Who knows your department better than you? That’s right, no one (other than maybe your co-workers). You know the ins and outs, how it runs best, and most of all, where improvements are most needed. As the University of Rochester becomes greener, it needs every department’s help to keep moving forward. One of the best ways to keep progressing is for departments to form green teams.
A green team is formed by a few members of a department, to help motivate and introduce ideas for green change into the entire unit. The idea is to have those department members who are already passionate about green issues, infuse this passion into the department, so that the units can conserve resources and save money, whenever possible.
The Animal Resource Department has already jumped on the green team bandwagon. Members of the three sub-units of the department, Connie Laquitara, Janet Meagher, and Ann Borkhuis, approached the department chair, Dr. Jeff Wyatt, and discussed ways the department could be more sustainable. After this meeting, the green team was born. Since its start, the team has had several successes. Before the team’s formation, the department threw all of their paper away in the trash. They now recycle paper and other recyclable materials, in their own blue boxes, after dedicating a portion of the department’s budget to this cause. The team has also decided to eliminate the triplicate carbon copy forms, in favor of single paper forms. Since the triplicate copy forms cost about $1 and the single paper forms cost only a fraction of a penny, the department is not only conserving paper, but saving a lot of money. Once making improvements on their paper usage, the team then looked into recycling other materials that they use on a regular basis, such as glass bottles, aluminum foil, and feed and bedding bags.
Another departmental success involves their beeper battery disposal program. The old department rules instructed staff to toss out dead beeper batteries. Staff members realized this was unnecessary, and the rules have changed. Now, batteries are collected in a reused coffee container, and are eventually dropped off to be recycled.
The next task for the Animal Resource Department’s Green Team is to increase water conservation. The team will discuss the need for washing mouse cages in hot water, when the cages are eventually autoclaved anyway.
It can be difficult to make changes, especially department-wide ones. Jeff Wyatt shares his advice on how to get a green team moving in the right direction, “Pace yourself and go for low hanging fruit, to realize early accomplishments to build on.” Don’t worry about going green overnight; just keep making small daily adjustments, and work up toward the big changes. Go Green Teams!