Sustainability
About Us
HGSE Sustainability is a partnership between the Harvard Graduate School of Education the Harvard and the Harvard Office for Sustainability led by the HGSE Sustainability Manager and the HGSE Operations Team. Learn more at HGSE's sustainable practices at Harvard.
Mission
We aim to maintain and grow the Ed School into a healthy, thriving, sustainable community and campus. Our vision is rooted in our shared responsibility to build and operate a campus that contributes to the well-being of the planet and people, both within our community and beyond it.
By making our campus healthier and more sustainable, we prepare our students and our broader community to build a healthier, more sustainable future. This is particularly important at HGSE, where future leaders in education come to learn to change the world.
Join the HGSE Green Team
All students, faculty, and staff interested in making our campus healthier and more sustainable are welcome to join the HGSE Green Team!
Here are a few ways to get involved:
- Attend the quarterly HGSE Green Team meetings, held four times throughout the year (September, November, February, and April). At each meeting, we take time connecting with each other, sharing our current sustainability projects, and brainstorming new ideas and collaborations. For dates and to RSVP, please read the monthly HGSE Sustainability News or visit HGSE's sustainable page at Harvard Sustainability.
- Subscribe to the Green Team listserv for weekly updates. (link does not work)
- Join the HGSE Green Team Microsoft Team to learn, share your ideas and projects, and connect with others.
More Ways to Go Green
Our popular Freecycle events promoting reuse are on hold for now out of an abundance of caution around Covid but you can still choose to reuse at the Harvard Recycling and Surplus Center in Allston, currently open on Thursdays, 10 a.m. -2 p.m.:
- Shop there for a previously loved item before buying new. There you will find clothes, school supplies, home goods, furniture and much more.
- Donate items you no longer need instead of tossing them in the trash during their Thursday hours. If that isn’t convenient for you, consider donating to an organization close to home (check out Earth911 for suggestions). Some organizations will even allow you to schedule a pick up.
Interested in becoming an HGSE Green Office? The Green Team has made it easier than ever with the HGSE Green Office “Starter Kit,” featuring a pre-selected workbook with Green Office criteria already in place campus wide, as well as tips and resources specific to the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Feel free to contact the Green Team with any questions on the Green Office Program at HGSE.
Staff and faculty, as you prepare to return to campus, make your department HGSE’s next certified Harvard Green Office by taking the following steps:
- Register your office online at green.harvard.edu/greenoffice
- Download and review the application form
- Collaborate with your colleagues to earn points for green actions
| Leaf Level | Points required |
|---|---|
Leaf One | 30 |
Leaf Two | 60 |
Leaf Three | 90 |
Leaf Four | 120 |
Avoid single-use disposable cups and bottles, and refill a mug or bottle at these bottle filling stations.
Please choose a building to explore its bottle filling locations:
Gutman
Longfellow
- Reuse, recycle, and compost to reduce the amount of waste incinerated or sent to landfills.
- Responsibly dispose of used batteries, printer cartridges, and university electronics by dropping them off at the e-waste collection point on the 3rd floor of the computer lab in Gutman.
- Recycling poster (PDF)
- Filtered water map
- Report drips and window leaks
- Walk, bike, or opt for public transit, and take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.
- Bike rack map
Aspire to Zero Waste
- Showcase plant-based proteins with vibrant flavors.
- Choose reusable items.
- Encourage guests to empty drinks before disposing of them, recycle, and compost, pointing out at the start of your event where the bins are in the room and what they should put in them (recycle papers and containers, compost leftovers, and the biodegradable utensils, plates, cups, and napkins provided by HGSE Catering).
- Find more tips with the Harvard-wide Sustainable Meeting and Event Guide.
- Recycling
- Composting