Following in the University of Colorado's high environmental standards, the student government is working to make one of the most substantial green changes in the school's history.

CU's Legislative Council is scheduled to vote Thursday night on a measure that would require the three main student-run "cost centers" -- the University Memorial Center, Wardenburg Health Center and the Recreation Center -- to become zero-waste facilities by 2015.

If you go

What: CU Legislative Council meeting

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: University Memorial Center, Room 247, CU campus, Boulder

www-ucsu.colorado.edu

"Sustainability is one of our organization's No. 1 goals," said Blaine Pellicore, president of the Legislative Council. "So it seems only logical that this would be the next step in moving toward sustainability and continuing to be a leader for other universities to follow."

To maintain a zero-waste standard, the three buildings will have to divert 90 percent -- or 412,600 pounds -- of their waste from landfills. Paper towel composting, further reduction of Styrofoam and sustainability training for employees are part of the legislation's suggestions for reaching this goal.

Student leaders say that if the measure is adopted, CU will be one of the first universities to make zero-waste a requirement for its facilities and will be a national model for college sustainability.

Dan Omasta, the student government's director of sustainability and author of the legislation, said he expects the bill to pass on second reading this week, despite some concerns about the initial cost of the program and how long it will take to recoup that investment.

"We will use the Student Operations Reserve, the SOR fund, to finance the initial cost of about $15,000," Omasta said. "The changes should save about $11,000 by 2012, allowing us to recoup the entire $15,000 by the third year of the program."

Thanks to the use of SOR funding and the savings expected to be generated by the legislation, Omasta said students will not see an increase in their fees, but could see a decrease over time if the program works as expected.