Greener Offices. Greener Illinois.
How to Green-Certify Your Office
1. Select a Sustainability Ambassador
This person will be the main point of contact between iSEE and your office. The Ambassador will take charge of implementation and communication.
2. Enroll
Enroll in the program by: a) completing our interest form; b) reviewing our comprehensive CGOP guide for a full list of actions and resources.
Click here for an overview of the program and what it takes to achieve certification. >>>
3. Begin Greening
Once you have implemented the required actions and selected as many elective actions as you can, fill out the Green Office Election Actions Form. If you have questions, please reach out to to iseegreenoffice@gmail.com. We also outline actions that you can commit to from home, so your office can get certified even while working remotely! Take as much time as you need for this, and remember that iSEE is here to help if you run into challenges.
4. Get Certified!
We will review your submitted documents and finalize your certification. You can elect to have a Zoom or email check-in. We will also ask for photo support as applicable.
Congratulations! Your office is now certified for one year. We will work with you to showcase your certification with pride.
Here to Help: Tutorials, Hints, and Tips
Handy Links
- “Green Office @ Home” Remote Actions Commitment Form Template — This template can be used to keep track of employees who have committed to sustainability actions at home, and is ideal for offices with 20+ staff members.
- iSEE’s Guide to Sustainability Success
- Access free resources about waste-free living through the university’s Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) membership
- iSEE’s Suggestions for Recycling Options
- Campus Waste Management and Recycling
- Sustainable transportation around campus
- CUMTD Trip Planner
- Campus acquisition policy for energy-efficient equipment
- How to get free equipment from University Surplus — instructions from OBFS
Contact the iSEE Certified Greener Campus Team
Click here to email our team at iseegreenoffice@gmail.com
Thank you to our Certified Green Offices
Gold Certified Offices
2023
- Center for Social and Behavioral Science — Certified June 2023
- University of Illinois Division of Public Safety/U of I Police Department (35 sustainable actions pledged!) — Recertified March 2023
- Visit Champaign County — Recertified January 2023
2022
- International Student & Scholar Services — Recertified November 2022
- F&S Capital Programs — Recertified November 2022
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) — Recertified October 2022
- University Library Conservation Lab — Recertified September 2022
- Department of Public Safety/U of I Police Department — Recertified April 2022
- Center for Social & Behavioral Science — Certified April 2022
- The (In)Secure Landscapes Lab — Certified February 2022
- Visit Champaign County — Certified January 2022
2021
- Department of Communication — Recertified October 2021
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) — Recertified October 2021
- Oak Street Library Facility Conservation Unit — September 2021
Read a feature story about the Unit’s efforts >>> - Department of Public Safety — April 2021
2020
- International Student & Scholar Services — December 2020
Read more! >>> - Department of Communication — October 2020
Read more! >>> - Department of Chemistry Administrative Office — September 2020
Read more! >>>
2018
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) — August 2018
- McKinley Health Center — July 2018
- La Casa Cultural Latina — July 2018
- Newmark Laboratory, B220 — July 2018
- Department of Communication — June 2018
- Office of Technology Management — June 2018
- Department of Asian American Studies — May 2018
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences — May 2018
- Disability Resources and Educational Services — May 2018
- Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS) — April 2018
- Center for African Studies — April 2018
- Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies — April 2018
- Center for Global Studies — April 2018
- Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies — April 2018
- Center for South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies — April 2018
- European Union Center — April 2018
- Illinois Abroad & Global Exchange — April 2018
- International Student & Scholar Studies – Scholar Office — April 2018
- International Studies Building — April 2018
- Lemann Institute for Brazilian Studies — April 2018
- Russian, East European & Eurasian Center — April 2018
2017
- Facilities & Services (F&S) Customer Relations and Communications — August 2017
- F&S Engineering and Construction Services — June 2017
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) — July 2017
- School for Integrative Biology — July 2017
- F&S Capital Programs — May 2017
- University Library Collection Management Services — May 2017
2016
- The Cline Center for Democracy — October 2016
- The Mitchell Lab — August 2016
2015
- Campus Recreation — May 2015
- Department of Asian American Studies — May 2015
- F&S Capital Programs at Urbana — May 2015
- Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience (IEFX) Program, College of Engineering — May 2015
- Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), a division of the Prairie Research Institute — May 2015
- I-STEM Education Initiative — May 2015
- Native American House — May 2015
- Professor Ben McCall’s Research Group, Department of Chemistry — May 2015
- University Housing — May 2015
Silver Certified Offices
- College of ACES Office of Academic Programs — November 2022
- College of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Medical Clinic — May 2015
- Department of Landscape Architecture — May 2015
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences — May 2015
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) — May 2015
- Office for Mathematics, Science, & Technology Education (MSTE) — May 2015
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Administrative Suite — May 2015
- Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant — May 2015
- LAS Access & Achievement Program — May 2015
- School of Integrative Biology Administration Office — May 2015
- Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) — May 2015
Bronze Certified Offices
- Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) — May 2015
- F&S Utilities & Energy Services — May 2015
- Illini Union’s Office of Student Programs and Activities — May 2015
- Inorganic, Materials and Physical Chemistry Office — May 2015
- Office of Corporate Relations/Office of Public Engagement — May 2015
- Office of Technology Management — May 2015
- Pre-Law Advising Services — May 2015
Certified Green Office Program Credits
You have the power to reduce the environmental impact of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The Certified Green Office Program offers campus units clear actions in a number of categories.
