Volpi wins inaugural Stanton Environmental Award
Robert Volpi, director of Bates College Dining Services, has received the inaugural Stanton Environmental Award from the Bates College Environmental Confederation, a group of staff, faculty and students who coordinate the college’s efforts to raise environmental awareness and implement programs that encourage environmental sustainability.
Volpi, of 97 Bardwell St., Lewiston, was recognized for leading Bates Dining Services to its second consecutive National Award for Environmental Sustainability in the category of waste prevention/recycling by Renew America.
In 1998-99 under Volpi’s leadership, Bates Dining Services composted more than 4,500 lbs. of scraps each week for a total of 234,000 lbs. of pre consumer organic waste, including chlorine-free napkins, fruit and vegetable matter, coffee grinds and egg shells. Approximately 50,000 lbs. of pre consumer waste has been sent to a local farmer who composted the matter and returned the finished product for use on college grounds. Unused portions of food at Bates are donated to two area homeless shelters, and dining services reduces water consumption by not using sink-based garbage-disposal units. Dining Services recycled more than 106,000 lbs. of cardboard, mixed paper, tin cans, No. 2 plastic and glass in 1998-99.
Bates dining services also has been recognized in “Greening the Ivory Tower,” (MIT Press, 1998) a book by Sarah Hammond Creighton on best environmental practices among colleges, universities and other institutions.
Two May 2000 Bates College graduates also received Stanton Environmental Awards. Matt Schlobohm of West Springfield, Mass., and Ethan Miller of Allentown, Pa., were recognized for establishing an environmental theme house on campus and funding an environmental summer camp for area elementary school students at the Auburn Land Lab.
Stanton Environmental Awards are given to Bates staff and students in recognition of their work in advancing Bates’ environmental agenda. The award is named in honor of noted ornithologist Jonathan Young Stanton, who, for 55 years, served Bates as professor of Greek and Latin, beginning in 1863.
