Blog Archive

UVA set a goal ten years ago to save 20% on energy across its extensive building portfolio. This goal was met and surpassed by 7%! Read on to find out what it took to get there.

'Tis the season for giving without the waste! Dive into this ultimate guide to sustainable gifting and learn 8 ways to sleigh the holidays with eco-friendly presents.

Clinicians, professors, staff, and students are working at the intersection of climate change and human health, whether through operational changes, education, or advocacy.

If there's one thing UVA is known for, it's that learning can happen anytime, anywhere. This fall semester, we invite you to learn more about some of our 10 Bold Goals for sustainability and some lesser-known locations on Grounds that go along with them.

UVA has many resources in place to help employees and departments reduce costs and support UVA’s sustainability initiatives at the same time! Keep reading to learn about where to find popular items (for free!) and which items to avoid purchasing with UVA funds.

This fall, UVA's Office for Sustainability turns ten so we took this opportunity to ask Andrea Trimble, the Director, about the progress and challenges she’s seen over the past decade.

Green Your Dorm 2023 was a hit -- over 240 students joined us in UVA's Student Garden to learn more about sustainability engagement, equity, food, and waste. 

Happy soon-to-be fall semester, Hoos! UVA has a variety of sustainable initiatives and projects going on around grounds, from sustainable engineering to composting. UVA Sustainability is so excited to have students back on Grounds and get another semester full of programming and events started!

The Kibbe-Tsihlis Lab recently became a Gold Certified Green Lab for incorporating sustainability into their laboratory practices.  

Hey new Hoos! As move-in day approaches, we know you’re thinking about what to pack. There is no shortage of resources telling you what to pack to make your first year the best that it can be. Read on for a list of ways to make your move-in more environmentally friendly!

UVA hosted the third annual Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Sustainability Conference from June 21-23, 2023 at the University of Virginia.

UVA's Office for Sustainability supported numerous events across Grounds in May to reduce waste and increase environmentally-friendly transportation- let's recap.

UVA’s Office for Sustainability hosted the second annual “Break Up With Your Space Heater” campaign to encourage faculty, staff, and students to trade in their space heaters for electric heating pads.

Climate change instruction is being integrated in universities around the world as colleges prepare students for a labor market affected by a warming world.

UVA has an ambitious goal to reduce waste by 70% by 2030. To achieve this, it’s important to know what waste can -- and cannot – be diverted into recycling and compost streams.

TGP combines hands-on learning and classroom education, giving students opportunities to delve into their sustainability interests and make life-long friends around the world. 

Everyone at UVA -- students, staff and faculty -- is invited to take the #PlasticFree2023 pledge to reduce single-use plastics on Grounds and in their personal lives. 
 

Many people have gone vegetarian or vegan to reduce their environmental impact –  but have you considered eating insects instead? 

Students in "Sustainability Leadership from the Grounds Up" learn about effecting change and work on projects at UVA and in the Charlottesville community.

Third-year student Yushun Ding's interest in sustainability was piqued at the Student Activity Fair, so she took a chance, got an internship and is now a staunch sustainability champion. 

The Fall 2022 semester was a busy one for Green Athletics, which executed several impressive projects including an environmental literacy survey, a plant-based snack series and a sustainable locker room pilot.

The UVA Health System Sustainability Committee conducted an engagement survey to gauge clinician attitudes towards sustainability, revealing deep enthusiasm for reducing waste and energy use in health care delivery.

Buddhist ideas can help construct a sustainability framework for communities. Looking at Thailand, we can translate the key ideas seen there to fit a more secular context.

The Shut the Sash Challenge for UVA research labs is ramping up, with double the number of participants and more than 2.5 times the energy savings compared to last year.

There's nothing like a walk in the woods -- or a run, or a bike ride -- to deflate stress, get exercise and feel renewed. And there's just the place to do that, right here on Grounds.

The McIntire School of Commerce hosted its first "Blue Ridge ESG Seminar" featuring speakers from an array of industries addressing the role of businesses in our society and the changing climate. The event was made possible in part by funds from the Office for Sustainability.

UVA Sustainability is working with the Sierra Club and the community to collect reusable bags for low-income individuals. With a new plastic bag tax instituted in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, reusable bags are important to promote environmental justice and sustainability as a whole.

Charlottesville resident Nayia Koullouri, a member of UVA's Sustainable Food Collaborative, joined the digital White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. Here are her take-aways.

Charlottesville's tree canopy has substantially declined from 2004 to 2018, dropping by an overall 10 percent during this time. What does this mean for Charlottesville's residents?

The Office for Sustainability provides three volunteer initiatives that allow students, staff and faculty to contribute directly to our waste minimization, civic engagement and food access goals.

