Home | Sustainability | Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis is fully committed to being a national leader in sustainability, a core priority that runs through all aspects of our community, our operations, and our work as a leading teaching and research institution. Explore how we are addressing climate change and environmental degradation.

What we’re doing

We’ve invested heavily in cutting down our carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices on campus.

Learn how we’re helping

What you can do

From joining an organization to changing everyday behaviors, you can join WashU in protecting environmental and public health.

Learn how you can help

Green Cup 2021

This year’s Green Cup is fully virtual, and not exclusively based on the South40. Anyone can create their own team, and everyone should join a team!

How to Win

Zero Waste
Dining

A compilation of programs that enable low impact dining, including reusable to-go containers “eco2go”, the distribution of free utensil sets, and more.

Discover Programs

Tour campus virtually

Discover dozens of locations showcasing WashU’s efforts to more its historic campuses truly sustainable through these interactive Sustainability Tours.

Take the tour

News

The 2021 Plastic Free Ecochallenge Begins

July 12, 2021

By Jarea Fang Finally, it is that time of year: Plastic Free July, during which citizens around the globe raise awareness about plastic waste and advocate for ways to reduce single-use plastics in our daily lives. In celebration of July, our WashU Ecochallenge team is once again gathering its members to #breakfreefromplastic by participating in […]

Share our Stuff: WashU’s Impact on the Greater Community

July 12, 2021

This summer the Office of Sustainability celebrated the 12th anniversary of the move out donation program, which includes both Share Our Stuff (SOS) and Lighten Your Load (LYL) programs at WashU. Partners like Residential Life, The Office of Government and Community Relations, and Quadrangle Housing provide students with an outlet to engage in sustainable practices […]

Green Office Program Relaunches

June 30, 2021

After pausing during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Green Office Program has officially relaunched! During this truly unprecedented time, the pandemic has changed WashU’s office life completely. About 25% of green office participants responded to a survey designed to understand how offices shifted during the university’s pandemic operations, lessons they’ve learned, and what […]

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