Sustainable WHOI

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Sustainable WHOI

Integrating sustainable practices and resource conservation in research, education, and operations a

08/04/2025

PLASTIC FACT ‼️ Based on a study from 2015, about 5-12 million metric tons of plastics entered the ocean in the year 2010 alone. That is equal to the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers - and the problem continues to grow ✈️🚮 (Ref. 1)

What can YOU do ? 🫵

1) Reduce Plastic Use. 📉
Start with counting all the plastic items you use in a day. How many of them do you use more than once ? Is there a way you could replace single-use items with a non-plastic alternative or remove those items entirely from your life? Commit to changing your habits step by step to help keep our environment clean !

2) Recycle (ONLY!) Recycleable Plastics. ♻️
Check your local recycling guidelines - which plastics are collected and can be recycled? Which plastics need to be disposed of in burnable trash ? Pollution of your recycling bin with non-recycleable waste could lead to your entire collection to end up not being recycled. Often only specific types of polymers, for instance PET (number 1) and HDPE (number 2) can be recycled - and even then there are size and shape requirements which may vary depending on your area. Check out Recyclesmartma.org to find out what belongs into your recycling bin in Massachusetts.

3) Participate in a Cleanup. 🧹
Inevitably a lot of waste ends up in the ocean due to waste mismanagement and overproduction. To limit the exposure to the environment consider participating in an ocean cleanup ! At WHOI the sustainability task force dedicates the first Thursday of each month to cleaning our beach - just down the road from Quisset to the Shore Lab Beach. The picture shows members of the sustainability task force and WHOI staff collecting trash that was washed onto the beach and/or left behind by visitors. In only 30 minutes we filled about 1/3 of a bucket with trash - mostly fishing rods and dental products!

Wanna join us ? Stay up to date by following us on Instagram or join our mailing list (see website in Bio).

Ref. 1: Jambeck, J. R., Geyer R., et al. (2015): „Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean“. Science, 347 (6223), pp. 768-771.

07/18/2025

What food is good for our body? How can nutrition help us live a healthy and long life? How does my food choice impact not only my body but also the environment, ocean and planetary health ? 🌎

These and many more fascinating questions will be covered by Dr. Kumara Sidhartha .sid.freshandwholesome on July 23rd at WHOI Quisset Campus during his presentation themed “A Taste of Health”.

Dr. Sidhartha is a physician, public health advocate, and author of “All my Secrets - messages of health from your body, decoded”. The presentation is accompanied by a 3-course plant based 🌱meal sampling and Q&A session. Make sure to RSVP using the QR code to secure your spot!

07/15/2025

Last week, the WHOI Sustainability Task Force teamed up with the WHOI Mental Health ERG to remove invasive plants from the WHOI Rose garden 🌹🐝!

Non-native, invasive plants are serious ecological threats. They are introduced into a new environment and often outcompete native species. They strip the soil of nutrients and moisture, leading to a reduction of plant diversity and in turn affect food sources for insects, birds, and small animals. Not dealing with invasive species often leads to the collapse of the local ecosystem!

By removing invasive species from the rose garden, we were able to protect this small nature reserve on campus and mitigate the spread and introduction of those plants to the surrounding area! 💪

The rose garden is at the end of a short trail downhill of Bell House on Quisset Campus. Take a break and enjoy the peace and beauty of the garden after a long workday to reset and relax! 🧘🌿🪲

07/14/2025

Hello beautiful ! 🌎 We have a new banner! And with that comes a fresh introduction!

We are the .ocean sustainability task force ( ) - a group dedicated to advocating for sustainable practices and resource conservation in research, education, and operations to reduce human impact on the environment.

Throughout the year we host events to inform employees about sustainable practices, and efforts at WHOI and are in touch with administration to make the institution a more sustainable and resource efficient workplace.

Feel free to reach out to [email protected] if you want to learn more or visit our website (link in bio)!

