Happy Sustainable September.

Welcome to the Fall semester! As classes start up, take this moment in as a fresh start for you and your office. You've done great things in the summer, but now it's time to double down and really strive to make those changes you've been hopeful about for the last few weeks.
As all this prep goes into falling into sync with the greater campus, think about ways you might emphasize buying sustainably and prioritizing reused products over fresh off-the-shelf new materials. Take this into consideration: most people create a frenzy of needlessly buying new things, whether for the office or for themselves, and ultimately don't use much of it. 
Instead, make sustainability your mantra this September! Keep an eye on what's being bought, as well as energy usage in your office space, what's being wasted and recycled, how meetings are conducted, and how members are engaging with each other and the workspace.
Set up a sustainability goal in your office, and strive to complete it by the end of the month. Remember that the Zilkha Center is always present and eager to help, and that Green Office interns are there for you.

 

Celebrate some days of interest.

In each month there are a number of days dedicated to celebrating or honoring a certain quality of life we often take for granted. Some are silly, like National Pancake Day, but others provoke real thought and important action. This September, consider these days as opportunities to reflect on what you can do in your space.

21: World Cleanup Day
Encourage the office to host an out-of-work staff volunteering event at a local site, whether that’s one of the rivers, a park, or neighborhood.

22: Car Free Day
Encourage employees to walk to work or use public transportation to travel around.

26: World Environmental Health Day
This is an opportunity think of an office’s impact on the environment in a much broader lens. What role does your office play on world environmental health?

Let's talk about big news.

The College eliminates single-use water bottles, launches composting for offices.
Starting this academic year, the College will no longer provide single-use plastic water bottles for catered events. In place, Dining Services will use 3-5 gallon reusable jugs of water. 
For cases where a single-use water container is necessary, Dining will provide the department with compostable water boxes.
In addition to this, Dining Services is rolling out a new composting system to go hand-in-hand with catered events. Carts designated for compost will be sent over to all events, providing departments with a way to ensure the right waste goes to the right places. 
Best of all, these options are available even to offices that don't require catering but would like to participate in making campus more sustainable.
For questions on the new policies, contact Jeanette at jkopczyn@williams.edu.

Zilkha Center gets new stickers for the office.
Stick our new energy conservation stickers near light switches, projectors, TVs, and other electronics to eliminate idle energy usage and help the office reach sustainability nirvana.