Research Focal Area: Land and Water Resources

Re-use Efficiency Packaging with Analytics for Customized Knowledge (REPACK)

One of the major sustainability challenges present today is the waste that accompanies packaging, usually corrugated cardboard, from the increased prevalence of online purchasing. However, since the average corrugate box contains only 50% recycled materials, half of the fiber must still be produced anew each time a package is shipped. Moreover, online ordering leads to smaller, more frequent “one off” orders which requires more packaging compared to the bulk orders that are sent to big-box, brick-and-mortar stores and then resold. Given these factors, reusing packaging materials is more efficient than recycling. This project will explore the development of a label designed to track reused packaging, investigate means to drive supply chain adoption, and explore how branding affects community participation, thus improving the sustainability of the growing e-commerce industry.

Measuring Carbon Footprint of Alternative Business Models in the Fashion Industry

The fashion industry is resource intensive and with a growing global demand for clothing, it is poised to have continued negative environmental impacts. Increasingly, in recognizing the need to mitigate these impacts, modern textile production systems are beginning to incorporate circular economy principles (e.g. restorative and regenerative approaches) in their business strategy. While these alternative modes of production may be sustainable, there is very little empirical research to support these claims. This GCRT aims to develop a tool to quantify the carbon footprint of at least two different alternate business models and compare them to the traditional, ‘take-make-use-dispose’ business model of the fashion industry. The team will identify and analyze existing data and tools available to measure carbon footprint. They will develop an online tool powered by real-time information to measure the carbon impact of alternative fashion business models and disseminate these project outcomes within academia and industry.

Air Quality, Climate, and Health

The purpose of this research team was to promote multidisciplinary research on the interactions between forest ecosystems and human health, as mediated by wildfire and air quality, in addition to developing models and measures of wildfire impacts on society and environment.

Climbers and Bat Conservation

This research team will create a working group of rock climbing interest groups, CSU biologists and human dimension specialists, and CSU students to strategically collect information on bat roost locations and share bat conservation information with the climbing community.

Environmental History, Ecology, and Sustainability in Public Lands

This research team sought to promote sustainability in public lands by bringing environmental historians into dialogue with sustainability scientists, specialists in the human dimensions of natural resource conservation, and natural resource managers.

Freshwater Ecosystems

The purpose of this research team was to develop a multidisciplinary framework to positively influence land and water management practices that enhance the quality and sustainability of riverine ecosystems.

Headwaters Initiative

This GCRT targeted critical headwater regions of the world, which pose major 21st Century sustainability issues where the intersection of humanity and biodiversity is confronted by rapidly changing environmental and climatic conditions. A scoping exercise was undertaken to identify signature headwater regions and the challenges associated with these areas as critical sources of water. We developed a demonstration project focusing on the Cache la Poudre headwater region building on many existing efforts to assess and protect this important local resource. Integral to this was the bringing together of stakeholders and focus groups to discuss mechanisms for adaptation to changing climatic conditions.

University Water Strategy for Global Issues

The goal of this GCRT was identify critical water issues and explore opportunities for the University to play a key role in future interdisciplinary research and management surrounding these topics.

Managing for Resilience

The Managing for Resilience group developed a framework for designing sustainable natural resource management strategies for systems undergoing directional change.

The Institute for Society, Landscape, and Ecosystem Change (ISLEC)

The ISLEC research working group allowed faculty from across CSU to combine their expertise to address complex land-use problems such as deforestation, urbanization, the wildland/urban interface, desertification, and land degradation. Scientists use many tools including social and ecological computer modeling techniques and geographical information systems to better understand past and present land-use to predict future implications for both humans and ecosystems.

Colorado State University

Sustainability