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Sustainability Advocate Program Advocate Training and Orientation Defining Sustainability Principles: 1. Meeting present needs must not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 2. We must recognize and respect nature's limits. 3. We must strive for social, economic and ecological sustainability. Key Questions – Creating Meaningful Change • How can large institutions be harnessed to affect the “small scale” eco-effective behaviors of individuals? • How can institutional decisions be “scaled up” to solve complex global environmental problems? Levels of Opportunity For Sustainability at NYU 1. Improve environmental performance, directly reduce adverse impacts 2. Educate students, whose behaviors and life decisions will define the future 3. Develop research and hone best practices that can be shared globally Sustainability Advocate Program Purpose: • To draw upon the energy, effort and enthusiasm of NYU employees to “green” their own departments and workspaces… • while educating colleagues and increasing engagement throughout the university. Visit: http://www.nyu.edu/sustainability/advocates/ Program Goals • Improve NYU’s operational environmental performance • Enable administrators, staff, and faculty to play a direct role and have a personal stake in sustainability efforts • Build a sense of community by networking like-minded employees • Generate new ideas to share with the rest of NYU, other universities, and the world! Responsibilities Action Advocates will have the chance to: • Identify ways to green departments • Implement university-wide policies that apply to office operations • Implement changes based on new ideas and new information RESPONSIBILITIES Responsibilities Communication Advocates will have the opportunity to: • Report environmental issues directly to sustainability staff or other appropriate areas of the administration • Fill out appropriate work request forms for maintenance • Gather data and relay feedback about their office space RESPONSIBILITIES Responsibilities Education Advocates will have the opportunity to: • Serve as an educational resource for colleagues about best practices and eco-effective strategies • Serve as on-the-ground contacts through which colleagues can find out about sustainability events and projects Waste and Recycling Mixed Recycling: • Plastics, paper, cardboard, metal • Yes: plastic containers and films, junk mail, pizza boxes, office paper, packaging boxes, metal cans, clean foil, clothes hangers and all glass containers • No food contaminated items WASTE & RECYCLING Waste and Recycling • Environmental Health and Safety recycles batteries, light bulbs and computers/electronics – look for the technoscrap bins • The university re-uses office furniture, computers, electronics, rubber bands and moving boxes – contact Asset Management (www.nyu.edu/asset/) or the Recycling Shop ([email protected]) • Get recycling bins or report a problem about any issue by calling the FCM Client Services Center (x81001) • Remember: Employees empty their own deskside bins! Green Purchasing There is now an NYU Environmental Purchasing Guide available at: www.nyu.edu/sustainability/purchasingguide Tips: • Choose green products on Stapleslink and i-Buy • Paper 30% PC recycled content minimum, 100% best • Furniture: see Purchasing Services for green options • Energy Star appliances; compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) • Work with caterers for reduced waste, increased local content • Choose durable over disposable Participatory Networking • Together we face many obstacles in becoming a Sustainable NYU: – Decentralized decision-making – Lack of communication between programs, “silos” – Large size of institution – No separate campus apart from NYC – Low per-student available space and endowment • “Distributed grassroots participatory networks” -- like the Advocate Program -- turn these obstacles into assets! THANKS! QUESTIONS? www.nyu.edu/sustainability COMMENTS?