The Office for Sustainability assisted UVA's Morven Kitchen Garden to make their annual "Gazpacho in the Garden" event a Zero Waste affair.

UVA Law School professor Mike Livermore probes the infinite dimensions of the climate crisis and exploring ways we might find our way through it with a variety of guests on his bi-weekly podcast, "Free Range."

UVA Health clinicians are working to increase efficiency, reduce waste and generate cost savings, while continuing to ensure outstanding patient care, by incorporating sustainability into their departments.

For the first time, all home football games this season will be "Green Games," with student volunteers helping fans recycle and compost as much waste as possible.

Welcome, Hoos! UVA Sustainability can’t wait to kick off the school year, meet new friends, and dive into a semester full of events and programming.

 UVA’s inaugural Decarbonization Academy students presented their work and submitted their final reports last week, showcasing their efforts to advance UVA’s emissions-reduction strategies.

Our interns have been busy this summer. Keep reading to learn more about what they've been up to.

This year, Green Athletics planned and executed several exciting projects, including an environmental literacy survey, a plant-based snack series, two Soles 4 Souls drives, a sustainable menstrual hygiene education series, and two divert-and-donate move out events.

In June, UVA began its inaugural Summer Decarbonization Academy with 13 students who dove into projects addressing several aspects of decarbonization at the university.

UVA Sawmilling works with Facilities Management and other UVA entities to repurpose the larger and unique trees that must be taken down into lumber, furniture and wood for student projects.

A partnership between UVA and Dominion Energy results in green energy for all electricity consumption at the Darden School of Business.

As the University works towards ambitious sustainability goals, Palmer Park provides a strong example of opportunities at the intersection of athletics, sustainability and fan engagement.

Olivia Regehr has interned with UVA's Green Labs program since August 2021; her main project is promoting the Shut the Sash Challenge, the International Freezer Challenge and Green Lab Certification.

From student-taught courses to cutting-edge research and clubs, the School of Engineering and Applied Science at UVA has approached the challenge of integrating sustainability and technology in numerous ways.

The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center in Charlottesville along with multiple partners at UVA is hosting an interdisciplinary art exhibit to focus attention on the impact of climate change on marginalized communities. Exhibit ends May 28.

In 2019, the Peirce-Cottler Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering was one of the first labs at UVA to become certified as a Green Lab. Now, it's the first lab to be recertified, and the longest continuously UVA certified lab thanks to their leadership and commitment to sustainability.

A nonprofit provides free bike repairs and safety programs in low-income neighborhoods - and a bridge to help connect diverse communities.

They never met each other, but thanks to an elderly woman who shared her story in 1983 and a UVA student who spoke up at a meeting in 2018, we now understand more about a historic site on Grounds.

The "Break Up with Your Space Heater" campaign netted 26 of the energy-sucking devices, saving thousands of kilowatt-hours of energy and money -- and reducing UVA's carbon footprint.

UVA's labs contribute to substantially in all areas of research nationally and globally. They also contribute significantly to UVA's carbon footprint. Our Green Labs Specialist walks through the many ways labs can reduce energy use and costs.

This April, we look forward to celebrating Earth Month with you! You can be a part of the 40+ activities, celebrations, and involvement opportunities in the Charlottesville area, showing care for this beautiful planet we call home.

Students saw the need for fresh produce as part of the UVA Food Pantry offerings and took action with help from the Equity & Environment Fund.

Food insecurity is the lack of affordable fresh produce and other farm products, often in lower-income neighborhoods. UVA students are tackling the issue from many angles.

Sustainability and feminism are both movements that seek to create change in our world, whether that be championing greener practices or gender equality. But these two ideals are more closely linked than many realize.

Look for the new compost bins at the Ampitheater in January to dispose of your food scraps and compostable plates, cutlery and cups.

The University's lab spaces are a crucial environment to make sustainability progress due to their abundant energy, water, and material use. Through both the Green Labs program, which focuses on outreach and engagement, and the Smart Labs program, which focuses on enhancing lab safety and efficiency, we are reimagining our lab spaces to create a culture of sustainability.

The fight for sustainability is often framed as a new movement that has emerged in the last century. However, Indigenous people have implemented practices like sustainable land stewardship for centuries. Learn how their environmental framework is invaluable to today's sustainability movement.

Researchers participating in the "Shut the Sash Challenge" saved an estimated $2,800 in energy costs in one month. The challenge is hosted by the Office for Sustainability to promote safe and sustainable fume hood management practices in labs across Grounds.

Our workplaces have likely changes since early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic set in. Here are a series of green tips that can help you settle back into sustainable routines on Grounds. 

