and unsightly conditions and the placement of core services out of site, materials management plans will also improve the visual and physical sense of place for those who live and work on the campus. This will help improve the quality of life for students and serve as a valuable tool in both the recruitment and retention of students and staff.

What makes materials management plans truly appealing to universities and colleges is how these plans can be used as powerful tools in higher education’s quest to become more environmentally conscious. Proper materials management planning will result in better administration of vehicle use and emissions; it will also lead to improved solid waste, hazardous waste, recycling and utility services. This can include creating more-efficient waste management and increased recycling rates.

In addition, due to such environmental advantages, creative materials management plans may give institutions of higher learning the ability to qualify for LEED Innovation in Design credits.

Becoming Better ‘Green’ Stewards

Across the country, colleges and universities are becoming better environmental stewards by implementing HVAC systems that maximize the amount of fresh air brought in to work and living environments, installing roofs that reduce a building’s heating and cooling costs, and creating on-site stormwater programs.

However, many campus planners are discovering that proper materials management planning can be less costly, less time absorbing and just as successful from an environmental perspective. Colleges and universities would be wise to consider a materials management plan in their continuing efforts to “go green.”