Mobility For All By All (MFABA) is a collaborative project exploring equitable mobility in St. Louis, initiated about a year ago by three faculty members at the Sam Fox School, Assistant Professor of Communication Design Penina C. Laker, Associate Professor of Urban Design Linda Samuels, and Senior Urban Designer and Lecturer Matt Bernstine. Receiving funds […]
As part of this spring’s Active Transportation Month, the Office of Sustainability and Parking and Transportation Services are bringing back an old favorite offering, the Active Transportation Challenge! The Challenge galvanizes teams of faculty, staff, and students to drop the car habit and to use alternative forms of transportation when commuting to WashU: walking, biking, […]
In collaboration with staff members from across WashU who specialize in a variety of office sustainability practices, the Green Office Team has developed an updated checklist for 2018. The updated checklist reflects current sustainability practices and resources across the university. It aims to increase our focus on resources available to employees and to encourage greater participation […]
The WashU Green Ambassador (WUGA) Program is a student-managed, peer-education program supported by the Office of Sustainability that orients new students to the sustainability initiatives on WashU’s campus. WUGAs play a critical role in training first year student to adopt behaviors that align with WashU’s culture of sustainability, behaviors that they will carry with them during […]
Above: “Barrel Mountain” by Jason Hargrove was inspired by his visit to the Weldon Springs toxic waste containment site where uranium was processed and stored. On February 1, the EPA released a record of the decision announcing its new proposal to remove radioactive waste from the West Lake Landfill. This removal strategy proposes the excavation of […]
The following article has been contributed by SWAP (Sharing With A Purpose), the only nonprofit student business at Washington University. Claire Irawan, Sustainability Coordinator for SWAP and freshman at WashU, tells us about PLAN and its involvement with WashU’s Earth Week. WashU’s nonprofit Sharing With A Purpose (SWAP) is proud to bring the Points of […]
Danica Yu graduated from WashU in 2015 with majors in Environmental Policy and Anthropology: Global Health & Environment. She helped develop and grow the Green Office Program during her seven semesters as one of the first interns at the Office of Sustainability. In February, she traveled from California to attend the 2nd annual Green Carpet Awards […]
On Thursday, February 15th, the rain didn’t stop students and community leaders in environmental justice from attending the Spring 2018 Environmental Justice Ice Cream Social – if anything it quickened their pace to the Brown School for an evening of presentations, ice cream, and internship-seeking. Nearly 80 students from across campus, undergraduates and graduates, gathered […]
Last month, the Student Sustainability Board (SSB) allocated $2,200 to support a project that aims to introduce composting in on-campus residential areas. Thanks to the funding allocation, the WashU Green Ambassadors’ waste team will be able to implement a pilot phase of their project in Dardick Hall, one of the Residential Colleges of the South 40 […]
When she joined Washington University in late October of 2016, Michelle Gelven quickly noticed the large boxes of plastic cutlery available in the Alumni & Development’s common kitchen. While many of her colleagues bring prepared meals in a reusable container, avoiding the use of a disposable box, most of them were still using single-use cutlery […]
The Office of Sustainability and Brown School of Social Work are pleased to announce that Hillman Hall has accepted the Race to Zero Waste Challenge as part of WashU’s participation in RecycleMania. RecycleMania is an annual national competition where higher education institutions report waste diversion data and compete with each other to reduce and recycle […]
Last Friday, Washington University in St. Louis hosted its first Climate Day event. This exciting event brought together students, educators, community members, and leaders in climate action in important discussion about today’s pressing climate issues. Climate Day featured a keynote speech, 3 panels consisting of professionals working in government and in the non-profit sector and […]
In 2015, the university set a goal to reach 100 Green Office certifications by the end of 2017. On February 5, the Office of Sustainability hosted the second annual Green Carpet Awards to celebrate not only achieving, but surpassing this goal. Since the program’s inception in 2012, 111 offices have received certification. Over 1,600 faculty and staff […]
The Office of Sustainability, in partnership with Residential Life and Facilities, is excited to announce the launch of WashU’s eighth annual Green Cup competition! Among Washington University’s South 40 Residential Colleges and School of Medicine residents, leagues will compete to reduce their energy usage. A Competition to Save Energy On the Danforth campus, electrical energy use from […]
Tim Biello graduated from WashU in 2002, where he studied anthropology and biology. He now runs Featherbed Lane Farm located in the Eastern part of New York State, just north of the capital, Albany. Born in St. Louis, Tim taught environmental education and did trail work before setting his sights on owning and operating his own farm […]
The Office of Sustainability is excited to be partnering with student Eco Reps and Residential Life to distribute a new poster to laundry rooms on the South 40 and the Northside Apartments, reminding residents to keep it cool when washing clothes. This communication campaign is part of an initiative to reduce energy usage and greenhouse […]
The WUGA program (Washington University Green Ambassadors) is currently seeking applicants for two student director positions. The WUGA program is a student-led, peer-education program supported by the Office of Sustainability that orients new students to sustainable living practices at WashU. WUGAs play a critical role in training first year student to adopt behaviors that align […]