Research labs take up only 9% of UVA’s space, but they’re responsible for 25% of energy consumption on Grounds. Shutting chemical fume hoods can dramatically reduce energy use and costs.

The Sustainability Advocates, Eco-leaders, and Zero Waste Ambassadors work directly with the UVA Office for Sustainability to foster leadership opportunities for students interested in the environment and sustainability on Grounds and beyond. Read more about their adaptability and creativity, and how they completed their spring projects, given the COVID-19 restrictions.

This article highlights a group of four undergraduate students that are leading the charge for environmental justice at UVA, seeking to make our sustainability spaces more safe, equitable, and dynamic. Three students formed and lead the Environmental Justice Collective at UVA. Another is an Eco-Leader on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee.

In previous years, the student-athlete run group focused on waste minimization efforts, but considering recent events, the Green Athletics group has prioritized tackling topics of intersectional sustainability, which advocate for both the protection of people and the planet. Read more for a detailed recap of the year!

Sometimes living sustainably can be associated with a higher cost. However, through resources at the University and in Charlottesville, sustainable choices are more accessible than first thought. Students should not have to choose between being environmentally conscious or being financially secure. This list of resources is meant to lead students to budget-friendly sustainable living options.

Some classes change your perspective in unexpected ways. For former UVA basketball player Justice Bartley, an environmental science class sparked a long-term interest in the environment and sustainability.

Sustainability is about finding "win-win-win" solutions that are good for the planet, people, and the bottom line. As the coronavirus pandemic has swept through and challenged the typical modes of operation for our University, extra emphasis has been placed on keeping people safe and reducing costs. Fortunately, many environmentally green solutions can also save some "green" and help us be good stewards of UVA's resources during this tough time.

The ISO has gone above and beyond to incorporate sustainability into each aspect of its work, including completing the Green Workplace Program.

Second-hand stores offer a sustainable, fun, and often more affordable way to shop while mitigating waste and promoting a circular economy. If you're in the market for school supplies, clothes, furniture, home goods, vintage items, accessories and masks, outdoor gear, and more, check out Charlottesville's many second-hand stores!

The Green Labs program, started in 2016, helped lead efforts to improve lab sustainability at UVA. The subsequent success and expansion of the program has created new opportunities for students to contribute to Green Labs initiatives around Grounds, including positions for two Green Lab interns.

Getting crafty during quarantine? During the last two weeks of April, UVA Sustainability student employees hosted the Waste Reimagined art competition. The competition encouraged students to think differently about the waste around them; participants had to use recycled, repurposed or forgotten items as a main component of their piece. See some of our top submissions below:

The Facilities Management Sustainability Council is excited to recognize Vinnie Vawter & Doug Rush from the Health System Physical Plant as our next Sustainability Champions. 

At UVA, students, faculty and staff are pursuing initiatives to promote sustainability on grounds and around the world.

If you've ever recycled a peanut butter jar, you probably have had the same thought as me: by the time I have scrubbed it clean, rid the jar of all the oil, and diligently sorted it into its paper grocery bag to recycle, is this jar even going to make a difference? Where will it even go?

Every October, UVA's Green Labs program runs a "Shut the Sash" competition for lab personnel to learn about saving energy and improving safety -- while vying for prizes!

The FM Sustainability Council is excited to recognize Cynthea Wagner from Training & Development as our next Sustainability Champion. Cynthea has gone above and beyond in embedding sustainability practices into her day-to-day work of event planning.

The Facilities Management Sustainability Council would like to recognize Jamie Joyner, Newcomb Zone Manager for his passion and leadership around sustainability.

The UVA Facilities Management Sustainability Council would like to recognize James Bledsoe as the next Sustainability Champion for his passionate work with helping the university, in its efforts to reach its landfill reduction goals.

Plastic is wonderful but here's how we can reduce our usage!

Check out Kyle's interview with Christie Julien, from the UVA Career Center, about how to approach a sustainable career.

Check out third year Jamie Wertz's guide to green holiday gift-giving!

Check out Eliza Haverstock's tips for keeping our off Grounds apartment green!

Morven Kitchen Garden is currently undergoing the process of becoming GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) Certified which would allow UVA to purchase crops from them, the farm being only about 12 miles away would decrease the environmental costs of transport.

UVA's first Green Labs Resource Fair was held April 21, 2017 as part Earth Week celebrations and coordinated by UVA's Green Labs Working Group and Office for Sustainability. 

With the start of the New Year, many of us are writing down our goals and planning to start fresh. Let's make 2017 the year to be more environmentally conscious, both for the Earth's sake and also your wallet's.