Green teams are the faces of sustainability at university and college campuses all over the world. A dedicated army of eco-conscious individuals that work hard to make their school greener and create a better world for future generations while putting their institution on the map for its green practices.
If your school is in need of some green love but is lacking a sustainability department, you could be the Eco-Messiah that your school didn’t know it needed.
All the cool campuses are doing it, here’s how…
Start Small
Begin by gathering a small group of individuals who are passionate about the environment and come up with goals you wish for your green team to achieve.
Do Some Campus Sustainability Recon
Look around your school to see that needs to be improved. Talk to different departments to get their point of view on what can be enhanced in their office area and building. Scan high traffic areas and take note of the waste habits of students and faculty.
Research
The next step is to research what other schools have done to improve campus sustainability. Determine the basics that can be easily implemented on your campus first. Setting up a road map for more complex projects in the future is best saved for when your green team has gathered some momentum.
Create a Plan
The green team needs to come up with a plan to achieve sustainability goals. Some things to consider when making a plan:
- Programs designed to meet goals you’ve identified.
- The means at which you plan to implement these programs.
- The resources and tools you’ll need to achieve your goals.
- How often you plan to come together and
- Anticipate barriers to success and how to overcome them.
- How you plan to gather support.
- Reporting results.
- Communicating to students and faculty.
With your sustainability plan laid-out, your Green Team is ready for the next step.
Get the All-Clear from the Higher Ups
It’s pivotal on your quest to start a Green Team to get the support of campus leaders and executives. A solid plan that showcases the positive changes your team has in store for the campus is bound to get them excited. The ultimate goal is to get sustainability high up on the list of organizational priorities.
Some key individuals to run your plan by should include the Facilities Manager, Grounds Keeper and/or the Custodial Manager.
It’s all about Brand Recognition
Come up with a logo and/or a slogan for your crew. Having trouble with a logo? Ask a graphic design student for their assistance. Is the slogan not coalescing? Enlist an English student or reach out to creative writing students.
Sustainability takes an entire community and if all levels of school have a hand in creating a greener campus, your green initiatives are bound to garner more excitement and prove to be successful.
Spread the Word & Build Your Green Crew
Since our modern world is so connected, the best way to spread the word on your newly formed Green Team is through Social Media.
Create a profile on all the major Social Media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest) and start amassing a following of students and other eco-conscious individuals.
Create posters to hang up around campus, flyers to hand out to students and create presentations to showcase what the Green Crew plans to achieve.
The initial steps involve quite a bit of planning and footwork but if you stick with it, your fledgling green team could turn into a full-fledged sustainability program.
Sources
http://www.green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/how/10-tips-successful-green-team
https://sustainability.duke.edu/action/certification/workplace
https://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/05/05/how-build-green-team-first-step-sustainability
