About the Program

Oberlin College's Green Room Program began in Fall 2012 with the intent of providing students with tools and tips for living more sustainably and recognizing them for doing so. The program allows students to certify their rooms as "green" by pledging to at least 25 of 49 criteria. Criteria are essentially guidelines for living sustainably. The aim of the program is to give students tools to empower them to incorporate environmentally responsible actions into their lifestyle. Since the program is a year-long commitment, the intent is to make these actions into habits and make green living the default. Students can't always choose which building they live in or how efficient that building is, but they can choose the way they live within that building.

This program is sponsored by the Office of Environmental Sustainability and is open to anyone and everyone, as long as you pledge the minimum of 25 commitments. Some commitments may be things you already practice such as turning off lights when you leave a room or enabling sleep settings on your computer. Others include taking a sustainability-related course or not bringing a car to campus. The more criteria you follow, the higher your green ranking- from bronze, silver, and gold to platinum. Flexibility is embedded into the program to allow for inclusivity. Since Obies are so creative, there is an "Innovations" category in which students can submit innovative actions that weren't in the certification form; for example: growing peppers on your window sill or starting a carpool to Trader Joe's.

Once certified, students will be given a certificate to hang on the outside door of their room recognizing them for their efforts and indicating their level of certification. Students may be contacted for spotlight articles to highlight unique innovations and those who certify at the gold and platinum levels!

Did you know? There is no limit to the number of times an aluminum can can be recycled.