Discover what Washington University is doing to improve sustainability on campus, in St. Louis, and internationally.
Green Office Program Spotlights Newly Certified Offices
Written by Office of Sustainability Green Office associate, Sofia Martinez, Class of 2026 WashU’s environment includes numerous offices and labs. When considering the university’s environmental impact, these spaces are important to consider, as they consume energy, use materials, and generate waste. By certifying with the Green Office Program, employees across the university can make a […]
WashU Receives Green Labs Award at International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories Conference
WashU was commended for the success of its Green Labs Program at the 2024 International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) conference, held this year in St. Louis. The conference convened architects, engineers and sustainability professionals to discuss energy efficiency and waste reduction in research laboratories. The “honorable mention” award recognized the program’s rapid growth over […]
Guide to Sustainable Holiday Celebrations
Once November starts, the anticipation of the upcoming holidays hits. It’s a time filled with loved ones, traveling, gift-giving, and big feasts. We hope that you will have a good time, no matter when or where your celebration takes place. The holiday season also corresponds with a peak in consumerism, energy consumption, and waste generation. […]
Danforth Campus Named Bicycle Friendly University at Gold Level
The League of American Bicyclists, the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike, has honored WashU’s Danforth Campus with a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly University award in recognition of the institution’s achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus. “When universities make biking easier, safer, and […]
Sustainability Coordinator Position opens for WashU School of Medicine
Sustainability initiatives and programming on the Medical Campus are growing! The Operations and Facilities Management Department (OFMD) is excited to announce the opening of a new Sustainability Coordinator position, in addition to the current Sustainability Coordinator, Heather Craig. The expansion of the WUSM sustainability team will lead to a deeper level of engagement in sustainable operations […]
WashU Transportation Survey Opens
WashU requests your participation in an institution-wide transportation survey. Data gathered from this survey will provide campus planners key information about the transportation behaviors and preferences of the WashU community and will assist in identifying additional ways to support the different modes that students and employees take to get to and from campuses. The survey […]
The Hidden Costs of AI
Written by Office of Sustainability student associate, Meghan Jachna, Class of 2027. Generative AI (artificial intelligence) tools such as ChatGPT and other Large Language Models have had a significant impact in almost every facet of society, but in education and university settings especially, generative AI is transforming the way that students and professors conduct their […]
Focal Pointe awarded Local Sustainable Business Award
WashU’s Grounds Service contractor, Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions, was awarded the Ralph Wafer Environmentally Sustainable Business Award at the Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) luncheon in September. This award honors business leaders and entrepreneurs whose innovation and dedication drive the economy towards environmental respect and inclusion. It is named for Ralph Wafer, a distinguished […]
The “Share Our Stuff” Cycle
For over a decade, April has started an annual cycle of circularity at WashU: students living on and off campus purge thousands of items – clothing, shoes, books, furniture, shower caddies, trash bins, and more – which are collected for redistribution and reuse through the Share Our Stuff program. To find the highest and best […]
SPARK Ignites Another Year of Campus Sustainability
Just before Fall Welcome, twenty students ranging from sophomores to grad students, spanning a wide array of areas of study, came together to volunteer, learn, and grow under the tutelage of the Office of Sustainability. The SPARK Sustainability Leadership Program is a 9-day multi-faceted upperclassmen experience that supports WashU’s move-in activities and sets the tone […]
New Informational Materials to Support Labs
Written by Office of Sustainability student associate, Sophie Keyser, Class of 2026 This past summer, Environmental Analysis student Sophie Keyser interned for WashU’s Environmental Health and Safety Department, working to develop educational material and targeted strategies aimed at chemical waste reduction across our Danforth and Medical Campuses. The educational materials are intended for distribution amongst […]
Bon Appetit Feeds Local Organization, Prevents Food Waste
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an estimated 30-40% of the food supply is wasted in the United States. Reducing food waste is ranked as the number one solution to mitigating the warming effects of climate change. WashU School of Medicine (WUSM) dining partner, Bon Appetit, is actively working to reduce food waste generated […]