Abstract
The ability of small to medium-sized manufacturing, processing, and agricultural industries to become more sustainable revolves around dedicated technical and financial resources to investigate opportunities for increased efficiency and implementation. With extension-based funding, university experiential learning programs provide no-cost sustainability assessments utilizing students and faculty to promote more sustainable practices, cost savings, and expansion for industrial partners. These place-based initiatives allow students in these programs to enhance their communication skills, design practical solutions to solve persistent problems, and expand their network for future workforce opportunities. The assessments focus on short-term solutions that can build large capital projects. Assessment teams work with partnering industries to identify persistent issues in water usage including reclamation, conservation, treatment, and disposal, while providing pathways for implementation through educating stakeholders about target federal grant programs. By working with the university, industrial partners have a wealth of knowledge and means for analysis on a variety of projects. This leads to increased resources for projects tailored directly to everyday needs at individual sites. Thus, university experiential learning programs play a critical role in increasing the resources available for small to medium-sized industrial facilities and promoting sustainable practices in industrial settings.
