The Green Acorn Business Certification Program is an initiative started by the Penn Environmental Group that creates a streamlined certification process for businesses that use green practices. The aim of the program is to lead Philadelphia toward becoming a center for green businesses and reaching Mayor Nutter's sustainability goals.

Green Acorn links:

Program Overview

PEG Greening Services Directories

Window Decal

Food Cart Checklist

Restaurant Checklist

Retail Checklist

The fantastic Abby and Ashima organized to have 2 bonfires on College Green on Friday 9/4/09 from 11 pm - 1 am. Smores ingredients, juice and PEG love were provided. Thank you to Penn Vegetarian Society for providing Vegan options!

JANUARY 18-MARCH 28
Please visit --> www.upenn.edu/recyclemania
Yes We Can! 30% Recycling at Penn!
Help us reach our goal of 30% waste diversion from landfills!
This is our second entry into this collegiate competition to see who can do the most to recycle and reduce waste on their campus! Watch out for weekly reports of our progress and information on campus and house events for RecycleMania.

STOP. THINK. RECYCLE.

Join the Facebook Group: http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=44113629521

GREEN WEEK

An entire week of green-themed speakers and events

Green Week 2009 ran the week of January 26 and included many exciting environmental events. Monday The TRUTH Team orchestrated an event in which hundreds of plastic shopping bags were tied together and strung across College Green in order to raise awareness about how much plastic bags contribute to our carbon footprints. On Tuesday, PEG hosted a panel of fabulous Philadelphia area architects who discussed "The Ecology of Architecture". The guests included Bill Braham, from the Design School here at Penn, Muscoe Martin who has worked in the Design School as well as with the TC Chan Center here on the Penn Campus, Scott Kelly, a principle of the ReVision Architecture firm, and Tim McDonald, a principle at OnionFlats Architecture. Each architect gave a brief presentation of their own work and their own approach to environmentally-conscious design. On Wednesday, at Cafe Rx (corner of 45th and Spruce), PEG hosted a 3-course meal highlighting local and seasonal food. The chef and owner of the restaurant will spoke about their commitment to local food. Penn Political Science Professor Mary Summers spoke about urban nutrition. Danny Gerber, Director of the Urban Nutrition Initiative (a Penn university-community partnership program) and one of UNI's high school interns presented their work on urban nutrition in the local community. Wednesday PEG and PEG supporters wore green to symbolize their commitment to sustainability. On Thursday, PEG and the Penn Office of Sustainability hosted Mark Alan Hughes, the Director of Sustainability for the City of Philadelphia, who will be joined by Anne Papageorge, the Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Services at Penn. Dr. Hughes, a Penn alum, discussed Mayor Nutter's plans to make Philadelphia the "greenest city in the country, and maybe the world" and the role of Penn in making that possible. Mrs. Papageorge discussed Penn's sustainability plans in the context of Philadelphia as a whole. Another hightlight of Green Week was free coffee from ABP, Naked Chocolate and Einstein Bagel to all costumers with a reusable mug.

Thank you to everyone involved for making Green Week a great success!

PEG holds a Lightbulb Exchange every fall during which students can exchange standard incandescent light bulbs for energy-efficient compact flourescent bulbs. To exchange your old lightbulbs for CFLs, please ask at your house information desk.

PEG joins in each year on the UC Green Tree Planting. The next two tree planting adventures are on April 25 and May 2, 2009. For more information, please visit www.ucgreen.org.

Pictures from Fall 08

The lobbies of all college houses have boxes to recycle old lightbulbs, batteries and ink cartridges.