Success stories
Energy
"[This product] works great with my computer set up—I shut down my PC and it virtually unplugs my DVD drive, printer and scanner all at once. As soon I boot up, it fires up the other devices. It costs about $40 bucks but I think I've already saved that in my electric bill."
Jason DeWaard,
Instructional Media Specialist
, GSE
Events
"We ask people to bring their own plates, cups, and silverware to our meetings and summer barbecues to reduce waste. We also set up ClearStream composting and recycling bins at our barbecues to further reduce our impact."
Andrea Ruedy, Green Building Coordinator, UOS
Kitchen
"At EPS, we put out mugs and big containers of sugar in our department’s coffee area. This has reduced the use of paper coffee cups and sugar packets. We got the mugs from Goodwill and people’s donations from home."
Sarah Colgan, Faculty Assistant, EPS Department, Hoffman
Publications
"The only extra effort to use FSC was to simply ask! I called one of the Harvard preferred print vendors who has FSC certification and asked for it along with my order. The cost was the same as simply using recycled paper from anyone else in the area."
Christine Benoit, Harvard Procurement
Purchasing
"Post-consumer recycled products are a big hit with the ladies."
Michael Gary Scott
Recycling
”Roxbury Technology of Jamaica Plain offers a no-hassles solution to unloading your department's used toner cartridges. At EPS we have been using them for about a year; we leave a message or email letting them know we have a pile of cartridges to pick up, and they usually stop by within a day. They then remanufacture the cartridges. ... Roxbury Tech are locally owned and operated and a pleasure to deal with.” [Note: Roxbury Technology toner cartridges are now available for purchase through Office Max, the University's preferred vendor for office supplies.]
Ben Tobin, Faculty Assistant, EPS Department
Transportation
"I wanted a bike that is fun to ride so our staff would use it to get around campus to see our customers. It also had to be low maintenance, and the Breezer fits the bill perfectly."
Joe Griffin, Director Harvard Environmental Health & Safety
"EPS acquired two bikes through the Commuter Choice Harvard Departmental Bike Program last fall, for anyone in the department to use. We were inspired by the bike share program in Paris and wanted to offer the EPS community an alternative to walking or driving. So far so good, the bikes are great."
Ben Tobin, Faculty Assistant, EPS Department
Waste Reduction
The Epidemiology Department installed a water filtration system to replace their bottled water service. Now, with a water filter, the department is no longer using all of those plastic bottles, which certainly were having a large impact on the planet. The department's carbon footprint is also decreased because the trucks do not need to deliver bottles monthly anymore. With the possibility of leaching chemicals from plastic bottles, the project also provided a potential health benefit. Finally, paying a lot less for water serves as an added bonus.
"The project has also gotten the people in the department talking about the debate between bottled water and tap water. In this way, it has encouraged education, debate, and awareness."
David Havelick, HSPH Epidemiology Department
