Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts is a great example of a college that has recently dedicated itself to sustainability and is working hard to make up for lost time in every way it can. The esteemed women’s liberal arts college established sustainability priorities in early 2007, including goals related to landscape, water conservation, waste and energy use-reduction. In addition to improving their own campus, Wellesley hopes to instill the values of sustainability into its undergraduates and the community at large.
President H. Kim Bottomly remarked,
“It is no longer possible for any reasonable person to doubt that we have a serious problem. Colleges and universities around the world must and will play a crucial role, not just because of the research and education that happens there, and not just because they will lead the way with recycling and other efforts, but also because of the intellectual communities that exist there…. I hope we continue to pursue local efforts, but I also hope that along with our quite practical focus, we expand our focus to embrace discussions of the incredible complexity of this problem.”
The beautiful New England landscape that is the setting of Wellesley College is protected and maintained for future generations to enjoy. Significant portions of the campus have been transformed to make it more walkable, and many gravel and asphalt lots have been removed to restore the natural meadows and wetlands. Wellesley has a car-sharing program, zip cars are in use on campus and mass transit is available to students, faculty and staff.
Waste management and dining services are two areas in which Wellesley has excelled at ‘greening’. They’ve reduced their waste output and dramatically increased recycling efforts, and yard waste is composted. In the Dining Hall, you’ll find local, seasonal and organic food, fair trade coffee, biodegradable plasticware and corn-based cups.. Wellesley participates in the Real Food Challenge, and has started an organic garden to provide food for campus meals.
Wellesley has reduced energy consumption through campus upgrades, aggressive energy management and conservation measures. The college’s cogeneration plant runs at 85% efficiency and generates all of the electricity needed for the campus. And, despite a campus that has grown larger with increasing energy demand, energy consumption has been reduced by nearly 12% since 2003.
The dedication of Wellesley students has also received praise on their College Sustainability Report Card. Wellesley promotes student involvement through green competitions like ‘Recyclemania’ and weekly energy challenges. A student-run group called Energy and Environmental Defense has led many green efforts on campus including lightbulb exchanges.
Though no buildings on the Wellesley campus are currently LEED certified, the college has dedicated itself to meeting LEED standards for all future projects and has also put many sustainable measures in place in existing buildings. Green roofs have been installed at the campus center, a parking facility, the water treatment facility and other structures. Energy-efficient windows have been installed in a few buildings, and the Wang Campus Center makes extensive use of natural light and also boasts bamboo floors.
Congratulations to Wellesley for all their achievements, and we hope to see even more progress in 2009!
Link [Wellesley College]