Two new sustainability-related courses are being offered this spring through University College, the professional and continuing education division of Arts & Sciences. Full-time benefits-eligible staff receive full tuition assistance, so consider learning more about a topic that interests you! For undergraduates, A&S students can take one UC course per semester as part of their regular tuition, […]
Washington University Mail Services collects, processes and distributes nearly five million pieces of incoming United States Postal Service (USPS) mail each year. About a third of this mail (or 1.67 million pieces) is undeliverable if staff or students are no longer at the University or if the commercial mail is unwanted. How is waste being […]
2017 marks the 100th birthday of one of Washington University’s most notable alums: Barry Commoner. Commoner was a founder of modern ecology, and was influential in the creation of the EPA and development of foundational environmental legislation. Importantly, Commoner believed that one of the four rules of ecology, “everything is connected to everything else,” necessarily […]
The Office of Sustainability is happy to feature an article by SWAP (Sharing With A Purpose), the only nonprofit student business at Washington University. Eva Blumenfeld, Director of Marketing tell us about WUpcycle, a new program aiming at recovering “unwearable” clothes and turning them into unique and creative pieces of fashion. Upcycle: Transform Waste […]
The Green Office Program is a certification system that recognizes sustainability accomplishments and identifies areas for improvement in the work place. Washington University aims to certify 100 offices by the end of 2017. As of December 6, 2017, we’ve certified 93. Just 7 shy of the goal, we are challenging all offices to help us […]
The Environmental Studies Program has announced five open internship positions for Spring 2018. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed starting November 20. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for the best chance of receiving consideration. [accordion] [accordion_tab title=”Positions” active ] We are looking for enthusiastic and hard-working graduate or undergraduate […]
October was Campus Sustainability Month at WashU and in many other universities and colleges across the US. During October, the WashU community was offered a wide variety of events, ranging from festivals to conferences, movie screenings, tours, panel discussions, and more. With sustainability as a driver, the topics covered by these events were also very […]
It’s official! Local Farmer CSA, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and the Department of Human Resources, now offers CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) Crop Boxes on Danforth campus! Farmer Dave Smith will set up his farm van and a mini market every other Wednesday from 4:00 to 6:00 PM in the Music Library parking […]
The Office of Sustainability is proud to announce the launch of its new Instagram page! Initiated and operated by Student Associates on the Communications Team, the “@washu_sustain” Instagram page aims to capture sustainability-related moments and places on WashU campuses, and to connect with other sustainability agents and initiatives in the St. Louis community. So far, […]
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) and Campus Sustainability Month. The Information Security Office (ISO), Office of Sustainability, and Knight-Center Aramark have partnered to host an electronics recycling and confidential paper shredding event to raise awareness of security and data privacy, and to champion the sustainability movement within Washington University in St. Louis. […]
Applications for open internship positions with the Office of Sustainability and affiliated partners are now posted. The deadline to apply is November 12. In-person application reviews are available through November 10. Food Associate – 1 positions AVAILABLE The Office of Sustainability seeks to foster a food system that advances environmental and public health while supporting […]
Background of the WashU CSA program For several years, Washington University’s Office of Sustainability and Human Resources Department have partnered with Local Farmer CSA to offer staff, faculty, and students the opportunity to receive a weekly or bi-weekly Crop Box filled with locally grown produce, fruit, meat, cheeses, yogurt and/or other artisan goods. Signing up […]
This fall break, while many students were traveling or staying on campus to study or binge watch their favorite Netflix show, fifteen students from Washington University spent two days in Washington DC learning about the far reaching aspects of work in sustainability, conservation, policy, and alternative energy technologies. The students who attended came from a […]
We are serious about meeting our goal of 100 Certified Green Offices by December 31, 2017. There are a number of ways that we have made it very appealing for you to help – whether that’s recruiting other offices to participate, getting your office on board for the first time, or coordinating the re-certification of […]
The Office of Sustainability is excited to welcome Michelle Patterson to the role of Internship and Business Coordinator! Working closely with the International Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (InCEES) and Environmental Studies, Michelle will play a central role expanding the interdisciplinary internship program to serve a greater number of students and offer a broader range […]
Download the Sustainability Month Calendar Held every October, Campus Sustainability Month is an international celebration of sustainability in higher education. Throughout the month, colleges and universities organize events on campus and elsewhere to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders to become sustainability change agents. Washington University is proud to celebrate and […]
