welcome to Green Campus Initiative
Through the support of Auxiliary Enterprises, Green Campus Initiative strives to be involved with as many sustainable initiatives as possible. We often partner with various other UMaine organizations to reach our goals with other groups including UMaine Greens, the Campus Compost Facility, and the Black Bear Exchange, to name a few.
our mission
To create a sustainable campus culture and environment, to improve outreach and engagement on sustainability issues, and to inform our community about sustainability related issues in the great state of Maine. We imagine a responsible, healthy, and prosperous community in which individuals are committed to caring for and valuing the environment, for the short and long-term benefit of the UMaine community.
our history
Green Campus Initiative was founded in 2002-2003. GCI has been instrumental in bringing Zero-Sort recycling to UMaine. The discount available to students for double-sided printing is also due to work by a previous member of the Green Campus Initiative. GCI partners with Dining Services to promote ‘Zero Waste’ events throughout the year, and conducts Food Recovery; donating unused food from dining halls to the Black Bear Exchange.
come work for gci
At the start of each year, we look to hire motivated, reliable individuals to join our Green Campus Initiative team! The University of Maine’s office of Green Campus Initiative (GCI) serves to educate students about sustainability-related initiatives that pertain to campus housing and dining facilities as well as other Auxiliary Services operations. Through the support of Auxiliary Services, this office employs students and supports volunteers to carry out its educational mission.
read the gci blog
Buy Nothing Day!
Buy Nothing Day (BND) is a day that is recognized annually on the day after Thanksgiving! This day is part of the movement against consumerism, urging the world to change their purchasing habits and to consume and produce less! (Calendar 1) The history behind Buy Nothing Day is rich! Buy Nothing Day was first established […]
Halloween Sustainability!
Halloween is just around the corner! Cherished by many people around the world, Halloween is the holiday for every age! Unfortunately, Halloween brings an excessive use of single-use plastics, candy wrappers, and discarded costumes. Single-use decorations are very common for Halloween. Fake spiderwebs, plastic pumpkins and creepy window clings may seem like a good idea […]
Hurricanes – What’s Causing Them?
As we probably have all seen in the media, Florida is being hit with three hurricanes back to back, the most recent one being hurricane Milton which destroyed infrastructure all across Florida. From 1979-2017, the number of major hurricanes has increased and the number of smaller hurricanes has decreased. This is proving to be more […]
sustainability in aux enterprises
Learn more about how the Auxiliary Enterprises department is assisting with sustainability at UMaine.
what is the green living community?
The Green Living Community, is a residence floor supported by Green Campus Initiative. Students can choose to live in this sustainability-themed community. GCI hosts events for the Green Floor, including weekly tea times, seasonal activities, volunteer opportunities, and off-campus outings.
Questions?
um.gci@maine.edu