Sustainability at Emerson 101

Green wall in Piano Row Lobby
The Piano Row Lobby now features a living wall.

The start of a new semester is a great opportunity to remind ourselves of all of the sustainability initiatives across our Boston campus. 

Getting to Campus

Public Transportation

Emerson’s Boston campus is accessible via the MBTA subway, bus, and commuter rail, which makes it easy for folks to reduce their carbon footprint. Remember to check out staff transportation benefits—you can get your public transportation subsidized for up to $90 per month. 

Biking

Biking to campus is a great way to limit carbon emissions (and incorporate some fresh air and exercise into your day!). Emerson has two bicycle storage rooms: the Boylston Place Bike Room holds 68 bicycles and the Ansin Building Bike Parking facility holds 11.

On-Campus Initiatives

Water Fountains and Water Bottle Fillers

All around campus, there are stations to efficiently fill up a reusable water bottle. Remember to bring your own reusable bottle with you so you can refill on the go. 

Recycling and Disposals

  • Zero-Sort Recycling: The recycling bins on campus make it easy for all Emersonians to recycle. All hard plastics, paper, cardboard, glass, and aluminum can go into the blue bins to then be recycled all across the United States.
  • K-Cup Recycling: For those who use K-Cups, there are 19 campus offices that house a Grounds to Grow On collection box. Emerson partnered with this initiative to limit the amount of waste that comes from making a cup of coffee. 
  • Batteries: Each Emerson building lobby has a recycling collection box for batteries. Look for the clear cylindrical containers! 
  • Medicine: The hallway at 114 Boylston Street offers an anonymous 24/7 safe disposal bin for medications.
  • Textiles: In Allen’s Alley, a Bay State Textile Collection box makes recycling clothing simple. 
  • Compost Bins: Compost bins are located across campus in dining halls and event spaces. 
Waste diversion in the Emerson dining center
Waste diversion in the Emerson dining halls

Events

  • Future Imaginaries: Visions for Environmental Justice: This fall, the Bright Lights Cinema Series is presenting three screenings related to environmental justice. The season opener, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, is at 7:00 pm on September 21. Learn more at the Bright Lights website. 
  • Campus Sustainability Month: October is Campus Sustainability Month! Follow Emerson Sustainability on Instagram or sign up for the newsletter to get updates on events throughout the month. 
  • Clean Out Your Office Day: This initiative happens biannually to encourage staff and faculty to share unwanted office supplies with their coworkers. Anything that goes unwanted gets donated to a local nonprofit. 
  • Office Recycling Challenge: Each spring, Emerson competes in the Campus Race to Zero Waste. We hold an on-campus office recycling challenge to get staff involved. Stay tuned! 
  • Teach-In on Sustainability: The Teach-In will be back this coming spring. Keep an eye out for updates. 

Get Involved

If you are interested in getting more involved with Emerson’s sustainability initiatives, you can join a Green Team. These groups facilitate peer learning and work together within a smaller unit to achieve a more sustainable future. To learn more information, visit this webpage. Emerson also has a Sustainability Committee made up of faculty, staff, and students who collaborate on ways to continue pushing the boundaries of Emerson’s sustainability efforts. Reach out to sustainability@emerson.edu to learn more and get involved! 

To get involved virtually, consider joining our sustainability-themed Slack channels. We discuss general sustainability new and updates on #sustainability. We use #chuckslist to share items we no longer need, creating a more circular economy on campus! 

Just want to stay up-to-date on the latest sustainability happenings on campus? Follow us on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for our monthly email newsletter. 

Off-Campus Opportunities

While Emerson facilitates a lot of great work on campus, it has also partnered with EnergySage to help faculty and staff continue these efforts at home. This partnership helps Emerson faculty and staff obtain a free quote for residential solar panels from local installers and free solar advising sessions. Learn more at the EnergySage website. 

The Boston area is a great place to continue exploring sustainability concepts outside of work. You can find events and volunteer opportunities through sites like MeetUp and Eventbrite. Local news outlets are also a good source of environmental news and opportunities. Finally, be sure to keep an eye on our neighboring campuses’ websites for events. The Sustainable Emerson newsletter often features great local events. 

Camryn Ciancia ’24