This summer the newly created University of Illinois Press Green Team – made up of staff members Jennifer Barbee, Jennifer Comeau, James Engelhardt, and Julie Laut – worked with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Certified Green Office Program to find simple, inexpensive actions we could take in our building and personal workspaces to reduce the use of resources and improve overall sustainability. The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) outlines the campus’ plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and this program allows offices the opprtunity to help achieve that goal through day to day actions.

Just this month we were pleased to learn that the University of Illinois Press has achieved Gold-Level Standards in the Certified Green Office Program! We have already implemented many suggestions, including the use of recycled paper, double-sided printing, and using rechargeable batteries. New initiatives include motions sensor lights and a new “Directions to the Press” page with bus schedules. As a staff, we are encouraging each other to turn off office lights, use reusable dishware, and bring refillable bottles for drinking water.

We continue to look for ways to create more sustainable practices in our building, so that the University of Illinois Press can be do its part to contribute to the iCAP every day.