It’s graduation season! And for those who will be leaving the NYU community, we wanted to send you off with some tips for living sustainably in your post-NYU years.

 

Stay involved!

The NYU Office of Sustainability welcomes alumni to continue to work with us in advancing environmental initiatives at NYU. Help inform the initiatives of our office and stay up-to-date on what’s going on in our community by signing up for our newsletter.

Be an advocate for the environment in your future workplace.

Whether or not you enter into the environmental field, you can promote sustainable behavior in your future workplace. Join or start a “green team” or organize a “Bike to Work” day to motivate your co-workers to commute by bike, on public transit or by carpool to reduce transportation emissions. If you’re in an office environment, encourage your co-workers to reduce waste and discuss sustainable options with whomever manages purchasing. If you feel comfortable, try to speak up and offer sustainable solutions if your future workplace is doing something that has a negative impact on the environment.

Make conscious consumer choices.

You’ve graduated and you’re on your own. Now, it’s up to you to make responsible and conscious consumer choices. If you’re purchasing new furniture or work attire, consider gently used and thrifted options or look at where your items were produced, under what conditions and how far they had to travel to get to your door. Relocating to a new city or transitioning into a new job may require you to purchase a whole slew of new goods — but purchasing used items can benefit both the environment and your wallet.

As you increasingly cook and purchase food for yourself, consider your ecological footprint. Buy locally grown and ethically sourced foods when available. Buy in bulk to save money and reduce packaging.

Take action on environmental causes.

Scope out or organize a cleanup day in your neighborhood or city. Help plant trees or build a community garden. Attend community board meetings and get involved with local activists to push for pro-environmental initiatives on the city, state, national and global level. At NYU, being an advocate for the environment and advancing sustainability through our office and student groups was at your fingertips; but if you seek it out, there are plenty of ways to stay active in your post-NYU years. You can start off by using our Climate Venn as a resource for figuring out how you can contribute to the movement.

Best of luck to all those graduating! We hope that whatever you do in your future endeavors, you will help to make the world a little greener.