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 Monday, the Bottomless Mug program has returned to all dining facilities serving coffee on campus. Thanks to an ongoing partnership between Bon Appetit and WashU Dining Services, coffee drinkers can save money and prevent hundreds of disposable coffee cups from going to the landfill by buying a “Bottomless Mug”, providing unlimited access to fresh […]
Last spring, Washington University’s Office of Sustainability and Human Resources Department partnered to offer a second pick up location for a community supported agriculture (CSA) program provided by Local Farmer CSA. The pick up at the West Campus parking garage is an option that builds on a very successful model that has been operational at the […]
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 […]
Green Cleaners Finding environmentally-friendly cleaning products can be incredibly confusing from the glut of “green” advertising, especially around products often used in the home. However, third party certifications usually indicate that a product’s self-claimed sustainable promotions are trustworthy. Green Seal, Safer Choice, EcoLogo, and Design for the Environment are some of the most well-known certifications […]
WashU’s annual energy reduction and sustainability competition has come to a close! Green Cup is a four-week competition to reduce energy use among South 40 Residential Colleges, North Side housing, fraternities, and the School of Medicine’s Olin Dorm and Farrell Learning and Teaching Center (in four separate leagues). Throughout February, leagues competed to reduce their energy […]
Celebrate the start of the weekend and warmer temperatures by visiting one of St. Louis’s many local, sustainable restaurants! The Green Dining Alliance (GDA) is a program of the non-profit organization St. Louis Earth Day. The GDA helps area restaurants assess and determine a path for meeting sustainability needs and goals. All GDA restaurants participate in a […]
Are you interested to enhance your student leadership skills while fostering a sustainability culture on campus? Apply to be a team leader for the 2017-18 Washington University Green Ambassador (WUGA) program! The Office of Sustainability launched the Green Ambassador program in 2013, and it transitioned to being a student-managed program in 2015. Under the guidance of […]
The Office of Sustainability is pleased to welcome ten new part-time associates this semester. From left to right: Sam Emery, Jenna Schnitzler, Alexis Vidaurreta, Ankita Bhalla, Camille Rieber, Sofia Joison, Annalise Wagner, Sean Fallon, Channing Hunter, and Ashwin Sundaresan. This dynamic group of students will work alongside 12 returning associates and 3.5 staff members to […]
WashU’s annual energy reduction and sustainability competition is back! Green Cup is a four-week competition to reduce energy use among South 40 Residential Colleges, North Side housing, fraternities, and the School of Medicine’s Olin Dorm and Farrell Learning and Teaching Center (in four separate leagues). Students compete to reduce their energy usage below a baseline. […]
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, […]
On January 27, the first annual Washington University Green Carpet Awards recognized the 55 university offices that certified or re-certified with the Green Office Program in 2016. To certify, an office must first fulfill requirements that promote a sustainable workplace and environment, ranging from sourcing recycled-content paper to eliminating individual space heaters. Since the program […]
The holiday season is in full swing! As you catch up with family and friends over meals, we encourage mindfulness about food waste. From uneaten leftovers to blemished produce, far too much edible food goes to waste; in fact, in the United States, food waste is estimated at between 25-40 percent of the food supply. Food waste is a […]
For many of us, coffee is essential. A cup in the morning is a common ritual, and without it, the morning wouldn’t be complete. For something so central to our daily routines, the selection of a coffee machine can be especially important. While some look for economy, others prioritize convenience. However, daily routines are also a perfect […]
Alpha Phi Omega (APO) is WashU’s community service fraternity. Last spring, members started a program to collect granola and protein bar wrappers. The project keeps foil-lined wrappers out of the landfill. Most recycling companies, including WashU’s provider, do not accept foil-lined wrappers because they are too costly to sort. By having participants pre-sort the waste, TerraCycle […]
WashU students, staff, and faculty can participate in a year-round Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program partnership with Local Farmer CSA. Program members receive a weekly or bi-weekly Crop Box filled with locally grown produce, eggs, and/or other artisan goods. Options start at $20 per box for students and $29.99 per box for employees, with pick-up sites at […]
The Office of Sustainability is excited to introduce a new volunteer program, Recycling Geniuses, which has been developed to help address waste contamination on campus. Recycling Geniuses will receive training on new recycling guidelines and will help with a three-week education blitz in key dining areas. The Recycling Genius program was developed in response to […]
Food Day is a national event that takes place October 24. It is intended to inspire Americans to make healthy changes in our diets and to take action to solve food-related problems in our communities. WashU is celebrating Food Day throughout the week of October 24-28 with a theme of Food Justice. We envision a food […]
The Washington University Green Ambassador (WUGA) program launched in 2013 and gives students the opportunity to become sustainability leaders across campus. This year, 30 WUGAs completed training and are volunteering across residence halls, dining facilities, and at large events to help first-year students with waste sorting and to provide sustainability resources. Over the first 40 days of the semester, they helped […]
On Friday September 30, the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) celebrated its employees by hosting its annual Employee Picnic. Beginning at 11a, thousands of employees started lining up to enjoy BBQ from Kendrick’s Meats and Catering, Ted Drewes custard, and a variety of carnival games for prizes. Since 2013, the Office of Sustainability has worked with […]
On September 24, over 90 university students, professionals, and community members participated in the first ever St. Louis Net Impact Conference. The conference focused on how future leaders can make social and environmental change through business. The event, organized by WashU’s undergraduate Net Impact chapter, included a keynote address on Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) strategies, […]
Green Monday is a growing global movement that urges consumers to consider the environmental and public health impacts of their food choices. It began in Hong Kong and has grown to include universities and organizations across Asia, Europe, and the United States. WashU is proud to be one of the first American universities to launch […]
Washington University’s Green Office Program challenges staff and faculty to create sustainable work spaces within their offices. Through a self-assessed, point by point checklist, offices can determine their sustainability in six key areas: energy, waste, documents, purchasing, transportation, and awareness. The checklist assesses sustainability on the specific practices applicable to each office, such as how […]
The Washington University Green Ambassador (WUGA) program launched in 2013 and gives students the opportunity to become sustainability leaders across campus. First-year impacts included making numerous orientation events near-zero waste (over 90% diversion from landfill); recycling 100,000 pounds of cardboard; and distributing hundreds of Eco To-Go reusable box program memberships. Ingrid Archibald, Alex Symes, and Lily […]
The annual WUSM Employee Appreciation Picnic will be held in Hudlin Park on Friday, September 30, from 11a to 2p. The picnic will feature a BBQ lunch, frozen custard from Ted Drewes, music, and games. To minimize waste associated with the picnic, planning staff have worked with the caterers to ensure that compostable serviceware (plates, […]
Washington University and Bon Appetit staff members are helping conserve energy, decrease emissions, and save money by targeting efficiency projects across campus dining locations. Refrigeration has been a focus area in recent months. Refrigeration is estimated to use twenty percent of the world’s global energy. Refrigerators cycle cold air when built-in thermostats recognize changes in […]
The Burning Kumquat is a student-run micro farm located on the Danforth Campus. It provides students and community members hands-on experience with organic food production. In the summertime, two or more student managers host Camp Kumquat, which brings dozens of St. Louis elementary and middle school students to the farm to explore food, nutrition, and gardening. The […]