Welcome to the Boston College Office of Sustainability webpage! The Office of Sustainability embraces its goals through the following areas:听education and outreach, landscape and natural features, LEED-certified buildings, and waste reduction and recycling.听

About Us

What We Do

The Office of Sustainability at Boston College serves as a听resource听and听catalyst听to advance University goals for campus-wide sustainability. It听collaborates听with Facilities Management, Boston College Dining Services, and student groups to organize and support various environmental sustainability initiatives and projects. The office works to:听

  • Implement energy conservation measures across facilities
  • Develop a comprehensive approach to energy conservation and water management听
  • Coordinate a recycling and composting program across campus
  • Incorporate and maintain natural features across campus
  • Identify potential sustainability opportunities
  • Measure and report on annual progress toward sustainability goals

Sustainability Program Manager

Bruce Dixon

自慰视频 '21, LEED GA, E自慰视频P

Sustainability Office Interns

Amy Rini '26, Graduate Program Assistant

Margaret Ryan '25, Office Intern

Sang Sherpa '26, Office Intern

Alessandra Veveiros '27, Office Intern

Garden Steward

James Bergsten '27, Garden Steward

Contact

300 Hammond Pond Parkway
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Email:听sustainability@bc.edu

Office Phone: 617-552-3738

Office of Sustainability Website:

Sustainable Update

Suscribe to the Office of Sustainability's listserv听for updates about the latest environmental events around campus and the Boston area including events from Boston College's green clubs, campus lectures, and the latest Environmental Eagle newsletter.听

Sustainability Newsletter

Read about the latest sustainability inititatives, activites and events taking place on campus in the newsletter from the student group EcoPledge and The Office of Sustainability.

Environmental Eagle Newsletter

Academic Programs

The interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Program is currently researching ways to conserve the environment, discovering engineering alternatives, and energy efficiency practices.

Environmental Studies Program

The Woods College of Advancing Studies offers a professional studies certificate in sustainability. It is an online, six-course program open to students who hold a high school diploma or a bachelor's degree. It allows recipients to demostrate their compentency in pressing questions of the day, including climate change, effects of population growth, shifting demogaphics, and the ensuing natural resource limits of energy, food, water, materials, and waste.

Sustainability Certificate

Campus Groups

Join the green community.

Bike 自慰视频

Bike 自慰视频 is a student-run bikeshare program serving the entire Boston College community.听

Charity Water

Boston College charity: water听is an initiative started by students whose goal is to bring awareness to the global water crisis and raise money to support听charity: water听campaigns. Since its inception,听自慰视频 charity: water听has been able to raise thousands of dollars and fund the development of a drilling rig and wells in two different villages.听

Climate Justice 自慰视频

Climate Justice 自慰视频 aims to educate about the dangers of climate change and how students can be agents for change; unite with local and national climate activists to strengthen social support for climate justice; and to engage in activism within the 自慰视频 community.

EcoPledge

EcoPledge is Boston College's largest student-run environmental club that works toward making 自慰视频 more sustainable. EcoPledge educates the 自慰视频 community about environmental issues by showing films, presenting lectures, and hosting annual celebratory events like听Harvestfest听and听Earth Day. EcoPledge members often go beyond the campus, participating in local community clean-ups, national environmental conferences, and hiking and camping outings throughout New England.

Green Ambassador Program

Established in 2014, Athletics, Facilities Services, and the Office of Sustainability have partnered to make theGreen Ambassador听program to support ongoing campus recycling efforts. Green Ambassadors welcome fans to 自慰视频 at selected sites and offer information on game day activities and respond to recycling questions. For information about the Green Ambassador program please email听sustainability@bc.edu

Outdoor Adventures

Run by Campus Recreation, Boston College offers students the opportunity to experience nature through day and weekend trips including rock climbing, hiking, sea kayaking, paddleboarding, and backpacking.

Outdoor Adventures

Outdoor Club

The student run Outdoor Club organizes trips for 自慰视频 students to get outside and enjoy the environment. Trips include hiking, climbing, kayaking, white water rafting, and skiing.听

Plant Club

Plant club is a welcoming and encouraging environment for people with all levels of plant knowledge. Join plant club for plant maintenance meetings, propagation workshops, cutting swaps, bonsai workshops, terrarium events, foraging and species identification walks, and more!

Real Food 自慰视频

Real Food 自慰视频听is a student group on campus that strives for the establishment of a more sustainable food system by promoting the purchasing of food from local, green, humane sources in order to support localized food production and to reduce carbon emissions that result from long-distance food shipments.听自慰视频 Dining Services听has already taken steps towards more sustainable food procurement. In collaboration with Real Food 自慰视频, 自慰视频 Dining created听Addie's Loft, an organic eatery that offers food from local, sustainable sources.听

Sustainable Living and Learning Community

Run by the Office of Residential Life, this living and learning community educates students on sustainablity and encourages them to be active members in their community. Students apply at the end of their first year and live on the sustainability floor during their sophomore year.

Living and Learning Communities

UG自慰视频 Environmental Caucus

The Undergraduate Government of Boston College works with environmental clubs on campus to create a greener 自慰视频. Their Environmental Caucus is dedicated to sustainability and making green changes on campus.

UG自慰视频

Entrepreneurs for Social Impact听

Entrepreneurs for Social Impact听works to amplify businesses pursuing equity and justice around the globe, with special emphasis on the Greater Boston area. Among other social justice causes, they highlight companies working toward a more sustainable future.

Student Guide to Sustainable Living at Boston College

The Office of Sustainability created this book as reference guidelines for the Boston College student body. These guidelines cover recycling on campus, conservation efforts, green cleaning, and how to join Environmental Clubs.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at听sustainability@bc.edu.

Student Sustainability Guidelines

How to Recycle and Compost

Single-Stream Recycling

Boston College uses single-stream recycling, which means you can throw all your recyclables in one bin without any need to sort them.听However, make sure to rinse containers before recycling them, and do not recycle plastic bags.

What Can you Recycle?

Most recyclable items can be placed in single-stream recycling bins, including:

  • Plastics #1-7
  • Glass and plastic bottles
  • Empty, clean cardboard food and drink containers
  • Aluminum cans: soda, tuna, etc.
  • Empty, clean, plastic food containers, etc.
  • Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, cardboard

For information click on this !

Why Compost?

Composting helps prevents methane production through aerobic decomposition, reduces dependence on fossil fuels, and reduces landfill waste and incineration.听Compost can be turned into a natural fertilizer, adding nutrient-rich soil to the land and promoting biodiversity.

Composting is a lot easier than recycling. Dining staff will compost for you in Corcoran Commons, McElroy Commons, Lyons Hall and Stuart Dining Hall. All food that you haven't eaten goes into the compost bin.

What Can You Compost?

  • Fruit and vegetables
  • Meat
  • Poultry
  • Bones and fat trimmings
  • Dairy products
  • Eggshells
  • Coffee grounds
  • Paper napkins
  • Tea bags听