Green Living Program at HBS
The 2007-2008 Green Living Representatives:
L-R: Feng (Eric) Li, Kirsten Porter,
Drena Kusari,
Rachael Schaffner,
Paul Grana
APPLY TODAY to be a 2008-2009 Rep!
What is the Green Living Program at HBS?
The Graduate Green Living Program at HBS is a peer-to-peer education program that promotes sustainable living. Green Living Representatives work to encourage energy and water conservation and recycling and waste reduction through activities and information sharing in each HBS dorm and the common areas. They also suggest infrastructure and policy improvements that will remove barriers to student conservation. The program is supported by HBS Housing and Operations, and is just one of the many ways that these departments are working to make the campus more sustainable.
Projects
Recycling
Increasing the amount of waste that is recycled is one of our main goals. Learn more about recycling at Harvard.
Waste Audits
We conduct two waste audits each year- in October and April. The results of the waste audits show that recycling in the dorms has been increasing since 2005. Since October 2005 the amount of recyclables in the trash has decreased each semester. Much of this is due to our distribution of recycling bins and bags in the dorms, new signs above bins, and the Reps' recycling education & outreach.
Sustainability Pledge
The Harvard Sustainability Pledge is an annual event across the University. Each year, thousands of students, staff, and faculty pledge to make changes in their lifestyle to reduce their environmental impact. For each pledge made in 2007, Harvard put aside $1.50 to fund a future renewable energy project on campus. Proposals for this project will be reviewed, and a winner chosen early in 2008.
Energy Competition
Every year, we conduct a month-long energy competition between the dorms to educate residents about what they can do to reduce their energy use and use the utility data to track the energy changes. In 2007, the score for each dorm in the competition was caluclated with electricity savings as 75% of the total and Sustainability Pledge participation rate as 25%. Holmes won in 2007, just nudging out Hastings in the final week.
Move Out Collection
At the end of year, students throw out tons of clothes, school and dorm supplies, and food. We have partnered with Harvard Recycling to collect these reusables, which are sold in September at the annual Stuff Sale. The Stuff Sale allows Harvard students to get what they need for the school year at a low price, promotes reuse, and the proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity and other non-profits.