The History of Green Practices at Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon University has become a leader in environmental stewardship
through innovative practice, policy, education, and the “greening”
of its campus. Strong leadership and the dedication of the campus
community have enabled the university to achieve many significant
accomplishments over the past twelve years. The Carnegie Mellon Green
Practices committee has been instrumental in setting and achieving
goals, establishing innovative projects, and communicating its efforts
to the campus community and beyond.
Carnegie Mellon began its environmental efforts in 1990 with the hiring
of a Recycling and Waste Coordinator and the adoption of a formal
recycling policy for the campus. Within two years, as a result of
aggressive recycling measures and the campus-wide promotion, Carnegie
Mellon had increased its percentage of recycled waste from 5% to 13%.
The university then broadened its environmental focus, and in 1998
created the Green Practices Committee. This unique committee is comprised
of faculty, staff and students from many disciplines across campus,
and focuses on a wide range of campus environmental issues including
recycling, purchasing, energy use, dining, buildings and construction,
transportation, and communications & outreach. The diversity
of expertise and experience among the committee members results in
innovative collaboration, teamwork, and successes that may not otherwise
be achieved.
In January 2001, Carnegie Mellon Facilities Management purchased two
natural gas vehicles and set a precedent that resulted in a policy
requiring that all new campus vehicles be alternative fuel vehicles.
Later that spring, Carnegie Mellon Purchasing worked with Green Practices
to eliminate virgin paper from the university and switched its copy
and printing paper to 30% post-consumer recycled content. In May
2001, Carnegie Mellon made a groundbreaking purchase of wind power
for 5% of its total electricity, becoming the nation’s largest single
purchaser of wind-generated electricity. Later that fall, the university
made a commitment to pursue LEED Silver Certification for all new
buildings on campus, with the first LEED Certified project, the New
House First Year Residence Hall, opening in May 2003.
The innovative collaboration of disciplines across campus through
the Green Practices Committee and many other organizations dedicated
to the environment has allowed Carnegie Mellon to achieve these and
many other accomplishments. Carnegie Mellon and its Green Practices
Committee can act as a model for other colleges and universities to
learn from, and through shared experiences and lessons learned, our
educational institutions across the country can improve their practices
and move towards truly green campuses.