Join the Office of Sustainability, Parking and Transportation Services and friends for a month of exciting events centered around Active Transportation! Transportation makes up the largest percentage of the average American’s carbon footprint, making active transportation programming a crucial component of Campus Sustainability Month. But going car-free, by biking, walking, and using public transit, is […]
The Office of Sustainability is happy to feature an article about SWAP (Sharing With A Purpose), the only nonprofit student business at Washington University. Sylvie Skene, Director of Education and Eva Blumenfeld, Director of Marketing tell us the story of SWAP, its purpose and operations. Learn about the different ways you can get involved with […]
In the fall of 2015, the Washington University in St. Louis Office of Sustainability launched the Environmental Justice Initiative. This initiative seeks to integrate environmental justice into the university’s teaching, research, and service by bringing together students, faculty, staff, and community members around key environmental justice concerns in the St. Louis region. In spring 2017, […]
Still reeling from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, our attention turns to Hurricane Irma and the flooding it brings with it further east. These hurricanes are not the only two on the radar in the past week as Hurricane Katia struck the Gulf Coast of Mexico near Tecolutla late last Friday and […]
Since 2013, WashU Green Ambassadors (WUGAs) have participated in a coordinated effort to welcome first-year students and quickly get them accustomed to the campus’ sustainability culture. This year, a hands-on approach, greater coordination with the Residential Life custodial staff, and diverting additional materials resulted in significant increases in waste diversion from area landfills. Highlights of […]
In the fall of 2016, the Office of Sustainability introduced a new volunteer program called Recycling Geniuses in response to recurring contamination issues across campus. A significant number of recycling and compost loads were being rejected from their respective collection facilities due to cross-contamination with other waste and improper sorting. The WashU community is committed to lowering contamination rates, […]
With students coming back to campus, the quiet summer time at WashU is over. For most of us, the beginning of school is a busy time when classes, events and meetings are competing for a space in our calendar. To get through this hectic period in the most sustainable way possible, WashU offers many opportunities […]
Do you find waste sorting puzzling? If you are feeling rusty and need to brush up on what goes where, check out this video that breaks it down, item by item. This video is perfect for sharing with student groups and campus offices during team meetings. Want a Recycling Genius to come to your meeting […]
The Office of Sustainability is happy to feature an article produced by Metro, the St. Louis region’s transit agency, who is taking the opportunity to present its “Metro Reimagined” project, recently launched to improve the Bus system of our region. Metro understands transportation needs are constantly evolving. Just as major capital projects like the construction […]
On July 19, the WashU Information Technology hosted a picnic in Forest Park celebrating the dog days of summer. The event featured hot dogs, real dogs, and…waste stations! By planning ahead to sorting waste and enlist the help of “Recycling On the Go”, a program led by the local non-profit St. Louis Earth Day, and summer interns […]
The Office of Sustainability is excited to announce the start of a new active transportation support initiative, the Bike Commuter Buddy System! This mentoring program aims to support and encourage members of the Washington University community to commute by bike with a simple concept: connecting experienced and less experienced bike commuters that live in the […]
This summer, the Office of Sustainability, in partnership with Parking and Transportation Services, organized a series of Commuter Resource Fairs, featuring services and service providers that support employees who carpool, bike or walk to work. According to the Mobility Survey conducted in 2016 by an interdisciplinary team of students, faculty and staff, 28% of WashU […]
On July 12, the Office of Sustainability hosted a Green Office Program luncheon for Green Office Liaisons and potential program participants. The goal of the Green Office Program is to set a framework and provide resources for offices across Washington University campuses to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of our university community. Since the start […]
Calling all St. Louis natives and newbies alike: What are your favorite places in St. Louis? We are updating our St. Louis Neighborhood Guides, and we are crowd sourcing favorite destinations. The Neighborhood Guides, which provide public transit and bike routes to each area, are designed to instill students with a sense of place beyond […]
For many of the WashU staff and faculty members who live far from campus, commuting by car is a challenge: it takes time, costs money and can be stressful when it comes to getting a parking space, not to mention the environmental impact! Carpooling, which has numerous benefits for both drivers and passengers, addresses many […]
Did you know that every day in the St. Louis metropolitan area, a volume of water equivalent to 212 Olympic swimming pools is used for domestic purposes? Did you also know that a large percent of this water could easily be saved by preventing leaks and transitioning to high efficiency plumbing fixtures? That is what’s […]
Share Our Stuff is a university-wide effort designed to make it easy for students to donate unwanted items as they pack up and move out at the end of the school year. This campaign collects a wide variety of items in a manner that benefits our community and keeps usable goods out of the landfill. […]