Are you a leader or committee member of a student society / group? You can help make the Earth greener by incorporating environmentally-friendly elements in your society's daily operations, activities or event, or by implementing green projects. By joining the Green Student Society Scheme (SO Green!), your society / group will be offered funding of up to $1,000 as support for your green initiatives!

Requirements

Participating student societies shall pledge to implement at least 10 of the 20 green actions (this must include the first ‘required’ action) of the Scheme's 'SO Green! Action List' to make their operations and events greener during the Scheme period, and report the number of actions fulfilled at the end of the Scheme by completing an online form.

Application deadline

19 April 2018 (for student societies), or 20 June 2018 (for O' Camps)

Initiatives Eligible for Funding

•	Making the society's daily operations and/or events or activities more environmentally-friendly
•	Implementation of green projects
	(Expenses must be related to the theme of 'Campus Sustainability' or 'Environmental Friendliness'; please note that food and beverages purchased for entertainment purposes, coupons, gift cards and digital currency are not eligible for reimbursement.)
	Examples of funding use:
•	Renting reusable dishware for events (i.e. not use disposable dishware)
•	Ordering the printing of promotion leaflets on 100% recycled paper
•	Choosing products made from more natural / environmentally-friendly materials for event souvenirs, etc. (e.g. products made from recycled paper/plastic)

Registration and details

Please check out the online guidelines for details (the application form and reimbursement request form are included in the guidelines)

Poster

Link to the poster

Scheme Timeline for Participants

Scheme period: Upon successful registration to 31 Oct 2018

• Application

  On or before 19 Apr (or 20 Jun for O'Camps)

  •	Submit the 'SO Green!' Application Form (limited quota- first come, first served)
  •	Applicants will be notified within 1 week if the application is successful

• Implement green actions

  Upon successful registration to 31 Oct

  •	The student society / group shall implement at least 10 of the 20 green actions (this must include the first 'required' action) listed in the 'SO Green! Action List'. For some actions, photos are required as proof of having fulfilled the action).
  •	The society / group should retain original receipts for green expenses, as well as proof that the expenses have been made to make the society's daily operations, a project or an event more environmentally-friendly (as funding will be provided on reimbursement basis)

• Reimbursement

  Upon successful registration to 31 Oct (any date)

  •	Complete and submit: (1)the 'Green Student Society Scheme (SO Green!) Reimbursement Request Form' (2)proof (photos or other materials) that the expenses have been made to make the society's daily operations, a project or an event more environmentally-friendly
  •	Once the request has been approved, the society / group will be requested to submit their original receipts
  •	The reimbursement usually takes around a month to process. Each participating society group can make ONE reimbursement request during the Scheme period. Reimbursement can be submitted for multiple expenses incurred at different times within the Scheme period and for different projects, as long as they are grouped together in one request.

• Reporting and Awards

  On or before 31 Oct

  •	Participating student societies / groups must report the number of actions fulfilled (and submit photos as proof of implementation) by completing an online form
  •	Three societies / groups that have fulfilled the highest number of green actions (and are able to provide the relevant photo proof) will receive the 'SO Green!' Award ($1,000 cash coupons)

'SO Green! Action List'

Requirement: Fulfill at least 10 out of 20 actions (this must include the first 'required' action) in the list below.
For actions marked with a '*' in front, student societies / groups will be requested to describe their actions in more detail in writing,
or by submitting photo(s), when they complete the e-checklist at the end of the Scheme period.

Building a Green Culture

Raise awareness about green resources of campus by disseminating to our members and/or other students the following information:

1.	* (Required) At least three messages (not including items 2-5) on green campus news shared by this Scheme;
2.	*Locations of recycling facilities on campus;
3.	* Platforms or guidelines on sharing or exchanging resources (e.g. Table of shared resources by CU Happy Corner, or CU Ling by CU x Rubbish);
4.	* Campus water dispenser map, and
5.	* Information on the CU Green Buddies Scheme.

Energy

6.	We set the air conditioner thermostat temperature at our society room / meeting space / working area / event venue to 25.5°C +/- 2°C in the summer. Where appropriate, we open windows for free cooling in the winter.
7.	We turn off unused lightings, air conditioners and electrical equipment whenever we leave our activity venue; we also post a sign in our society room (if we have one) reminding members to switch off equipment when they leave the room.

Waste

8.	* We sort our waste and carry out clean recycling in our society room (if we have one) or event venue.
9.	* We use e-posters instead of printed posters for promotion. (posters are defined as printed matter of A4 or greater size)
10.	* We create reusable promotional materials (e.g. banners, table stands and flower arches) or use unwanted / leftover resources to make promotional materials.
11.	* We use second-hand items (e.g. promotional materials designed by the previous ‘jong’) where possible.

Green Event Catering

12.	* We remind event participants to bring their own bottle/cup and cutlery if food and beverages are to be provided during the event.
13.	We do not distribute bottled waters of volume 1 litre or less at meetings, gatherings, parties etc..
14.	* We take measures to avoid using disposable dishware and cutlery (e.g. by using dishware rental service).
15.	Prior to ordering food for events, our event organizers have read the 'Food Waste Reduction' Guideline for University Special Events ‐ Orientation Camp and Thousand People Feasts' (Eng / Chin) available online.
16.	* We encourage participants to take away leftover food from events.

Green Purchasing

17.	* We try to avoid individual packaging for goods (food, souvenirs, etc.) we buy in quantity.
18.	* When printing promotional materials, we request the printer to use 100% recycled paper, and to display the ‘recycled paper’ logo on the printed matter.
19.	* If we must distribute souvenirs at events, we choose products made from more natural / environmentally-friendly materials.

Other Measures

20.	* Other green actions not shown above (can list one or more when you submit the online report).

Contact Us

Campus Planning and Sustainability Office
Room 328, Pi Ch'iu Building
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, N.T.

cpso@cuhk.edu.hk
(852)3943 3924 / (852)3943 3925
(852) 2603 7348