University of California, Berkeley
EN-7: Employee Educators Program

Since 2008, the Office of Sustainability and Energy has offered two green certifications, Green Departments Certification and Green Events Certification. Each certification recognizes campus departments and events that have taken extra steps to be more sustainable. The programs identify a set of conditions and actions - some optional and some required - that can be followed to be certified. The certification process is designed to provide resources, guidance and recognition to faculty, staff and students as they take steps to decrease their environmental impacts at work. Through the efforts of the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Sustainability and other bodies, a new Green Labs Certification is offered. In addition, the ASUC Internal Department of Sustainability has issued Green Campus Guidelines for student groups.

Green department certification recognizes campus departments that have taken extra steps to have greener operations and lower their environmental footprint. The department is responsible for demonstrating the ways in which the unit has become more environmentally sustainable. This responsibility is taken on by volunteer staff in the department. These volunteer staff become the departmental employee educators for others in their department. The educators in the department green team often volunteer but can be assigned to the task as well.

Green Departments must host a sustainability-themed event the year before to qualify. Verification should include a description of the event and sustainability theme. Examples include a speaker or brown bag event, Bike to Work Day, Earth Day, Office Cleanout or service project. Departments also review sustainability procedures at a staff meeting including reviewing composting and recycling procedures, issues of water conservation in the workplace and the most recent annual sustainability report highlights. If the department does not have a regular staff meeting, this information can be conveyed to the department members via email. Verification should include details of what was covered, when it was covered and how it was communicated (email, meeting, etc.).

The program is supported by staff in the Office of Sustainability and Energy. The staff provides guidance throughout the process, certifies the department and presents the certification.

UC Berkeley is rolling out a consistent zero waste infrastructural bin system and educational training program building by building, which includes training building occupants with a focus on zero waste best practices. These sessions are offered during pre-planned workshops or scheduled staff meetings and encourage employees to be zero waste ambassadors among their respective departments and to other employees. The training workshop includes how to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost on the UC Berkeley campus, as well as how to lower the department/building's waste footprint through purchasing decisions. During the training, specific instruction on how to use the campus specific bin systems and particular details of the building systems is provided. Training sessions also show general operational staff how to service and handle waste streams to support building employee ambassadors. The intent of the training workshops is to educate building employee occupants on what the best practices are to reach zero waste; then to have these employees take the information and continue to educate others in the building. As of October 2018, approximately half of campus employees have received information on best practices through this process. UC Berkeley aims to have all employees informed about the best practices for reaching zero waste by 2020. Cal Zero Waste services staff regularly follow up and update the zero waste education proponents of the training to provide building occupants the most up to date information on campus progress and efforts.

Employee educators are part of a wider zero waste training that is presented to the building occupants during the rollout of consistent zero waste infrastructure in the space. The educators are invited to the zero waste workshop sessions, or Cal Zero Waste provides the zero waste training at all staff meetings among the departments. Participants from the building are encouraged to become zero waste ambassadors in their departments to help the building/department reach zero waste.

As part of Cal Zero Waste employee training, each educator goes through an extensive training process to learn and understand the works of the campus and what zero waste is at UC Berkeley. They practice training and presentation with peers in the office to provide outreach and training to campus faculty, staff and students. The training includes a 15-20 minute presentation with information on the progress of UC Berkeley towards the Zero Waste by 2020 goal. The presentation includes the 4Rs (Reduce, ReUSE, Recycling and Rot [compost]) as well as what specific materials can go into what type of bin on campus. It also includes information on how to reduce waste at the source by making smart purchasing decisions and creating a circular economy to lower the impact of purchasing practices. From this training, the employee participants are encouraged to be zero waste champions and stewards to other peers in the building.

Cal Zero Waste is invited to present to departments who have shown interest and support in zero waste efforts and initiatives on the UC Berkeley Campus. The outreach program is supported by Facilities Services, Cal Zero Waste Manager, two full time Zero Waste Specialists and a team of Zero Waste student ambassadors.

The Office of Sustainability and Energy personally offers sustainability-themed training to every newly hired campus staff member, including messages about how to reduce waste and energy use.

Information in this field was provided by the UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability and Energy and Cal Zero Waste.