Start a Green Team
What is a Green Team?
Green Teams are informal groups of staff members from an office, department or organizational unit that meet regularly to educate themselves and their colleagues about sustainability, examine the sustainability of office practices and create innovative solutions.
What does a Green Team Do?
Green Teams start by conducting an informal inventory of the environmental effects of everyday office operations and behavior. This can be as simple as getting together to discuss observations, like an increase in the number of disposable coffee cups being thrown out in the break room. Teams can choose one or two annual goals or divide up members to tackle dozens of issues in a short period of time. Green Teams address problems by:
- Using signs, challenges, presentation/events to educate colleagues about sustainability issues
- Creating office policies and ensuring compliance with existing university policies
- Managing funds for office sustainability initiatives
Green Team members seek to engage all of their colleagues in a creative problem solving process, they are not the Eco-Gestapo! Sustainability is about collaborative decision-making and creating viable solutions to problems that people sometimes don't realize exist.
How do I start a Green Team in my office?
Duke's Sustainability Office is available to present to your office or department and work with you to identify suitable tasks for your Green Team to undertake. If your office is thinking about starting a Green Team or already has a similar group, be sure to register your team with our office. Registering will connect your Green Team with the resources and experiences of other Green Teams and allow our office to share your victories across campus.