During the milestone occasion of celebrating the culmination of your college experience at UCLA, it can be easy to get caught up in this monumental moment and forget to keep it green. Here are our tips for staying sustainable on the big day.
Go electronic with invitations — Instead of printed announcements, create digital versions to reduce paper waste.
Dress to impress — Forget fast fashion or an expensive outfit under your regalia. Show off a nice thrifted fit, or borrow something from your most stylish fellow Bruin to look your best. As for the cap and gown you likely won’t put on again — recycle or donate the attire afterward.
Arrive fashionably sustainable — Encourage guests attending to see you off to carpool to UCLA or take the readily available public transportation that serves the campus. Skip the inevitable traffic jams and parking hassles that come with high-attendance events by going green.
Sort at the ceremony — Discard rubbish correctly using UCLA’s three-stream (recycle-compost-landfill) waste bins at the major commencement venues. These include Pauley Pavilion, Dickson Court North and South, Wilson Plaza, the Court of Sciences, and Royce Quad.
Say no to single-use plastics — Support UCLA’s single-use plastics policy by bringing a reusable bottle to stay hydrated during the long and potentially sunny outdoor ceremony instead of sipping from a plastic water bottle. Refill at any of the water stations located across campus.
Skip the balloons — They may seem fun and festive, but these latex and foil-made inflated objects are environmental hazards. Not only do they break down into harmful microplastics, ultimately ending up in the landfill, never biodegrading, but if released into the air, they turn into trash, potentially ending up in waterways or the ocean, posing a danger to wildlife.
Stage a green photoshoot — Confetti is pollution, and glitter is litter. Capture your graduation moment for posterity using biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable materials. Try bubbles, flower petals, leaves, ribbons already acquired, or banners made from leftover paper or old fabric instead to encapsulate that Bruin spirit in your pictures. It’s also easy to add sparkle to your captured images later with photo editing apps.
Leave the party better than you found it by celebrating sustainably.
Congratulations Class of 2025!