Though University graduate Cecilia Shutters has completed all her academic requirements on campus, she hasn’t stopped thinking about ways to make it a better place.

Shutters recently began a project called Greek STREAC, which stands for Sustainability Through Responsible Environmental Action Coalition.

Her project aims to improve the environmental effects of sorority houses on campus.

Shutters said the goal of STREAC is to connect directors of each housing unit and those living in the houses with departments of Athens-Clarke County to share resources, information and support, paying attention to practicality and money management.

“By acting locally in our individual sorority houses, we create a large-scale impact on our community, the national Greek community and the health of the planet,” she said.

The focal point of Greek STREAC will be three sustainability assessments in which Greek STREAC members, with the help of ACC services, will audit participating sorority houses in terms of their efficiency in recycling, water and energy usage.

“The goal for this year just involves sorority houses,” Shutters said. “Fraternity houses need a plan that differs somewhat from the plan we have created, but we would be completely open to including any interested fraternities in the future.”

Through the three assessments, Greek STREAC members hope to ensure valuable resources are used in a responsible way.

“Sustainability is about connecting our daily decisions with the realization that there is a definite limit to resources,” Shutters said. “Individual behaviors have a tangible impact on our environment.”

Shutters said the inspiration for the project came after she began working for Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful after graduation.

Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve ACC through environmental consciousness and litter reduction.

“I saw all of the information and resources that Athens-Clarke County was willing to provide in terms of the environment, yet there was no one getting the information to the Greek community,” she said.

An alumna of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Shutters is using her former home to begin the initiative.

The recycling audit the ACC Recycling Division provided there has reduced the amount of waste so significantly that an entire dumpster is no longer needed, she said.

ACC Water Conservation Coordinator Marilyn Hall instructed Shutters on how to perform the water audit for the pilot house.

“Basically, the first step is getting a baseline estimate of how much water each house is using, and looking at the plumbing fixtures to guarantee that there are no leaks wasting large amounts of water,” Hall said.

The next step is installing low-flow showerheads and sink aerators to reduce the amount of water being used per minute without significant sacrifice to water pressure. Both the showerheads and aerators can be attached to an existing sink or shower and do not require replacing the entire unit.

“Simple measures like these can cut water use in half,” Hall said, referring to the aerators, which are free for ACC residents or can be purchased inexpensively at local hardware stores.

Kathleen Curley, a senior from Dallas, recently joined Shutters to help perform water audits at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house.

“If every Greek house got involved with STREAC, it would be a pretty significant conservation effort,” Curley said. “Especially in light of recent droughts in Georgia, this could help cut down on that sort of problem.”

The last step of the sustainability audit is surveying the use of energy in the house.

Although it is necessary to hire a professional for this step, Shutters said the money saved over the long term will make up for the initial investment.

All light bulbs in the home will be replaced with compact florescent light bulbs, which Shutters said will save about $30 in energy bills throughout each bulb’s lifetime.

“Another important aspect of the program is instituting a sustainability chair in each house to keep the momentum going,” said Anne Walker Harrison, who is also a member of the Greek STREAC team. “This person would serve as a contact with Greek STREAC and Athens-Clarke County services as well.”

Annie Coleman, a freshman from Chicago, Ill., has agreed to be the sustainability chair for Kappa Kappa Gamma’s program.

Greek STREAC hopes to create a relationship with sororities to create beneficial programs in the future, such as a cohesive “clean out” day where unwanted goods are donated to Habitat Restore or Goodwill before Greek members move out of their houses.

By instilling environmentally friendly practices early on, Shutters said she hopes to create a group that will positively affect the Athens community as they continue their career at the University.