How Northeastern RAs are Inspiring Sustainable Living in Residence Halls

By Alison Swanitz with Sustainability

At Northeastern, we believe that sustainability starts at home, which is why the Sustainability team partners with RAs to help incorporate sustainable habits into everyday life in our residential halls. Through Northeastern Sustainability’s Sustainability Literacy Survey last year, it was recorded that 70% of students see sustainability as important or extremely important to them personally. One of the key ways the Sustainability team supports this mission is through a set of sustainable activity templates, designed to help aid RAs in planning environmentally-themed and environmentally conscious floor events. These templates, which include a variety of fun options such as making overnight oats in reusable glass jars, a clothing swap, and a nail night using environmentally friendly nail polishes, provide detailed step-by-step guidance on how to put on the event, logistical support, and ideas for engaging residents in sustainable practices once the event has begun. They’re an extremely helpful resource for RAs looking to make their events more eco-friendly but are unsure of where to start.

For many RAs, these templates serve as inspiration rather than strict instructions. Carolina Larracilla, an East Village RA, has hosted clothing swaps with her fellow East Village RA, Ethan Handel since her first semester. Together they have truly made the event their own. “I’ve been putting on clothing swaps since my first semester as an RA. I try to do one every semester, so then having a template for the clothing swap one was definitely helpful to level up the clothing swap,” Carolina said. Investing in a rack and a mirror made the event much more enticing for residents, and the materials can be reused for future swaps, keeping the events not only more sustainable but also more cost-efficient.

Carolina and Ethan have also explored sewing events as a way to encourage sustainable habits amongst their residents. “People really enjoy not only learning how to sew, but just revitalizing their clothing. They feel like they’re learning. They feel like they get to kind of make their clothes their own, take ownership of their belongings,” Ethan explained. These events not only allow residents to engage hands-on with environmentally conscious practices, but helps them to develop important life skills that they will carry with them far beyond their college experience.

Pranjal Kalekar, another Northeastern RA, focused her sustainable efforts on hosting a plant-themed event for new residents. “What could be a better housewarming gift than a plant?” Pranjal said. She chose to give away free spider plants because of their affordability and air-purifying qualities, making sure that the event was both exciting and practical for her residents. The event also incorporated icebreaker activities, free snacks, and plant care tips, all of which proved to be quite a hit. “It was supposed to be an hour-long event, but it was way longer than that… people were still going even after the event,” she noted.

These RAs are finding creative ways to balance sustainability with the realities of planning events within budget and time constraints. Carolina noted that finding sustainable materials from small businesses can be challenging given the ordering process but emphasized that the effort is worth it for the positive impact on residents. Et han highlighted the practical side of sustainable event planning: “Trying to switch away from ordering large amounts of things to just reusing stuff that we already have is important… the impact that those items can make is a lot more.”

Feedback from residents on these sustainable events has been overwhelmingly positive. Clothing Swaps and practical events where residents can learn a new skill have proven particularly popular, giving students the chance to bring home items, learn new skills, and make more sustainable choices.  “It was  fun to see your clothes being worn around the building, but in a much better way,” Carolina said when reflecting on her clothing swap event.

RAs play a key role in making sustainability part of everyday campus life. If you’re an RA interested in hosting your own sustainable event, check out the Sustainable Event Templates here, and don’t hesitate to reach out to the Northeastern Sustainability Team at sustainability@northeastern.edu for advice or support should you choose to develop your own event, they’re here to help! With your creativity and leadership, you too can help to create a culture of sustainability in your community, one that protects the environment and promotes a more resilient future for everyone.

Written by Alison Swanitz, December 9th, 2025

Photos by Alison Swanitz