Sustainability

Utilizing a peer to peer model, the Office Eco-Rep Program is designed to foster an environmental culture at Bowdoin that values employees efforts to actively engage in practices of energy conservation, water conservation, waste reduction, reuse, recycling and environmentally preferable purchasing.  By developing a core group of Bowdoin employees who are willing to help spread awareness about the environmental impacts of our everyday actions, along with simple suggestions that everyone can implement to decrease our impact, we will hopefully spread this effort quicker and more effectively than by relying on Bowdoin’s sustainability office alone.

Program Goals:

• To promote a culture that actively values energy conservation, water conservation, waste reduction, reuse, recycling and environmentally preferable purchasing.  
• To raise awareness about Bowdoin’s participation in the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment and the College’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• To reduce our annual greenhouse gas emissions, the amount of waste we send to the landfill, campus water use, and to increase the amount of environmentally preferable purchasing of products that conserve resources or are made from recycled material, and/or are easily recycled at the end of their useful life.
• To provide role models for our students who are also actively engaging in this effort.

 Role of the Office EcoReps

• Communicate with people in their department/building about a specific practice each month. Examples include: tips on printing to save toner; tips on purchasing Energy Star rated appliances such as watercoolers, mini-fridges and air conditioners; reminders about shutting off appliances/printers/copiers at night and on weekends; explaining how singlestream recycling works so people have a better understanding of what is and is not included in the program.
• Share successful communication strategies with other Office Eco-Reps. Examples may include: announcement at monthly staff meeting, flyer in the restroom stalls, e-mailing out a tip to your department, hosting a coffee break for people to discuss current office practices and brainstorm ways to improve.
• Help promote campus wide events such as the Colby/Bates/Bowdoin Recyclemania competition and possibly a building energy conservation competition similar to the annual competition in the dorms.
• Provide positive reinforcement to people in the office who are actively practicing conservation.

Resources for the Office Eco-Reps:

• Educational Signs to encourage double sided printing: Click below to see our 5 favorite designs customized with the Sustainable Bowdoin logo, or visit the Environmental Defense Fund website for more.

  
  

  Money: Paper costs a lot, but the buck stops here.	Double Dip: Use both sides to save paper and money.	Double the trouble?: No. Double-sided copying and printing is easy.
  2 Sides to Every Story: Use both sides of paper when copying and printing.	One is the Loneliest Number: Double side your copy and print jobs.	Like Forest for the Trees: One third of all US-harvested wood goes to paper and packaging.

Kill A Watt Meter Promotion Poster	Zero Sort Recycling Poster

The following is a list of all 2010-2011 Office EcoReps. If your department isn't listed and you'd like to volunteer, contact Keisha Payson.