Sustainability: A deciding factor in the college-choosing process

Throughout the years, sustainability has become a growing concern – not only for us at The Refinishing Touch, but across different industries and organizations as well.  One of the primary industries we’ve seen implementing and leading the way on sustainability is higher education. Countless college campuses around the country have established programs, implemented initiatives and even introduced specialized courses focused on sustainability, including Duke University, Georgetown University, and Texas A&M University.  So much so, it’s fair to say sustainability has become a headlining issue to administrators, faculty, students, and even prospective students.

Several green resources, including blogs, tip websites, and news sites, such as USA TODAY, have acknowledged that high school students see sustainability as an important factor in what college they attend. In fact, 69 percent of 2011 college applicants cited a commitment to a greener future as a contributing factor to what higher education institution they would go to.

One such outlet, The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges, even provides college applicants with tips on financial aid, preparation for college, lists of campuses with LEED certified buildings, and schools with sustainable communities, or STARS.

While construction and new projects are often a major aspect of improving sustainability on college campuses, not all renovations have to strain budgets and increase carbon emissions. Here at The Refinishing Touch, we specialize in on-site, sustainable furniture asset management services – including refinishing, reupholstering, and remanufacturing. By reusing quality furniture, instead of unnecessarily filling our country’s landfills, our services help colleges save approximately 80 percent on projected budgets and 90 percent on carbon emissions. So in addition to the traditional recycling and tray-less dining programs colleges implement, encourage your campus community to support other means of sustainability – every action matters when preserving our environment.

For more information on our furniture asset management services, visit our website at www.therefinishingtouch.com.