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SANTA BARBARA, CA -- The Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County (GBPSBC) has certified the UCSB chapter houses Alpha Phi, Alpha Chi Omega, and Kappa Kappa Gamma.

UCSB’s Gauchos Go Green, is a group of students dedicated to promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness in Isla Vista. The “Green Certification” Committee has the following tasks:

• Work closely with Greek life organizations to provide guidance and support in achieving green certification for their chapter houses
• Conduct assessments and audits to evaluate the sustainability practices and infrastructure of Greek chapter houses
• Develop and implement strategies to help Greek chapter houses meet the criteria set by the California Green Business Association for green certification
• Provide educational resources and training sessions to educate Greek chapter members on sustainable practices and behaviors
• Collaborate with local sustainability experts and professionals to offer expertise and guidance in implementing eco-friendly measures
• Assist Greek chapter houses in implementing energy-efficient solutions, waste reduction strategies, water conservation measures, and other sustainable practices
• Facilitate the application process for green certification, including the completion of required documentation and verification procedures
• Track and monitor the progress of Greek chapter houses towards green certification and provide ongoing support and assistance
• Promote and celebrate the achievement of green certification for Greek chapter houses through various communication channels and events
• Foster a culture of sustainability within Greek life by encouraging continuous improvement and the sharing of best practices among chapter houses.

Green Business Committee Co-Chairs, Caroline Small and Holden Smith supported sustainability leads Sami Bailey, Kiera Darnell, and Amelie Fu in their efforts to lead their houses toward certification.

Throughout the process, the chapter houses completed a variety of best practices for energy and water conservation, pollution prevention, waste management, toxics reduction, student commute, and education. Some more specific action items include: Donating excess food to shelters, food banks, or organizations that accept food scraps for animals; designating a recycling/sustainability coordinator for events; and holding an annual training/education for chapter members on sustainability and conservation for those living in the chapter house. 

Many of these chapter houses are inherently passionate about sustainability and environmental awareness, since many students choose to major in Environmental Studies at UCSB. Kiera Darnell, Sustainability lead for Kappa Kappa Gamma shares the following sentiment. ”We promote a strong, resilient sisterhood in which members can work together to improve the wellbeing of our surrounding community. By implementing sustainability measures in this program, we are tangibly acting on our passions while doing our part in creating less waste and using less energy.”

Kiera Darenell from Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Kappa Kappa Gamma has notably switched from using plastic cutlery to reusable ones for their weekly Monday night dinners, saving hundreds of plastic forks from going into the landfill. Alpha Chi Omega (AXO) has also been proudly reducing their waste. Sami Bailey, AXO sustainability lead remarks, “We have been much better about recycling and turning the lights out throughout our chapter house. We also have switched from disposable to reusable dining wear, which has been a big improvement.”

Sami Bailey from Alpha Chi Omega.

Last, but not least, Alpha Phi, Gamma Beta, the fourth Greek Chapter house to get certified in the State of California, remarks how they are always grateful for the opportunity to better themselves. “As a green business, we are proud of what we represent, and where sustainability can take us in the future. We are proud to be spearheading physical change in a non-typical environment, specifically college life,” states sustainability lead, Amelie Fu.

Amelie Fu from Alpha Phi.

These three chapter houses should be very proud of all they accomplished, and proudly follow in the footsteps of the first chapter houses in the State of California to receive this type of recognition: Kappa Alpha Theta was the first certified Greek Chapter house in the State to get certified, and then Pi Beta Phi, and Delta Gamma followed. All six of these houses have actively proven that Greek life doesn’t have to be wasteful, shifting public perception one certification at a time.

If you are interested in getting certified, contact Program Director, Kori Nielsen at knielsen@environmentalin.com. If you are interested in learning more about Gauchos Go Green, refer to their website here.