Reduce Your Pawprint

While institutional change is critical for global climate health and conservation, anyone can take practical steps in their daily lives to make a difference for the planet. Whether through grants, volunteering, internships, or participating in the Green Grad or Green Office Programs, every individual contribution makes a significant impact. Be a part of the movement towards a more sustainable campus—your actions matter!

Student Involvement

Become a sustainability champion and earn a green cord for graduation through the Green Grad Program
Join the EcoReps student organization
Write a grant for a campus sustainability project
Write a grant for a food-related project
Complete an internship with the Office of Sustainability and its community partners
Join the Sustainability Leadership Cohort program
Volunteer with the Office of Sustainability
Hosting an event? Make it a Green Event by participating in the Green Event Program

Faculty and Staff Involvement

Rally your office or division to participate in the Green Office Program
Volunteer to support campus sustainability, contact sustainability@butler.edu to learn more
Consider how your courses can be reimagined to be a sustainability-focused or sustainability-related course.
Encourage your students to get involved in sustainability initiatives including internships.
Hosting an event? Make it a Green Event by participating in the Green Event Program

Sustainable Lifestyle Tips

The Office of Sustainability strives to support students, faculty, and staff in their pursuit of eco-friendly lifestyle change. Below is a compilation of tips and resources for your sustainability journey.

Eat in the cafeterias when possible—Bon Appetit uses reusable tableware and source ethical, local food
Use the Blue To-Go Program containers when taking items to go
Only take the food you will eat
Reduce meat, poultry, and dairy intake to reduce your carbon and environmental footprint
Prioritize purchasing Fair Trade and locally sourced products that ensure farm worker rights and environmental sustainability
Pick some free fresh veggies at the U-pick Irvington beds

REFUSE. Commit to avoiding single-use products, especially plastic which is difficult to recycle. Use a reusable bottle or mug, a reusable bag when shopping, and the BLUEgo to-go option in Atherton and Midtown.
REDUCE. If you must use disposable packaging, buy in bulk and prioritize items packaged in glass or metal.
REUSE. Donate unwanted items, buy second-hand, and repurpose items into storage containers, art, blankets, etc.
RECYCLE/COMPOST. This should be the last resort! Butler uses single-stream recycling. Items must be empty and rinsed; plastics #1 and #2, aluminum, paper, cardboard, and glass are recyclable on campus. Compost bins are available in Irvington and Fairview Houses. Batteries can be recycled in GH118 or by contacting Tim Downs Service Center Room 118/Operations or drop them off in Gallahue 118, M-F 8:00 AM–5:00 PM).

Turn the lights off when not in the room.
Unplug electronics or turn off power strips when not in use to avoid unnecessary energy usage.
If your computer does not already have a default sleep setting, add one to reduce energy used when you are not active. Butler Windows computers come with default settings, but Macs must have a sleep setting (sleep after 10 minutes) manually added as the default.
Set your thermostat 2–3 degrees warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter.
Take shorter showers.
Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth.
Do full loads of laundry.
Hang your clothes to dry outside.

INTERNAL RESOURCES

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Reduce Your Pawprint

Student Involvement

Faculty and Staff Involvement

Sustainable Lifestyle Tips