Recognizing the impact Whitman College has on the environment and the leadership role Whitman College plays as an institution of higher learning, the college affirms the following environmental principles and standards, which will be followed while exploring practical ways to promote an environmentally conscious campus. The college pledges to:
- reduce the amount of non-recyclable materials, reuse materials when possible and utilize recycled materials;
- consider the eco-friendliest science and technology available to decrease our environmental impact;
- continue to build an energy-efficient campus in the 21st century;
- patronize companies that are active in their defense of the environment;
- encourage individuals’ environmental accountability through programs of environmental education;
- consider environmentally friendly options when they exist and are practical when making decisions regarding developmental projects;
- further the use of reused materials, recyclable materials and the internet for campus communications;
- encourage and ask our food service to make environmentally friendly decisions when purchasing food and supplies, reducing waste and reusing materials;
- maintain campus grounds through the employment of bio-friendly substances and services; and
- strive to improve upon current practices so we may engage the trends of the industrial world with the natural environment.