April is recognized as Earth Month, a time when individuals can engage in activities that promote environmental sustainability. Stony Brook University's Office of Sustainability is introducing the Fill it Forward challenge for students to commemorate the occasion.
The Fill it Forward program, aimed at reducing plastic pollution, encourages the use of reusable water bottles. Established in partnership with the Auxiliary Services Association (ASA) in August 2018, the program saw more than 26,000 recorded refills on campus after a restart in the post-pandemic era.
Erin Kluge, sustainability coordinator at Stony Brook’s West Campus, expressed her aspirations for the challenge, stating it will "raise awareness about eliminating single-use plastic, engage the SBU student body in sustainable initiatives, and create something fun for students to celebrate Earth Month."
Participation requires students to follow a set of four steps. Each scan contributes $0.02 to charities working to deliver clean water to underserved communities. Participants can track these contributions and the progress of related projects via an app.
Stony Brook has installed more than 100 refill stations throughout academic and residential buildings, each equipped with an electronic counter displaying the monthly total of plastic bottles saved.
A prize will be awarded to the student with the highest number of scans by April 30, with the winner announced on May 1. Follow @sbu_sustainability for updates on this and an upcoming employee challenge.
In addition to this, the Stony Brook community is invited to celebrate the environment during Earthstock, a week-long event starting April 21. Moreover, the New York Climate Exchange will conduct its inaugural Climate Solutions Summit NYC on Governors Island on April 23-24.
— Rachel Lea