What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. April 22 corresponds to spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.
Did you know UTHealth is a Clean Texas Partner with the lead state environmental agency?
We have been recognized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for our efforts to reduce harmful air pollutants and amounts of hazardous waste produced. Additionally, our School of Nursing Building is the only green building within the Texas Medical Center!
The Office of Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management, is dedicated to preserving the environment and operates environmental programs for:
- Safe, compliant and cost-effective collection of hazardous waste.
- Recycling of unwanted hazardous items such as fluorescent lamps, batteries, and unused paint.
- Supporting paper, cardboard and aluminum recycling across campus.
To take advantage to these programs or for more information on how you can participate, please call 713-500-8100.
Recycling
The University of Texas Health Science Center has recycling bins locating throughout campus.
Here's what you can recycle in the blue paper recycling bins
- Any color paper.
- Newspapers.
- Magazines, catalogs, and other glossy paper.
- Telephone books, feel free to bring in your old ones from home
- NCR (no carbon required) forms.
- Paper sacks, as long as there is no food residue in them.
A Few Statistics on the Amount of Time Items Take to Decompose
- Paper – 2.5 Months
- Milk Carton – 5 years
- Plastic Bags – 10-20 years
- Tin Can – 100-200 years
- Plastic Bottle – 450 years
- Glass Bottle – 1,000,000 years
- Styrofoam – NEVER
The City of Houston offers curbside recycling and pickup centers for house hold waste. For more information on curbside pickups and drop off centers please click on the link. For information on your local recycling center: http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/
To help save energy and protect the environment at work there are a few things to do:
- close the chemical fume Hoods when not in use
- shut down Electronics
- turn off the Lights
- block out the Photons: close your blinds, shutters, or drapes
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality encourages all Texans to do their part this Earth Day and everyday!
For more information please visit http://www.earthday.org/
For Houston Earth Day visit http://www.earthdayhouston.org/
For Houston Earth Day at the Houston Zoo visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/earthday/
