Green Teams: A Revamped Opportunity for Staff to Join Campus Sustainability Efforts

As staff, we may not always recognize our role in sustainability in our daily work. But we are making decisions every day that contribute to Emerson’s impact on the environment. Whether we bring reusable utensils to work every day for lunch or figure out which part of our coffee cup goes into which waste stream, we all have the power to enact sustainable change.

To amplify the sustainability efforts that the Emerson community pursues every day, all staff (and faculty) are invited to cultivate a welcoming, creative, climate-aware community on campus through our Green Teams opportunity. While Green Teams have existed at Emerson in the past, they have been inactive for some time. Through this revamped program, staff can form teams, designate Green Team leaders, and establish team sustainability goals.

Green Teams, which can range from one person to a whole department or floor, can be formed at any time and do not dissolve at the end of the academic year. An average commitment is four volunteer hours per month, which can be adapted as needed to fit staff schedules.

Team goals can be small or large and dependent on what your team is passionate about! They can range from eliminating single-use items in your office kitchen, to volunteering with a local sustainability-supportive group, to conducting a waste audit to learn how your team can improve waste sorting and decrease overall waste.

Emerson Sustainability will provide consultations and guidance to help you establish and achieve your team goals. If you’re not sure where to start, we’re happy to meet with you to help brainstorm ideas!

Overall, Green Teams are an amazing way for you and your colleagues to take sustainable actions, to learn what others are doing across campus, and to work together toward achieving our campus sustainability goals. To join today or learn more, review our Green Teams overview or email sustainability@emerson.edu.

Jacqui Moy (Sustainability)