University Plaza is doing its part to keep the world alive.

The private, co-ed residence hall located at 900 Crane Drive is unveiling a pilot “Going Green Initiative” this spring and is asking its nearly 600 residents to join in to do their part to conserve resources.

Keith Deal, director of operations for University Plaza, said the facility is looking to make a difference.

“The program is basically designed to reduce our carbon footprint,” Deal said.

Before, recycling bins were only available on the ground floors of the building. As part of the new plan, bins will now be available on all floors in the garbage rooms. Other changes include using biodegradable plastic garbage bags, which will be replacing standard garbage bags to reduce the amount of landfill space accumulated.

“People always ask, ‘What can I do?’,” Deal said. “We are giving them a chance to take action.”

Perhaps the part of the initiative that will save the most resources is a new trayless program in the facility’s dining area. The building features an all-you-can-eat menu and currently allows students to use trays to carry their food. Deal said about 5 oz. of uneaten food is usually left on a tray. It also takes approximately half a gallon of heated and chemically treated water to clean each tray.

Deal believes removing the trays will prove to be a major step in helping the environment.

“Based on our numbers, we estimate a savings of about 43,200 gallons of water per semester and 25,920 pounds of food saved per semester,” Deal said.

Junior communications major Brent Andrews thinks the trayless program has other benefits.

“I think that it makes you be more selective about the food you are going to eat,” Andrews said. “It helps me pick the right calories for my workout program.”

The initiative also features new green chemicals used by housekeeping and a reusable mug program for those who would like to buy coffee at the C-Store on the ground level of the building. There is a discount on all refills of the mug.

Megan Brewer, junior secondary education major, thinks the coffee mug program is a good idea.

“I bought a lot of coffee last semester, and this new program makes me think of how many cups I wasted,” Brewer said. “If I still drank that much coffee, I would get the mug for sure.”