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Sustainability

Sustainable Student Organizations

Advancing sustainability at NC State by promoting individual and collective action for good.

Student organizations have a unique opportunity to advance sustainability on NC State’s campus as they promote individual and collective action for good.

All student organizations, no matter their mission or vision, can be sustainable. Bonus: Certified student organizations will also be promoted through Sustainability’s social media channels and newsletter.

Learn how your student organization can be sustainable and receive Sustainable Student Organization Certification using the following resources:

  1. Commitment to Sustainability:
  2. Leadership Roles:
    • Ensure there is a sustainability chairperson or add sustainability to the current leadership’s job description.
  3. Member Education:
    • Include education about your organization’s environmental/social commitment as part of member training
    • Encourage members and/or set aside time in meetings to take the Sustainability Orientation module on REPORTER.
    • Subscribe to the Sustainability at NC State e-newsletter.
  4. Encouraging Others:
    • Encourage other student organizations to attain certification.
  1. Sustainable Event Planning:
    • Incorporate event planning tips from the Sustainable Events website.
    • Apply for a Sustainable Events Certification for an on-campus.
  2. Sustainability Initiatives:
  3. Transportation and Meetings:
    • Utilize and/or promote alternative transportation to events and meetings, including walking, biking, busing, or carpooling.
    • Host virtual meetings to minimize transportation energy use.
    • Encourage walking meetings to promote wellness and creative problem-solving.
  1. Borrow Instead of Buy: Rent, share, or borrow items when possible.
  2. Shop Savvy: Visit the NC State Waste Reduction and Recycling office (WRR) or NC State Surplus Sales for gently-used school supplies instead of purchasing new products.
  3. Do Your Homework: Research the environmental and social responsibility features of purchased products.
  4. Think Ahead: Purchase reusable, recyclable, compostable/biodegradable, or products with high “post-consumer” recycled content.
  5. Buy in Bulk: Limit packaging by purchasing items in bulk or items with minimal packaging.
  6. Buy Local: Choose local products to support the local economy and reduce travel emissions.
  7. Cater Better: Make sustainable choices when providing food at organization meetings/events, such as locally sourced food products and minimizing waste.
  8. Seal of Approval: Look for sustainability-related certifications on purchased products such as Forest Stewardship Council, Green Seal, Green Guard, Cradle to Cradle, Energy Star, or EPEAT.
  1. Member Engagement:
  2. Sustainable Printing/Paper Use:
    • Share electronic files instead of printing a document when possible.
    • Print double-sided when possible and use one-sided sheets for note-taking.
  3. Minimizing Food Waste:
    • Encourage members to engage in the following actions:
      • Use a reusable bag when shopping and bring your own reusable mug, water bottle, cup, dishes, and eating utensils to meetings/events.
      • When planning events, utilize reusable items such as cups, plates, and utensils. If one-use items are necessary, use recyclable or compostable items, which can be requested through Waste Reduction and Recycling.
      • Minimize food waste at meetings/events with appropriate food planning. Plan for leftovers by providing take-home containers for guests and/or having a food-donation option ready.
      • Request compost and recycling clearstreams from Waste Reduction & Recycling for events on campus to divert waste responsibly.
  1. Be Well:
    • Share Wolfpack Wellness initiatives by engaging members on topics such as emotional well-being, stress management, sleep and time management.
  2. Eat Well:
    • Encourage healthy food and drink options at organization meetings/events.
  3. Live Well:
    • Promote the importance of and actions related to balancing social, community, career and physical health.
  4. Move Well:
    • Engage members with physical activity tips and benefits
  1. Collaborative Planning and Community-Building

Certify Your Student Organization Sustainable

STEP 1: INCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY

Use the resources above to integrate sustainability into your student organization.

The certification process uses a point-based system to evaluate your workplace based on the incorporation of sustainable practices. Certification is offered at the champion, steward and contributor levels.

  • Contributor: 10-19 total survey points
  • Steward: 20-28 of total survey points
  • Champion: 29 or more of total survey points
STEP 2: SUBMIT CERTIFICATION

Certify your student organization by completing the online certification form. The form is based on the above resources. Student organization certifications must be renewed each year.

STEP 3: PROMOTE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT

Be sure to use the certification as a way to promote your student organization. Display your Sustainable Student Organization Certificate on your getinvolved.ncsu.edu profile page and website and include it in your social media outlets.

Certified Student OrganizationsCertification LevelDate Certified
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) On CampusContributorNovember 2024
NC State Agroecology ClubStewardOctober 2024
Carnivore Conservation CrewStewardMay 2024
Sustainability StewardsChampionMarch 2024
Students for DecarbonizationStewardFebruary 2024
Catholic Campus MinistryStewardFebruary 2024
Discomfort ClubStewardDecember 2023

Questions: sustainability@ncsu.edu