The New School is committed to becoming a more sustainable institution and to improving the eco-literacy of its students, faculty, and staff. As a New School employee, you can  help reduce the university’s environmental footprint by integrating some simple, sustainable practices into your everyday routine. You can also commit to helping the university achieve its sustainability goals by taking The New School Sustainability Pledge at www.newschool.edu/sustainability/pledge.

Sustainability Best Practices

Save Energy

Use electricity and electronics wisely. By following the practices below you can  help reduce the university’s carbon footprint.

• Set the preferences on your computer so that it goes to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity and hibernates after 60 minutes or sooner. Always turn off your computer completely when it is not in use. Find instructions for applying the most energy-efficient settings to your computer in the Energy-Settings-for-Personal-Computers (PDF).
• Turn your personal printer off at the end of each day; turn it on only when needed.
• Unplug device chargers when they are not in use because they draw electricity even when a device is not attached. (This energy drain is known as “vampire loads.”)
• Shut off lights in all unoccupied rooms.

Take public transportation, bike, or walk to work. You can help reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The university is located in the middle of a public transportation hub, which makes it easy for employees to use subways and buses. Also, the university has installed curbside bicycle racks in front of most campus buildings and has plans to add others. In addition, an increasing number of dedicated bike lanes now exist in the city.

Recycle properly. Sorting paper, glass, metal, and plastic according to color-coded signs and bins helps The New School divert waste from landfills.

Print on both sides. Most network printers have the capability of producing double-sided documents. When employees print on both sides of a page, it saves The New School approximately 1,200 cases, or about 30 percent, of its annual paper usage. Learn how to change the default settings on your computer to double-sided (duplex) printing in the Double-sided Duplex printing instructions (PDF).

Drink water from reusable bottles and cups. Less than 30 percent of disposable bottles are recycled, and the rest end up in landfills or oceans. Fill your reusable container from the filtered and chilled water bottle–filling stations (PDF) that are available throughout campus or from the water coolers available in most offices.

BYO Mug to work. By drinking coffee or tea from a reusable mug, you can help to reduce the trash the university sends to landfills. A large number of disposable coffee cups are found in trash from New School buildings.

Avoid using plastic bags. Plastic bags are made from fossil fuels, remain toxic even after they break down, and are sometimes discarded in our oceans. 

Choose products that contain recycled content. Recycled products require less energy to manufacture and reduce the use of raw materials, making them much better for the environment. All standard office paper and toilet paper on campus contains 100% recycled content and all paper towels contain 70% recycled content.

Compost regularly. The eateries on campus collect compost food scraps. Organize with your office the collection of scraps and bringing them to dining locations. If your office supplies disposable cutlery, offer biodegradable utensils instead – or better, bring your own reusable utensils from home.

Recycle batteries and small, portable electronics. You can recycle all batteries, MP3 players, cell phones, and other small devices in the blue tubes found in the lobbies of most university buildings. For exact locations, contact Facilities Management at 212.229.5456 or visit the Environmental Health and Safety page.

Participate in the university’s electronic waste recycling program. Computers, copiers, printers, fax machines, televisions, and other electronic equipment may contain chemicals including lead, cadmium, mercury, and other heavy metals that are harmful to the environment if they end up in landfills. To find out how you can dispose of any unwanted electronic equipment, contact the Help Desk at 212.229.5300 x2828. The university also hosts e-waste collection events on campus in December and May for you to recycle e-waste from your office and home. Email announcements about these events are sent to New School employees.

Get onto The Green List. Buy, sell, and trade art and office supplies, books and clothing directly with others on campus via this new online exchange established by Parsons faculty. http://green.parsons.edu/the-green-list

Share your ideas about making The New School more sustainable. The New School Green Fund distributes up to $50,000 annually to projects and research related to sustainability on campus proposed by staff, faculty, and students. Visit www.newschool.edu/greenfund to find out more about the next round of applications.

You can also email your suggestions or comments about best practices for sustainability to sustainability@newschool.edu.

We are counting on everyone’s help in making The New School a model of sustainability. If you have questions about any of these practices, contact sustainability@newschool.edu or 212.229.5456.