Green Office Program News
Office "Go Green" for Parties and Events
FEBRUARY 23, 2012: Pine tree branches and holly decorated napkins weren’t the only green things at the Counseling Center (CC) this past December. By implementing a few simple actions, such as composting and planning ahead, the CC turned their regular holiday party into an environmentally-friendly bash. They are currently working towards Bronze-level certification in the Green Office program and wanted to expand their sustainable actions to cover more than just the average work day.
Alice Mitchell, Psychometrist at the CC, says that they are hoping their “informal pilot becomes the basis for a broad campus approach to sustainable non-catered events.” With the help of Dining Services Director Colleen Wright-Riva and by using their Green Office Program training and knowledge, the CC was able to take those skills and use them for a creative and fun event.
As a pilot effort, Dining Services provided compostable plates, napkins, and utensils for the celebration as well as composting services once the used materials were returned to Dining Services. Party guests were efficiently guided in a “what goes where exercise,” according to Mitchell. They composted napkins and recycled containers and aluminum serving trays. Mitchell was proud of the results, having produced one very full bag of compostables, one-half bag of trash, and one bag of recyclables.
The CC learned a lot from their green celebration. Mitchell referred to the unexpected use of tree branch decorations for the party, which were relevant to the holiday theme as well as compostable. She hopes to “plan ahead next time for compostable decorations. This was definitely the way to go,” said Mitchell, with agreeing nods from CC Sustainability Committee members Kimberly Bethea, Noah Collins, Cassy Lytle, and Francy Stillwell.
There were some lessons learned along the way- Mitchell states that the printed paper plates and plastic tablecloths contributed by CC staff weren’t recyclable and needed to be thrown away. She made a mental note that the plastic tablecloths can be replaced with reusable or paper ones in the future.
Overall, the CC implemented their knowledge of the Green Office Program in an easy and efficient way. Any office can implement and host a green event, whether they are part of the Green Office Program or not. If everyone makes small changes, such as minimizing environmental impact at office events, the cumulative impact on our campus can be substantial.
Andrea Doukakis, Office of Sustainability
For more information on the program, visit www.greenoffice.umd.edu