With the start of classes this August, WashU Dining Services quietly rolled out a simple and straight-forward response to a long- requested service by dining customers – students, staff and faculty alike. On either side of the dish return window, the waste storing holes which previously offered recycling and landfill now have two holes each […]
“To the chickens!” is now a common phrase used in the Clinical Translational Research Unit (CTRU) Metabolic Research Kitchen. This refers to the food scraps produced by the kitchen operations that are thrown into bright green 5-gallon buckets and saved for the chickens at Howie Farms, one of the vendors from the School of Medicine […]
This fall, the Office of Sustainability is launching a green event certification program that provides a framework for best practices, easy access to resources, and recognition for exemplary events and event planners. With hundreds of events planned by professional and non-professional event planners across the university, there is a high potential to reduce, recycle and […]
This August, a new cohort of WashU Green Ambassadors started their journey to spread sustainability culture on campus with a two-day retreat at Shaw Nature Reserve. During this retreat, the Green Ambassadors connected over team-building activities and received training in various aspects of sustainability at WashU, including green buildings, waste-sorting, alternative transportation, and dining. This […]
This article was written by Mackenzie Hines-Wilson, Communication Associate at the Office of Sustainability and resident of Dardick where the composting pilot took place. According to the EPA, about 38 million tons of food is wasted every year, of which only 5% is composted. The WashU Green Ambassador (WUGA) Waste Team, a peer-to-peer education program […]
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 […]
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 […]
On September 30th, the Office of Sustainability and the Operations and Facilities Management Departments will team up with the Employee Picnic Planning Committee to pursue zero waste at the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) Employee Picnic. Betsy Snyder, Chair of the Employee Picnic Planning Committee, worked with vendors, including caterer Kendrick’s and frozen custard provider […]
The end of the 2016 academic year was marked with celebrations across campus. Two of the most notable celebrations, Commencement and Staff Day, were carefully organized to reflect the values of the university, with sustainability playing a key role in planning and decision-making. Commencement Numerous partners came together to plan and execute the waste diversion effort […]