Five Required Actions (prerequisites) are necessary for all levels of certification in the program. In addition, we have provided 48 Elective Actions, of which at least eight must be completed to achieve CGOP certification. The number of Elective Actions your offices completes will indicate your eligibility for certification, as follows:
- 8-10 Elective Actions – Bronze-level Certification
- 11-15 Elective Actions – Silver-level Certification
- 16+ Elective Actions – Gold-level Certification
Required Actions
The following actions are required for all levels of Green Office certification.
- Elect a member to be the official Sustainability Ambassador and point of contact.
- Use a minimum of 30% recycled copy paper only. Bulk pricing is available from F&S.
- Turn off lights, monitors, and other unused devices on nights and weekends.
- Offer at least one vegetarian (or vegan) option equivalent to a meat-based dish at every department-hosted event.
- Make sure to have and use clearly labeled recycling bins. Contact F&S if you need bins.
Energy Conservation Elective Actions
- Turn off lights and use daylight, or use task lights.
- Turn off lights when leaving the office for significant time periods.
- Turn hall lights off if standby lights are adequate.
- Use motion-sensor lighting.
- Use LED bulbs.
- Put signage near light switches reminding people to turn them off when the room is empty.
- Use equipment as instructed in the operating manual.
- Turn off equipment when not in use.
- Provide regularly scheduled equipment maintenance.
- Use smart plugs to control devices from your smartphone.
- Use power strips to switch off monitors.
- Close windows when HVAC is on.
- Pull down window shades when the AC is on, and pull them up when the heat is on.
- Remove all space heaters.
- Use and encourage use of public transportation, walking, and bike riding.
- Use teleconferencing for one conference someone in your office would normally attend in person.
Water Conservation Elective Actions
- Report dripping and leaking faucets promptly.
- Update office landscaping and maintenance.
- Push for water efficiency during renovations.
Waste Reduction Elective Actions
- Consider all other options before purchasing anything new.
- Return old or unused equipment to Campus Surplus.
- Choose options that reduce packaging needs.
- Pledge to use the campus recycling system for any office generated recyclables.
- Return Styrofoam shipping boxed to vendors to be recycled and reused.
- Bring waste Styrofoam to Urbana DART for recycling.
- Take advantage of vendor recycling and take-back programs.
- Recycle all batteries and portable electronics.
- Recycle printer ink and toner cartridges.
- Recycle writing instruments.
- Reduce single-use plastics whenever possible.
- Eliminate purchases of bottled drinking water.
- Use communal appliances instead of individual ones whenever possible.
- Eliminate use of disposable dishes and use reusable dishes and tableware instead.
- Work with a caterer to reduce waste in department events.
- Implement a food waste reduction program.
- Implement a composting/food waste diversion program.
- Set double-sided printing as default.
- Reduce paper margins when printing whenever appropriate.
- Change subscriptions of industry publications to the online versions.
- Unsubscribe people from junk and unwanted mailings.
- Pledge to use the Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (IDEALS).
Innovation Elective Actions
- Form a Green Team to share the responsibilities of the Sustainability Ambassador.
- Have all members of the office sign the “Use the Bin” pledge.
- Provide training or orientation to new staff/visitors of the office on Green Office requirements.
- Host a Green Office Event.
- Recruit another lab or office to join the program.
- Come up with your own strategy to make your office more sustainable — and tell us about it!
Green Office at Home Elective Actions
- Make meatless meals at home and eat vegetarian/vegan a minimum of one day a week.
- Attend a Sustainability Webinar each month.
- Subscribe to iSEE Weekly E-Newsletter.
- Send out monthly sustainability updates to staff.
- Dedicate one hour of no electricity each month.