The Office of Sustainability has initiated a green room certification system in the Colorado College dormitories. Students that qualify for the certification will earn a plaque on their door and enter a raffle for a gift card to an outdoor recreation store. If enough students in a hall qualify, the whole hall could win a Chipotle party or a gift certificate.
“I think that it is really important to be able to hold people accountable and really quantify how sustainably they are living,” said Lily Biggar, Office of Sustainability Residential Life intern. “There are a lot of people that say they are interested in sustainability, but this is a way to really measure actions.”
Biggar designed the certification this summer and will start certifying rooms this week. She also has been training the Eco-RAs to conduct the certifications. The certification system was developed based on several other schools systems, with some modifications.
“I wanted to make sure that the certification involved things that students could really be held accountable for,” said Biggar.
The certification includes a wide range of sustainable living habits, from reusable dishware to involvement in sustainability issues on campus. The certification also involves understanding what can and cannot be recycled.
“My goal was to receive 20 applications by the end of the semester, and I already have received 30 applications,” said Biggar. Within the first hour of posting the certification, she had received three responses.
The certification is geared towards creating awareness around sustainability, helping Colorado College achieve its carbon neutrality goal by 2020. The actions listed also help students save money as well.
The categories of the certification are energy, waste, water, involvement, and technology. Under each category, students can earn points for specific actions. Some of these actions include using a shower timer, reusable cups, dishware and utensils, coffee mugs, and shopping bags.
Each of these actions is worth two to three points. Students who earn 35 points receive level one certification and students who earn 60 points earn level two certification. Some of the actions are activities, such as liking the Colorado College Office of Sustainability page or taking a selfie at the CC farm.
Every person that receives the green room certification will be entered into a Green Room Raffle for a chance to win $50 to a sustainability-related store of choice, such as Patagonia, REI, Gearonimo Sports, or Old Town Bike Shop.
When half or more of the students in any hall earn the certification, the entire hall will receive a catered Chipotle dinner.
The certification is only open to students in a traditional house, language house, or small house.
The certification point system and instructions for specific ways to be more sustainable can be found on the CC Office of Sustainability website under the Eco-RA section.