Discover what Washington University is doing to improve sustainability on campus, in St. Louis, and internationally.
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 […]
October is Active Transportation Month
October is the first of two Active Transportation Months (ATM) at WashU hosted by Parking & Transportation, Office of Sustainability, and WUSM Operations & Facilities Management. The goal of ATM is to motivate staff, faculty and students to kick the car habit and try active, low-carbon means of transportation. If you cannot imagine going car-free, […]
Nature Earns Music Royalties
Spotify and Apple Music users can now support global conservation efforts while listening to some tunes. NATURE has recently become a verified artist on Spotify and Apple Music, courtesy of Sounds Right, a project initiated by the Museum for the United Nations. According to its website, “Sounds Right is a music initiative to recognise the […]
Microplastics: Where They Are and How to Avoid Them
Microplastics were found in 100% of human testicles that were examined in a recent study. Add that to the list of places that scientists have discovered the tiny plastic particles, including rainwater, breast milk, placentas, meconium, lungs, and animal proteins. What are microplastics? The term “microplastics” was dubbed by Richard Thompson, a biologist who […]
Climate-Friendly Summer Cookouts
Summer is a popular time for the classic cookout: fire up the grill, throw on some burger patties and hot dogs, pop open a cold beverage and enjoy the slow season with friends and family. According to Project Drawdown, a leading resource for global climate solutions, Plant-Rich Diets is the number two climate solution for […]
Mushroom Dave Opens Storefront
WashU Farmers Market vendor of several years, Mushroom Dave, is excited to announce the opening of a physical storefront in Pacific, Missouri. Mushroom Dave’s Place was made possible through a collaboration with Crooked Creek Beef, a small farm located just outside of Pacific, Missouri. The store will sell an expanded version of Dave’s market stand, […]
New Food Waste Reduction Program
Written by Office of Sustainability student associate, Faith Phillips, Class of 2024 Leanpath is a food waste prevention technology system that measures food waste and encourages food waste prevention in commercial kitchens worldwide. Leanpath believes that front line food service workers are the first domino in creating real change by challenging the global food waste […]
WashU Earth Day Festival a Success
Last week, WashU celebrated Earth Day on the School of Medicine campus. An estimated 200 people attended the WashU Earth Day Festival to learn about sustainable initiatives from a variety of WashU programs and organizations from the St. Louis area. Operations and Facilities Management Department, which houses sustainability staff at the Medical Campus, had a […]
Part-time Student Worker Positions Available at the Office Of Sustainability
Typically the Office of Sustainability engages student workers in internship positions that require full-time summer commitments or part time work through the duration of the semester. Due to programming needs that fall outside of the typical internship program period, we have a call for student workers to help carry out two programs that support student-centered […]
Sustainability Staff at Neuroscience Research Building
The newly occupied Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building (NRB) is a state-of-the-art facility for WashU School of Medicine researchers, with many amenities and a team of dedicated staff. As of late March, Alicia Hubert has joined the NRB team as the newly appointed program manager and NRB operations liaison to research labs and green […]
Environmental Justice Work With Metropolitan Congregations United
Environmental Studies’ Impact Internship program places a WashU student with Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) to support their regional environmental justice work. Impact Intern, Allie Lively, shares a reflection on her semester working with MCU. During my internship with Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) I noticed how little I initially knew about the environmental justice issues that […]