Initiatives

With little fanfare, UVA Health’s Sustainability Work Group hustles diligently behind the scenes to make UVA a more sustainable and environmentally friendly place. Recently, the Work Group completed a project that turned heads. It earned the UVA Medical Center more than $108,000!

Over the past decade, University Dining has taken strides towards providing more sustainable and healthier options for students and staff alike. The recent revamp of the “Castle” into a vegan-friendly hub, promotional events such as Meatless Mondays in dining halls, and University farmers markets all point towards progress in the arena of sustainable food. The recent opening of a second Charlottesville location of The Juice Laundry in the space that was once occupied by Freshens in the University Aquatic and Fitness Center (AFC, pictured above) poses new and exciting possibilities for not only sustainability but also community integration and collaboration. 

Cleanly-sourced energy is on the horizon, and UVA is rising to the challenge.

On September 17th, 2019, VA Governor Northam signed Executive Order Forty-Three to both expand access to renewable energy and support clean energy jobs.

Special events are an important part of the UVA experience. From football games to Lighting of the Lawn to Puppies & Pumpkins, there are always special events happening across Grounds. To help reduce the waste sent to the landfill, UVA has encouraged special events to go zero waste or include compost collection when possible.

A Zero Waste Event (ZWE) is an event in which 90% of the produced waste can be diverted from the landfill. This means that the vast majority of waste is either composted or recycled. Out of 243 special events at UVA, an incredible 157 events either achieved zero waste or collected compost, demonstrating departments and student groups alike are making the switch to zero waste events. To make the switch easy, the Office for Sustainability (OFS) recently released an updated version of the Zero Waste Guide to walk event planners through the process.

The summertime is a great opportunity for students to get out of the classroom and apply their knowledge in various new settings. This type of experience is especially important for students interested in sustainability since the topic requires such a diverse background of understanding and can be applied in a myriad of fields. However, many students cannot afford to take unpaid internships, which could negatively impact their career options post-graduation. The UVA Parents Fund Internship Grant (PFIG) addresses these issues by providing valued funding for unpaid internships.

See second year student, Sabrina's tips for green travel!