Campus Sustainability

ENV major Carolyn Vogt and ENV alumna Sara Maioli Parrish model the stylish “Ursinus Recycles” t-shirts. If you are interested in buying one, please e-mail ucrecycles@ursinus.edu.

The Ursinus sustainability committee, SustainUC, was created in the fall of 2004, originating from the seed of a vision for an ultimately sustainable campus. The group is made up of students and faculty who work together on various projects designed to raise awareness and prompt action within the Ursinus community about pressing environmental issues, providing facilities with which students, faculty, and staff can live sustainably, and ultimately lessening the ecological footprint of Ursinus College. Since 2004, the Ursinus campus has benefited tremendously from the work being done by SustainUC. Prior to its formation, recycling and other sustainable living opportunities were extremely limited and were only handled by student volunteers. Currently, recycling (bin requests) can be found easily in all campus buildings, in most campus residences, and even in select outdoor locations, and is an official routine carried out by the college’s Facility Services Department. Not only are there commingled recycling facilities available, but also offered are mixed paper, cardboard, Styrofoam, battery, and inkjet recycling services. SustainUC has also worked with the College’s Dining Services to purchase more environmentally friendly packaging materials and has developed a proposal to fuel a diesel vehicle on waste vegetable oil from the dining hall to directly demonstrate sustainable transportation and to educate surrounding communities about how to and why it is important to lead a sustainable lifestyle. Also in the works is a SustainUC-Dining Services composting program.

SustainUC is always in a process of growth and is looking forward to increasing our sustainability programs with each additional year of growth. Please, join us in our efforts to reach a higher tier of sustainability. We welcome any comments and suggestions! For more information or to become involved in SustainUC, please contact ucrecycles@ursinus.edu.