Waste & Recycling
WATCH: 5 sustainability efforts you may not know about at Vanderbilt (Part Two)
Mar. 28, 2024—Did you know that Vanderbilt is carbon neutral? There are sustainability programs going on all over campus that contribute to continually lowering the university’s carbon footprint. Watch chemical engineering major Sarah Siman, Class of 2025, highlight five sustainability efforts at our university that you might not know about. Want to learn about five more? Watch Part...
Vanderbilt greenhouse gas emissions drop 11 percent since last year and 35 percent since 2016, sustainability report shows
Jan. 31, 2024—What you need to know: Vanderbilt University’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped 11 percent overall since fiscal year 2022. Emissions have dropped 35 percent since 2016 (the first year Vanderbilt reported emissions separately from VUMC). Commuting emissions decreased 64 percent between FY22 and FY23 due to increases in telecommuting and greater insights into commuting behaviors. ...
Vanderbilt Campus Dining launches ReusePass reusable container program
Aug. 21, 2023—Vanderbilt University Campus Dining is introducing the ReusePass program, its latest effort toward integrating sustainability into daily campus life. Launching at the start of the fall 2023 semester, ReusePass offers a straightforward process that empowers participants to effortlessly make eco-conscious dining choices and help curb single-use plastic waste. ReusePass replaces the Fill it Forward program...
Vanderbilt preserves history through the salvaged remains of the Bicentennial Oak
Jun. 29, 2023—The Bicentennial Oak, the only tree on Vanderbilt’s campus known to predate the founding of the university, fell in November due to age-related decay. Estimated to be about 250 years old, the bur oak was one of the most recognizable trees on campus, and it served as a landmark near Garland Hall for generations of Vanderbilt...
Sustainability, mobility and transportation efforts highlighted in FutureVU FY2022 Progress Report
May. 5, 2023—Vanderbilt University made significant progress toward its FutureVU goals in fiscal year 2022, as outlined in the annual progress report. FutureVU is a high-level, holistic framework for the development of campus’s built and exterior environments. That framework gives direction to campus projects and considers core themes such as community enhancement, connectivity, inclusion, accessibility and sustainability. Highlights from...
MYVU Vanderbilt University Campus Dining celebrates Earth Week with Menus of Change
Apr. 14, 2023—Vanderbilt University Campus Dining is proud to celebrate Earth Week by offering a special week of menu items that represent various principles of the Menus of Change, a groundbreaking initiative created by The Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that aims to support healthier, more sustainable and more delicious food choices. It is...
Celebrate Zero Waste Day All Week Long with Webinars
Oct. 24, 2022—The Economics of Recycling: How to Recycle Right in Tennessee Wednesday, October 26 at 10am Hosted by Jenn Harrman, Zero Waste Program Manager While recycling can be one of the easiest ways to start your Zero Waste journey, recycling right has become confusing due to global changes in the recycling industry. Join Jenn Harrman, Zero...
Campus Dining introduces new reusable to-go program
Aug. 12, 2022—Posted by Sean Carroll Vanderbilt University is committed to environmental stewardship and natural resource protection. As part of that commitment, Vanderbilt Campus Dining, the university’s nationally-recognized foodservice operator, is proud to launch a reusable container program, designed to significantly reduce the institution’s dependence on disposable to-go containers. Starting this fall, Vanderbilt Campus Dining is partnering with Fill it Forward...
Engineering team looks at recycled glass to improve building materials, protect environment
Apr. 27, 2022—A Vanderbilt University professor and two undergraduate students in the School of Engineering are participating in an innovative research project that aims to use recycled glass to enhance building materials and infrastructure as well as reduce waste. Emily Zeller and Nicole Witherell Juniors Emily Zeller and Nicole Witherell, both civil engineering majors, and research adviser...
Campus Dining returns to reusable cups, plates, utensils
Mar. 23, 2022—In response to COVID-19, Campus Dining implemented a number of safety protocols beginning in March 2020 including a shift to disposable, compostable drinkware and cutlery and to-go containers only. In coordination with university health and safety leaders, Campus Dining announces a return to reusable cups, plates and utensils in its dining halls, effective March 25....