Guides & Manuals

Welcome Class of 2026! Penn is committed to reducing its environmental footprint, and students play a large role in contributing to sustainability initiatives on campus. Read about all the ways that you can become involved in helping make the university a greener place.

Learn how to host sustainable events by downloading the Green Events Guide.

College House Resident Advisors (RAs) and Graduate Resident Advisors (GRAs) have a unique opportunity to help frame the way their residents understand environmental sustainability at Penn.

Our Waste and Recycling Guide was created to serve as a resource for those schools and centers on campus who have received an audit and are looking to improve their waste and recycling practices on campus. Even if your building has not received an audit, this guide can help you to improve your practices around diversion.

Learn how to start a Green Team in your office to minimize the environmental impacts of your workplace.

Although there is single-stream recycling throughout Penn's campus, where you take your recyclables varies in each College House. 

The numerous labs on campus provide a prime opportunity to reduce our environmental impact and help us reach the goals set forth in Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0.

This document outlines practical ways for Penn faculty and staff to respond to the climate emergency.

The sustainability team along with student support and Penn’s Urban Parks staff created an informative graphic, The Life of Penn's Waste.

A straightforward, easy-to-use document for those considering the purchase of an electric vehicle.

An office cleanout allows you to get rid of all unwanted office files and materials on a large scale. 

The Green Cleaning Guidelines inform and educate facility managers and maintenance staff on how to meet green housekeeping certification requirements – the standard maintenance protocols and practices for all Penn interior spaces.

Use the Red Day Action Plan Form to complete your step-by-step action plan to reduce your office's energy usage when called for an event such as a "Red Day."

Bin standards across campus make it easier for building occupants to recycle.

Centralized trash and desk-side recycling can improve waste diversion by making it easier for building occupants to recycle. Use this guide to learn how to implement desk-side recycling and centralized trash in your office.

Our Water Bottle Filler Guide is intended to help demonstrate different sustainability standards for water filler stations and to streamline sustainable purchasing choices for buildings on campus. To find water bottle fillers on campus, check out our water bottle refill map.