01/19/2025

Dear Woods Hole and Falmouth Community! Join the WHOI Sustainability Task Force for a lunch and learn with Stephanie Madsen and Mary Ryther this upcoming Thursday, January 23rd, 2025 in Carriage House on the .ocean Quisset campus.

Stephanie, who is Falmouth’s sustainability specialist will share an update on what’s been accomplished year-one for the Town of Falmouth. Her focus has been on solar installations, EV infrastructure, and energy efficiency projects.

Mary is the Town of Falmouth’s recycling and solid waste coordinator. She will discuss the variety of recycling programs that she organizes and maintains on behalf of the town. Some examples are textile/clothing and EPS “styrofoam” collection events, food scrap collection stations, and the “Pick of the Litter” swap shop.

01/08/2025

Happy Nee Year 2025 and Welcome back to the Cape!

Take a break, breathe the fresh January breeze and Join the Sustainability Task Force for our first Beach Clean Up of the Year!

We‘ll meet January 9th, 2035, at 12 pm at the bike path by the Shore Lab 🌊 Bring a Trash bag, gloves, and hand sanitizer.

Hope to see you there !

11/03/2022

To do list update:
✅ Clean-up the beach

What an amazing group at today’s beach clean-up 😎 Join us every first Thursday of the month, every month of the year. (PS: It’s really just the best excuse to take a walk at the beach with lovely people and use fun trash grabbers)

To get involved with WHOI’s Sustainability Task Force, email Stephanie Madsen [email protected].

📸 .madsen

09/16/2022

Are you looking for work-life balance? Or wish you knew more people in the WHOI community? Stop by the “Activities Fair” on Tuesday, September 20 where representatives of Committees, Affinity Groups, Clubs, and Activities will be there to talk to you about what they do and how to join, from 2-4:30 p.m. in Clark 507! Bring a friend/colleague along and take care of your whole self, the one who craves work-life balance, and snacks! Every Committee/Group is invited to offer a poster - please send a delegate and notify Stephanie Madsen at [email protected]. Sponsored by the Sustainability Task Force, Workplace Climate Committee, and Women’s Committee. See you there!

07/13/2022

Bikes! Coffee and tea! Community of fellow bikers! Nature! What a lovely way to start the day. Get your WHOI loaner bike for just $20, or ride your own, and join this fun community. With gas prices through the roof and this gorgeous weather, you get to save money, exercise, and reduce your carbon footprint. See the WHOI Sustainability website for information about how to get a bike while in Woods Hole (link in bio) 🚲🌞

06/21/2022

Making the switch to solar is a big step in reducing your household’s carbon emissions, but it can be confusing and overwhelming to get started. So, to mark this year’s summer solstice, we are hosting a Lunch ‘n Learn today about residential solar (Tuesday, June 21 at noon). What are the payment and ownership options? How can I access solar power without paying the up-front cost of a solar array? How do I get started with the process?

Bring your questions to the info session with our stellar panel of solar experts (pun intended!) from three installation companies on the Cape! Matt Liles from Cotuit Solar, James Manzer from Revision Energy, and Megan Amsler from Self-Reliance will discuss details and options for residential solar.

Non-WHOI people are welcome, so invite your friends, neighbors and landlords! We hope to see you there 🌞

06/02/2022

Where does your food come from? How far does it travel to get to Woods Hole?

Our Sustainable Food Guide highlights a few local and sustainable options for your weekly groceries! Sourcing your food locally is a great way to cut down on carbon emissions, get fresher food, and support local producers/small businesses. If you don’t know some of these local gems, check them out!

Additional details are provided on our website about each spot (link in bio). Feel free to reach out if you know of another great source of sustainable food, and we can add it to our webpage version! Happy shopping 🌾

04/22/2022

Rock on! Happy Earth Day from the Sustainability Task Force 🌏🌊 Beautiful sunshine for our Earth Day Hike - we love social sustainability events in nature! To get involved, contact WHOI’s Sustainability Coordinator, Stephanie Madsen, at [email protected].

Address

266 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole, MA
02543

Website

https://web.whoi.edu/sustainability/

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