Green Office Blog

How individuals can promote systemic change towards sustainability

Date:15 November 2025Author:Green Office

What role can individuals play in promoting a more sustainable society? This blog post explores how citizens can contribute to systemic change, not only through their consumption choices, but also by engaging in actions that influence political, economic,...

My Relationship With Statiegeld

Date:04 November 2025Author:Green Office

What is Statiegeld? – You may ask. It’s a deposit-return system where a small fee is added to the price of a can or a glass/plastic bottle. That fee is refunded when you return the item for recycling in grocery stores and university campuses.

Reflections on Becoming a Green Office Ambassador

Date:20 September 2025Author:Green Office

What does it mean to transfer sustainability from an abstract principle into an actionable reality? For the past two years, I have had the privilege of exploring this question as a Green Office (GO) Ambassador at the University of Groningen. The...

AI in Academia - Smart, but Not Very Green

Date:04 April 2025Author:Green Office

AI is making student life easier, but it is also taking a toll on the planet. Every AI-generated response requires energy, adding to carbon emissions and water waste. At the same time, universities are tasked with drawing the line between beneficial AI use...

Where does your food come from? Local vs. Imported: What’s greener?

Date:21 February 2025Author:Green Office

When it comes to food, sustainability depends on more than what we eat. It involves factors like how food is grown and transported. While reducing meat consumption is a step in the right direction, some vegetarian foods still have a high environmental...

Seaweed is cooler than you think!

Date:29 January 2025Author:Green Office

How many times did your relaxing beach holiday get interrupted by someone screaming “ew it’s seaweed!”? Well, after reading this article, you’ll not only be able to yell back at them, but you can also educate them on how useful seaweed actually is for all of us.

Gone Fishing? No, really, we did!

Date:18 November 2024Author:Green Office

This year’s World Clean Up Day in Groningen was a huge success! Together with a team of volunteers, we hit the canals armed with nets and trash bags. Despite a last-minute boat change, we collected plenty of litter and gained a new perspective on the hidden trash along the water’s edge. The day showed the power of community and how every small effort brings us closer to a cleaner, greener Groningen.

SAVE THE DATES: kicking off the new year on an environmentally-conscious foot

Date:18 January 2024Author:Green Office

In her blog, Gloria offers a fresh take on New Year’s resolutions. She's swapping out the mundane bullet points for an exciting list of climate-focused events to attend throughout the year. If you too think that New Year’s resolutions are outdated, read on, get a pen and be ready to mark your calendar for a round-up of sustainable, fun and socially engaged events throughout the year.

Discovering the FreeCafe: "A free dinner made from leftovers, with love"

Date:28 November 2023Author:Green Office

The FreeCafe provides a space for volunteers to actively address food waste in a meaningful way. Its concept goes beyond this, involving volunteers in a social manner that fosters a warm and inviting atmosphere. This approach turns the task of combating food waste into an enjoyable and satisfying experience for volunteers, ensuring they leave the FreeCafe with both a full stomach and a sense of fulfilment.

Five Essential Pantry Staples: Reducing Food Waste in Student Life

Date:03 October 2023Author:Green Office

The actions we undertake on a daily basis have a small but substantial echo and there are many steps we can take both as individuals and as a society to lower our carbon footprint. These have a multiplier effect on our friends, family and peers. Gloria beliefs that the most powerful way of leaving a mark on Earth is precisely by having as little impact as possible. As a rule of thumb, think twice before throwing away food. Find ways to use stuff that is past their use-by date but still safe to eat. Outfit your kitchen cupboard with bread, legumes, couscous, nuts and spices. True game changers in the fight against waste!

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