Stage 1: Launched on October 2000 as a joint project of RCI and Green Horizons

Chatham eCollegie was launched in 2000 as an on going initiative to 'green' our campus, to make our practices more environmentally sustainable and responsible. The initiative, a joint project of the Rachel Carson Institute and the student led environmental group Green Horizons, focused on four areas:
 

Inventory: a campus wide inventory of our environmentally relevant practices was undertaken to catalogue what sustainable alternatives were already in place: we found energy conservation practices, effective hazardous waste reduction and disposal in labs, and integrated pest management practices on the lawn resulting in significant reduction in the use of herbicides and virtual elimination of insecticides. An interdisciplinary team taught course, called Chatham's ecological footprint', focused on further evaluating Chatham's water, energy and waste.

Energy conservation: eCollegie, stage 1 encouraged campus wide reduction in energy usage. 'eCollegie' stickers on light plates, computers and appliances reminded the campus that conservation is an individual choice. Significant reductions occurred in some buildings, modest in others.

Recycling/reuse: a new comprehensive recycling system was entered into practice throughout the campus. All administrative units were encouraged to switch to environmentally friendly products where possible, this resulted in a shift to use of recycled paper throughout campus and the elimination of all styrofoam and bleached napkins in dining services.

Education: perhaps the most significant goal of stage 1 was wide campus education about contemporary environmental problems, the concept of an ecological footprint, and the many ways that a community like ours can lessen its impact on the earth. The education goal was designed to lead to Stage 2...

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