The SERC Green Team works on a variety of projects to contribute toward the University of California’s Zero Waste by 2020 goals, specifically focusing on efforts to implement the campus' Single-Use Plastic Elimination by 2030 Policy. CALPIRG's Plastic-Free Seas Campaign worked closely with many campus stakeholders to develop this policy, which passed unanimously through the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability on March 10, 2020 This paved the way for the most ambitious institutional ban of single-use plastic ever, applicable to all purchases and sales made on or on behalf of the UC Berkeley campus. SERC’s Green Team has worked with Cal Zero Waste and the Office of Sustainability to draft a policy roadmap that outlines how to achieve this ambitious target.
Green Team Events
Waste Diversion Team E-Waste Drive (October 2023)
SERC Earth Week Tabling (April 2023)
Sustainable College Lifestyle Tabling at SERC’s Climate Justice Fair (October 2023)
Sectors
During the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters, SERC's Green Team has focused on eliminating non-essential single-use plastics in the following sectors:
Waste Diversion
Within the SERC Green Team, the Waste Diversion Team focuses on implementing strategies and sets of practices that reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and incinerators. Our ultimate goal is to minimize the environmental impacts of waste disposal, specifically through e-waste recycling, source reduction, upcycling, and reusing items.
Registered Student Organizations (RSOs)
The RSOs sector implements zero waste strategies into the operations of Registered Student Organizations on campus. During the Spring of 2023, we implemented environmental ethics and single-use plastic elimination strategies into the mandatory training that all RSO Signatories must take each year. Currently, we have two main initiatives : (1) Encouraging RSOs to have a Sustainability Officer who takes initiative to reduce their club’s environmental impact. The Green Team will communicate with these representatives and share personalized zero waste materials. (2) We aim to encourage and reward/compensate organizations who take extra steps to make their operations and events more environmentally conscious. This project is in the research and development stage, and is on track to launch by the end of the 2023 - 2024 academic year in collaboration with the ASUC Senate Team.
For more information regarding Green Events Certification, visit our Green Events Certification page.
Get Involved!
SERC's Green Team recruits members on a semesterly basis through the SERC Membership Program. However, if you are interested in getting involved or collaborating, please contact Gaurika Pant at gaurikap@berkeley.edu