The mission of the MIT Working Green Committee is to develop and deliver programs that educate administrative and support staff about sustainability with a focus on recycling, reducing, and reusing goods. The Committee identifies and addresses gaps in staff understanding about working and living sustainably and promotes the Reusable Revolution on campus. 

The Working Green Committee has been actively promoting recycling since 2000, when it was the Working Group on Recycling. In 2000 MIT's recycling rate was a very low 11%. Six years later in 2006, MIT received the Go Green Award from the City of Cambridge for reaching a 40% recycling rate in 2005. Because of their commitment to increasing the recycling rate and to helping the MIT community, the Working Group on Recycling Committee members were recognized with an MIT Excellence Award in 2006.

The Working Green Committee membership includes MIT support and administrative staff, representatives from MIT's Office of Sustainability and Department of Facilities, and members of other campus advocacy groups, including some students. For more information about the committee and/or to become a member, contact staffrecycles@mit.edu.

The Working Green Committee has about 100 volunteer ambassadors who reach out to the community and communicate the committee's initiatives and encourage recycling in their particular department, lab or center

Committee Members

Working Green Committee Co-chairs

Rebecca Fowler, Office of Sustainability (2016-present)

Michael Harrison, Picower Institute, ChemE, and IMES (2024 -present)

Members

Bistra Bojkov, VPF, HR/Payroll
Nicole Cardona, Division of Comparative Medicine
Heather Charron, Resource Development
Janet Fischer, EECS
Nicole Hanafin, Libraries
Michael Harrison, Picower Institute
Emilie Heilig, Mechanical Engineering
Jarrod Jones, Department of Facilities
Dimana MacDonald, VPF, HR/Payroll
Shannon McCord, Office of the President
Heather McCurdy, JPAL
Anna Murphy, Resource Development
Katie Samara, Department of Facilities
Lauralyn Smith, CSAIL
Christina Spinelli, Mechanical Engineering
Vanina Strickland, VPF, HR/Payroll
Brigitte Tersek, Open Learning MVP
Elizabeth Washburn, EAPS

Affiliates

MIT Dining Services
MIT Department of Facilities
MIT Office of Sustainability
City of Cambridge

Former Committee Chairs

Join the Working Green Committee

The Working Green Committee membership includes MIT support and administrative staff. All members are volunteers. The committee meets regularly to organize events, outreach, and education in order to support the mission of the committee. All MIT community members are welcome to join.

Working Green members volunteer as green ambassadors for their DLC’s as well as for various committee roles including but not limited to event planning, website maintance, and Choose to Reuse.

Become a member of the WGSS

Working Green is a subcommittee of the Working Group for Support Staff. Working Green members who are MIT support staff are eligible for membership in the Working Group for Support Staff, a Presidentially appointed committee. There are many benefits to membership. To sign up as a member fill out the form here.

To join the Working Green Committee and let your influence make a difference in sustainability at MIT, please contact the Working Green Committee.