Much of Colorado College’s campus and many of its students are dedicated to the cause of environmental sustainability. For example, the Office of Sustainability “aspires to make Colorado College a model for sustainability at all levels” by educating the community and enacting co-curricular programs such as the CC Farm, which promotes sustainable and organic farming. However, one does not need to create or join a large project or club in order to create a more sustainable campus. One program that most students on campus can participate in is the Green Room Certification process. This program was designed by the Office of Sustainability as an additional incentive to encourage dorm rooms and students’ lifestyles to be more eco-friendly and mindful of waste, as the individual lifestyle choices of the students highly impact the college’s and the community’s overall sustainability.
There are multiple incentives for participating in this program. The primary incentive is caring about the environment and wanting to minimize the impact that our lives have on it by consistently making sustainable lifestyle choices. As Atiya Harvey, the Eco-RA of Mathias Hall, says, “Mother Earth will be grateful.”
Additionally, there are material rewards given out to students who strive to make their rooms eco-certified. Students who successfully green certify their rooms are entered into a raffle for a chance to win $50 at a sustainability-related store. Even greater, if more than half of a hall becomes eco-certified, the hall will automatically win a free Chipotle party. Students will also receive a celebratory sign for their sustainability achievement.
If someone is interested in having their room eco-certified, the application process is very simple. A student first applies to be GRC (Green Room Certified) by searching “Eco-RA” on the CC homepage, clicking “Click here to certify your room,” and then filling out a short questionnaire based on lifestyle choices that will earn them points depending on how sustainable they are. Afterwards, if they are qualified, they will be contacted by the Eco-RA in that residential area to schedule an inspection to determine whether the room should be eco-certified. However, this program only applies to students living in the residence halls, small houses, or language houses. Also note that if someone has one roommate or more, each member of the room must apply separately.
If you are interested or have questions about eco-certifying your room, contact Lily Biggar at the Office of Sustainability at Lily.Biggar@coloradocollege.edu.