Graduate School and Student Loan Office are Green Workplaces

Duke's Graduate School and the Student Loan Office have achieved the Duke Green Workplace Certification, bringing the total to 45 certified workplaces and over 1,000 staff working in certified workplaces at Duke.  The Green Workplace Certification recognizes work areas that formally assess how they are reducing their environmental footprint.

The Graduate School earned certification for 27 staff by completing 43 out of 58 items on the certification checklist.  Within the Graduate School, staff select vendors who supply sustainable products and work with Duke Recycles to set up composting at large events.  The department saves up and combines orders to purchase in bulk, thus minimizing waste from packaging and eliminating excess fuel used by delivery vehicles on campus.  With sustainability and community engagement in mind, staff have collected tabs from aluminum cans for donation to Ronald McDonald House for three years.

The Student Loan Office achieved 41 items on the Green Workplace Certification checklist, earning certification for six staff members.  The department achieved all checklist items within the category of energy conservation and has taken significant steps within waste reduction and recycling.  The Student Loan Office uses their Personal Finance @ Duke program to encourage recycling and reuse through money-saving solutions like the Free Store and conserving energy.  Department staff participate in a monthly update on sustainability where they encourage and support sustainable behaviors in the workplace. 

Duke's Office of Sustainability administers the Duke Green Workplace Certification, which begins when a representative from a work area attends the free "Leading for Environmental Sustainability" workshop. As part of the workshop, participants receive a checklist of sustainable practices ranging from double-sided printing to using eco-friendly dishwashing soap in a break room. A work area that can demonstrate it follows at least 40 of the checklist's 58 items can apply for certification and permission to post the Duke Green Workplace seal in its office and on materials.

View a complete list of certified offices and the actions they completed to earn certification.