By Chika Acholonu | Feb 29, 2016
A closeup of a person in a shirt and tie with a plant in the breast pocket next to the Green Office logo.

During Winter Quarter 2016, many offices have achieved Green Office certification by going above and beyond the criteria on the Green Office application. The following are just a few of the cool innovations found in Green Offices across campus:

  • Office of Research (Gold): This office promotes environmentally-focused charities for the UW Combined Fund Drive and switched from paper to electronic versions of reports to campus. By promoting certain charities, the Office of Research is able to help others solve important environmental issues.
  • Odegaard Undergraduate Library (Silver): Its staff saves napkins, compostware, cups, stirrers, and creamers from catered events for later use. In effect, this library saves money and reduces its waste.
  • First Year Programs (Silver): The First Year Programs office provides glassware for guests during meetings and reuses publications for up to two or three years. In doing so, this group cuts down on both waste and paper use.

For offices either wishing to become certified, or just aiming to improve their certification level, the above Green Offices are a great inspiration for sustainability practices going forward. We sincerely hope that the practices of the above offices can spark ideas for other office members on how to reduce their negative environmental impact.

To learn more about what Green Offices are up to, visit sustainability.uw.edu/green-office/certified-offices. If you have any questions about the Green Office Program, email us at sustainability@uw.edu.