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, Latin America, and the United States. WashU is proud to be one of the first American universities […]
Members of WashU’s Catholic Student Center (CSC) have made changes that improve the sustainability of their building, saving nearly $3,000 a year in energy costs. The push has been led by Brian Wieliczka, a fourth-year doctoral candidate studying chemistry. Brian, as the green projects manager, has helped the CSC initiate five projects. These include retrofitting interior […]
Join us for two days of learning about a low-carbon energy future from the perspective of thought leaders in the energy sector. This knowledge-sharing event brings together leaders from industry, academia, and government to open the dialogue about sustainability and our energy future. Speakers and panelists will focus on the complex concept of sustainability in four key […]
RecycleMania began February 7. It is an eight-week benchmarking competition between nearly 400 colleges in the U.S. and Canada to see who can divert the most trash from landfill. During the competition, WashU and other colleges report the amount of recycling, composting, and trash they collect each week. The goal is to increase recycling and […]
WashU’s sixth annual Green Cup competition is in full swing! Students in on-campus housing are working to reduce their electrical energy usage below a baseline. On the Danforth campus, leagues include the South 40 Residential Colleges, North Side housing, and Fraternities. The competition began on Monday, February 1. Over the first two weeks, South 40 Residential Colleges have hosted kick-off events, taken […]
Our campus produces a plethora of waste every single day, and the majority produced is “post-consumer”— the remains of lunchtime on the go or that stack of old notes you have finally cleaned out of your bag. While you can easily sort and dispose of everything in the many compost, recycle, or landfill bins across campus, the journey […]
Last fall, the Washington University Nursery School reached out to the Office of Sustainability for support to start a composting program. The idea came from one of their students, a 5-year-old named Brody. Brody is well versed in composting from his family’s set-up at home. After volunteering to bring in some compost to nourish a […]
As I stepped outside to travel to the Metro Park-Ride lot, the cold January wind started to hit my face with its bitter sting. Fortunately, I had my scarf and wrapped it around my hood as I walked to the car. One of the many reasons drivers cite as a reason to drive instead of […]
Washington University in St. Louis has a history of responsibly investing resources to increase the efficiency of our operations and decrease our impact on the environment. In 2010, a collaboration between students, faculty, staff, and the Office of Sustainability culminated in Washington University in St. Louis’ first strategic plan for sustainable operations. In 2015, a […]
Do you have unneeded pairs of gently used shoes? If so, please consider donating them to a great cause! The Office of Sustainability is collecting shoes in partnership with Shoeman Water Projects, a locally owned nonprofit institution that exports shoes to street vendors in developing communities around the world. Funds generated provide well drilling rigs, water […]