Green Office

Overview

The Green Office program was launched in 2016 as a way for staff and faculty to be a part of the change they want to see at the University of Waterloo. Since then, more than 50 departments – big and small – have joined the program, helping to foster a culture of sustainability and support initiatives. From plant swaps and plant-based potlucks to sustainable event planning and more, participating departments are helping to build a more sustainable campus.

No matter your role on campus, there is a place for you in the Green Office program. Some of the benefits include:

Building relationships across campus
Learning new skills
Making a positive impact on campus sustainability
Achieving certification for your department
Having fun!

The Green Office Overview (PDF) provides a high-level summary of the program. Continue reading to learn more about the program structure, who is participating, and some program highlights to date.

Supporting SDGs

SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being square icon

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy square icon

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production square icon

SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals square icon

How it works | Program highlights | Certified departments | Leaderboard | Participating departments

Green Office ambassadors at campus clean up outside EV3

Green Office employees from Engineering at plant workshop

Green Office employees from Pharmacy decorating Christmas tree

How it works

The Green Office program is grassroots-driven. It supports ambassadors from each participating department to improve sustainability in their office spaces and build a culture of sustainability within their teams. Ambassadors can access the following tools to help make these changes:

Ambassador network

A discussion board with a network of 100+ like-minded employees from across campus who are also supporting efforts in their own areas

Resource toolkit

A set of templates, best-practice guides, and communication materials

Recognition

A common scorecard to help identify new project opportunities and receive a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum designation for your office

Support structures

Ongoing check-ins, trainings and resources led by the Sustainability Office to tackle action items

Green Labs or Green Office?

If you're unsure which Green Program suits your space best, please review the following questions. If you answer yes to at least one, Green Labs may be best for you! If you answer no to all, check out the Green Office program.

Do you have high (energy) consumption equipment?
Does the space have ventilation requirements?
Do you have specialized waste streams (outside of the standard recycling/paper/garbage/cardboard/organics)?
Do you utilize the sharps/blood/hazardous waste programs?
Do you utilize chemicals beyond cleaning supplies?
Do you use grades of water outside of tap?

22% departments certified to Green Office Bronze or higher

53 participating departments

100+ ambassadors from departments across campus

Certified departments

As of November 2024:

The following departments are participating in the Green Office program and have received certification under the Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze designation. They are listed in alphabetical order in each category.

You can explore individual scorecard submissions in the chart below by using the Department and Year filters.

Leaderboard