Chemical Free Cleaning

If you are a school, company, organization or an individual looking for a great "green" model to follow, then read on and see why I put Oberlin College as one of the Top Green Colleges in the US.

Below is a list of some of the things they are doing:

• Buildings & Grounds: In 2006 the Oberlin College Board of Trustees adopted a policy that all new construction and major renovations on campus have to be designed and built in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED Building) silver standard.
• The Living Machine - Operated by 10 students, it processes waste water into reusable grey water via the natural cleansing methods that occur in a wetland—plants, bacteria, protozoa, and other aquatic microorganisms are used to clean and condition the water for reuse.
• Solar Parking Pavilion - The installation of a new solar parking pavilion adjacent to the existing photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof of the innovative Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies makes Oberlin College the home of the largest PV array in Ohio, with a total rated production of 159 kW. By using the solar energy produced by the PV array, the college avoids using other resources necessary to produce electricity.
• Use Green Cleaning Chemicals
• Food - Buy locally from farms and try to purchase certified organic products as much as possible.
• Real-time monitoring system tracks 17 dorms and displays how much energy all those laptops, tv's, cell phones and iPod chargers are burning at any moment. 
• Use biodegradable utensils 
• Programs printed on 100 percent recycled paper.
• No VOC Paints Used in All Campus Buildings
• Composts all of its organic food waste and non-food compostable waste.
• Most students own bikes and can also rent them
• Clothing Swap and Free Store - clothing, books, and dorm room items. The items are collected from each dorm by the College Recyclers and taken to a centralized location in the student union building. For about a week, the Recyclers keep everything that has been collected in this main space and people are able to come and take items they can put to use. At the end of that week, College Recyclers then take the remaining items to local charities. This greatly reduces the number of useful items entering the waste stream when students clean out their dorm rooms and off-campus houses at the end of each semester. While in the past this “swap" only took place twice a semester, the college has now located a permanent space for a “Free Store" in the basement of Pyle where reuseable items of all kinds can be donated or taken for reuse.

In addition to what I listed above, they have more sustainability programs and initiatives, and things you can learn if you are looking for ideas regarding sustainable campuses, sustainable schools, green campuses, LEED buildings, or even green business tips. Keep up the great work Oberlin College. You guys are doing a great job defining sustainability.

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