Our mission is to lead the campus toward a culture of sustainability through meaningful education, programs and actions and transform Dean into a community grounding in campus sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Ways Dean is Already Green
- LED lighting throughout campus.
- Food waste at Dean College is collected, ground to a pulp and composted locally. Dean also has a recycling company that picks up old computer and A/V equipment.
- Waste kitchen oils are refined and used as heating fuel.
- Truckloads of used furniture and equipment have been donated for charitable use. Some examples include:
- Old Library furniture was sent to Jamaica for hurricane relief,
- Old Residence Hall furniture sent to the Mass Coalition for the Homeless,
- Old Dining Room furniture donated to various charities throughout Eastern Massachusetts,
- Old vehicles and golf carts donated to Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical School for student education.
- Outside air temperature sensors installed on boilers to control operation.
- Construction and maintenance documents maintained in a digital format to reduce paper consumption. (One project, such as Horne Hall, could fill three file drawers with only one copy of each document.)
- Installation of water bottle refilling stations on campus
- Many forms are online for students to complete (NSO reservation, Housing Request, etc)
- Water runoff from certain buildings is collected in underground chambers
- All custodial paper products are made from recycled materials, and cleaning chemicals are Green Seal compliant.
Looking Toward The Future
- Recruitment of students to help spread the word on sustainability
- Working with faculty and staff to ‘green’ their offices
- Office Supply Trade Day
- More improvement projects on campus to increase energy efficiency
- Continual educational outreach to faculty, staff and students on what sustainability means
What You Can Do Today
Below you will find a list of suggestions about how you can be greener in your life.
Conserve Energy
- Turn off lights and unplug appliance when not in use
- Use natural lighting whenever possible
- If you have a difficult time remembering to power down devices at the end of a day, consider placing them on a timer or setting them up on a smart strip device.
- When shopping for new appliances for your home, compare the energy consumption of each device and include the cost of energy in your decision.
Conserve Water
- Install low flow shower heads
- Place a brick or 2 liter soda container into your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water utilized per flush
- Use rain water for watering your plants
Reduce Food Waste
- When eating at the dining hall, don't take more than you can eat. Fill up only enough to fill one plate or however much you can actually eat.
- When grocery shopping, make a list of the items you do need before you go. Without a list in front of you, you may buy things you already have. Additionally, shopping on an empty stomach leads to excess purchases that you may not be able to eat in time.
Reuse
- Bring your own bags with you when you shop
- Invest in a single reusable travel mug and fill with your favorite beverages rather than using a disposable cup
- Wash and reuse plastic storage bags or containers whenever possible
- If you no longer want salvageable items (such as furniture, clothing, housewares, jewelry, etc.), give them the opportunity to lengthen their life by donating them to a locally owned thrift store.
Use Grey Water
- Collect rain water or used water from chores such as dish washing or from the waste tray of your dehumidifier to help facilitate other household needs such as flushing the toilet and watering the flowerbeds. Place a rain barrel under your home's gutters to collect rainwater to use for similar purposes.