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 you can become involved in helping make the university a greener place.
Reduce your environmental impact by following these tips:
Familiarize yourself with Penn's recycling guidelines. Penn offers single stream recycling throughout campus, which means you can put all your glass, metal, plastic, paper, and cardboard in the same recycling bin. This year, all on-campus students have been provided recycling bins in their College House rooms in order to boost sustainability efforts.
Use LEDs or CFLs instead of inefficient incandescent bulbs.
Set energy-saving features on your computer.
Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
Use power strips and turn them off when not in use.
Rent or buy used textbooks whenever possible.
Take these simple steps to save water:
Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth and take short showers.
Report leaky faucets to Facilities or your college house's Info Center.
Only do full loads of laundry and use the "Bright Colors" (cold water) setting.
Become Green Living Certified and win prizes for adopting green behaviors. Read our program manual to learn other ways to minimize waste, save energy and water, purchase green products, and adopt a variety of environmentally friendly habits.
