Eco Reps are a network of staff volunteers with an interest in sustainability issues. The program provides staff members with opportunities to make positive changes in their workplaces and help the University to fully embed sustainability practices across the campus.
About the Program
With a pilot running in 2014, the Eco Reps Program offers staff members the support, awareness, skills and tools they need to foster sustainability in their respective workplace. Using two to four hours of work time per month, Eco Reps help to:
contribute to the achievement of the sustainability objectives set at Carleton;
inspire colleagues to make changes in energy consumption, waste, food, purchasing, transportation, and more;
communicate information and news about sustainability policies, procedures, news and events;
build a common understanding of sustainability issues and challenges at the University;
identify sustainability initiatives for their departments;
make sustainability easy and fun.
The Carleton Sustainability Office provides Eco Reps with training and step-by-step tools to generate positive change in their workplace. By becoming Eco Reps, Carleton University staff members get to:
Help the Carleton community to become more sustainable and enjoy the benefit personally by greening your own lifestyle.
Forge closer working relationships with colleagues while working towards a common goal.
Gain useful skills for the future while receiving recognition for all your efforts and achievements, all of which will look good on your resume and your appraisals.
The sense of wellbeing you’ll feel by doing something good for the environment.
Meet your Eco Reps
Amanda Bennett, CCS – Robertson Hall
“I have always been interested in protecting the environment and reducing my carbon footprint. I want to make sure my kids have a safe and clean environment that they can grow and thrive in.”
Rachelle Thibodeau, Program Evaluation and Research – Dunton Tower
“I am an eco-rep because I try to live in a fair, simple, and sustainable way. I’ve found this much harder to do at work than it is at home, but things are changing. These days, there are many people on campus willing to make an effort to work in a “greener” way. I want to be part of any group that helps Carleton to be ecologically responsible and to model those values for our students and the wider Ottawa community.”
Michelle Santoianni, Environmental Science, Integrated Science and TSES – Herzberg
“I have a personal interest in learning about sustainability and would like to learn more about what is going on at Carleton and in general best practices that exist.”
Laurie Shea, Housing & Residence Life Services – Stormont
“We are currently creating a sustainability plan within the residence life program and I would like to be able to pass along information that I learn through the ECO REP initiative. We also have 8 Themed Community floors in residence, one being the Sustainable Living floor. It is important to have someone from our area more engaged in sustainable initiatives and activities on campus to lead by example and to pass along information to engage our residence students.”
Jason Goveas, Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities – University Centre
“I want to be an Eco Rep because I would like to reduce waste on campus. For myself, I commute using public or active transportation; I encourage the use of shared or network printers, where possible, in the workplace; several years ago I was actively involved in the Lug-A-Mug campaign which encouraged Carleton folk to use refillable contaners on campus; I drop off our electronic equipment that is still useful at CompuCorps or if the items are beyond practical use, have them disposed of via electronic recycling.”
Fran Platt, University Advancement – Robertson Hal
l“Ecology is extremely important to our environment. In a community as large as Carleton University, we should be able to make a significant difference and I would like to help do this.”
Andrew Pullin, SCS – Herzberg
“I bring my own plate to every school event. I bring a container back and forth to Carleton every day for my compost. I save colleagues’ disposable cups to bring home to my compost. It is great for school spirit.”
Program guide
To find our more about this program and how you can get invovled please review our Eco Reps program orientation guide below: Eco Reps program orientation