SAVe Partners With HETMA To Extend Sustainability Initiatives Throughout US

November 15, 2022 - ProAV News, rAVe [PUBS], rAVe Education, RTA,

Sustainability in AV (SAVe), the first U.S.-based organization to bring stakeholders in the audiovisual (AV) field to take concerted action to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is partnering with the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA), an advocacy organization focused on the higher education AV industry, to expand sustainability initiatives through higher education institutions across the U.S.

“By partnering with Joe, Erin and the entire HETMA organization, we can work together on a national level to raise awareness, increase visibility and educate the higher education sector on how to achieve the SDGs,” explains Christina De Bono, founder and president of SAVe.

“The status quo cannot continue,” adds De Bono. “From climate change and environmental degradation to poverty and inequality, the challenges we face are profound, diverse – and getting worse. We must work together as individuals, as businesses, as educational institutions, and as nations to achieve these critical goals before it’s too late.”

“I was really surprised when Christina explained how much e-waste we’re producing in the U.S.,” explains co-founder & chair board of directors of HETMA and director of learning environments at USC, Joe Way. “We as an industry – higher education – probably contribute a lot to this number because we do things in such high volume. However, this also strategically positions us to have a greater impact.”

Way adds that he sees the HETMA organization initially partnering with SAVe to integrate the SAVe a Second Life program and SAVe certification trainings at colleges and universities across the country. “USC has a huge sustainability initiative, so I thought why not start there?” says Way. “We’re hosting the very first higher education SAVe certification training at USC in November, and from there we’ll explore how we can expand the program to other educational institutions. If we do this together, we can have a larger impact.”

The SAVe a Second life program encourages the repair, re-use, repurpose, recycling and proper disposal of AV equipment. Organizations can give AV gear a second life and the end of its first one by donating it through a network that SAVe has established with HETMA and the Commission on Voluntary Service & Action (CVSA).

The three-part, one-day SAVe certification program includes an educational session, workshop, and assessment. The outcome of the process is an actionable strategy to make progress toward achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

You can read more about SAVe here: saveav.org