Envisioning a Greener Future with Boiler Green Initiative


Large events generate a massive amount of waste and you may wonder how Purdue does its part in disposing of this waste. After major athletic events, Purdue's athletic facilities are cared for in part by a dedicated group of students with sustainability as their mission. The Boiler Green Initiative (BGI) works tirelessly to sort waste from recyclables to responsibly dispose of trash generated from these events. This initiative educates the Purdue community about recycling and sustainability and takes small steps to make our world a greener place.

BGI organizes volunteers for their football recycling program to work at home football games to inform fans about which items can be recycled, move incorrectly sorted items to the right bins and clean the stands after the games.

“Anything in the realm of being green is what we do, and we do as much as we can,” explains Sydney Hardy, a junior studying chemistry and president of BGI.

The club regularly teaches about recycling, native plants and green initiatives during general meetings. Outside of this, the club is responsible for several projects that make the campus a cleaner place.

“A project that we’re doing right now is plastic bag crocheting,” says Hardy, “It’s something we can do with plastic bags, we take them and cut them up and make new bags that you can take to the grocery store. It’s a way to use them so they don’t go into the trash.”

The club is full of creative solutions to combat waste ending up in landfills and make a significant impact on campus. Their Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life can/bottling program partners with fraternities and sororities to collect cans and bottles to reduce waste and the club performs biweekly campus cleanups.

Looking back on the past, Hardy reflects on the history of the organization. 

“We started in 2006, steadily growing ever since,” Hardy reflects. “We made a rain garden and bottle cap bench and football recycling started in the last year or two. We’ve done so much. We had committees, a water management committee/plant committee and worked closely with other clubs in the past. We also did bat boxes, which was a really fun project for us."

”The club attracts individuals from all majors and all walks of life." Hardy mentions that "sustainability is an interest that can attract anyone, and making sure to have a positive impact on the planet takes care of not just our community, but the whole world."

“I joined because of my interest in sustainability, but stayed because of the community,” emphasizes Hardy. Looking ahead into the club’s future, Hardy hopes to have a stronger presence on campus, grow club numbers and take on even more projects.

“I’ve always wanted to implement a monarch way station,” says Hardy. “They are these beautiful places where there is milkweed and different flowers, monarch butterflies on migration can stop there to rest during their journey.”

The importance of sustainability is all-encompassing. From knowing what to recycle to being an informed and responsible consumer, everyone has the chance to make a real impact. To join this organization dedicated to change, check out their website and join their Discord. Individuals are encouraged to swing by general meetings which are held at 6 p.m. on Thursdays in WALC 2127 or participate in campus cleanups which are biweekly on Sundays starting at 1 p.m. at the engineering fountain.