Shannon Campbell was voted by the Committee on the Campus Environment as the April Sustainability Champion. This monthly award recognizes a UT faculty, staff or student who exemplifies what it means to “Make Orange Green.”

Shannon is a Senior Research Assistant for the Graduate school of Medicine at UT Medical Center, where he has been working full time since 1986.

He is a champion is his recycling efforts, where in his building they do not always recycle everything they can. For over 10 years, Shannon has maintained a ‘private’ recycling can outside of their MRI conference room. With no economic gain, he brings this recycling to the UT Public Drop-Off or to his home curbside recycling on his own time. He simply does this to contribute to the “Make Orange Green” mentality.

In the 1990s Shannon changed a ‘trash’ can that formerly collected mostly cans and applied new green recycling stickers bought with person funds. He strategically placed it next to the standard trashcan in a location that gets high traffic due to its proximity to physicians’ offices, break rooms, and bathrooms for ideal convenience and easy usage.

In a building like the Medical Center, there can be limitations to where janitorial staff can enter and what all can be disposed of. Shannon has been a champion in this regard, where he brings items that otherwise would have been put in the landfill due these restrictions to be recycled.

If all of the above efforts weren’t deserving enough, every year Shannon manages all of the trash at the Alzheimer’s Tennessee WALK at UT Gardens. He tries to recover as many aluminum cans, plastic bottle and cardboard recyclables as possible.

Shannon does this because he knows it is the right thing to do, not to brag or promote himself. Few people know the full extent of his mission, and he is a self-proclaimed “Recyclopath”.

Congratulations Shannon!

Do You Know a Champion?

We are now accepting nominations for our May Sustainability Champion. Nominations must be submitted by May 17th on the Sustainability Champion webpage.