Waste & Recycling
Earth Friendly Move-In Tips
Aug. 1, 2016—Whether you’re a first-year or returning Commodore, we are excited to have you back on campus! While moving in, try to minimize waste and recycle. The VU Cardboard Crew will assist first-year students at the Commons with recycling their cardboard, Styrofoam, and plastic film wrapping. SustainVU will also host a booth at the University Resources...
Commencement Regalia Recycled for the First Time
May. 20, 2016—Read the MyVU story here. For the first time, graduating Vanderbilt undergraduate students could recycle their regalia after the commencement ceremony! Oak Hall Cap and Gown provided Vanderbilt graduates with gowns that were made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles. After the ceremony, the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO), collected caps and gowns to be...
Thanks to Vanderbilt, some hungry animals have a lucky Friday the 13th
May. 19, 2016—Read the MyVU story here. Animals at the Nashville Zoo and Walden’s Puddle recently got to partake in a little piece of Vanderbilt tradition, thanks to Vanderbilt’s Office of the Chancellor and Commencement Office. The university donated strawberries left over from the Strawberries and Champagne celebration at Commencement to the two Nashville organizations for the third year...
Donation and recycling options expanded on campus April 25 to May 14 for Earth Friendly Move Out
Apr. 20, 2016—Just in time for student move-out and spring cleaning your office, donation and recycling locations on campus will be expanded from April 25 to May 14. Earth Friendly Move Out donation and recycling locations will be available until May 7 on the Ingram Commons campus until May 14 on main campus. Donate The Office of...
Vanderbilt recycling up 500% since 2007
Apr. 20, 2016—Once again, Vanderbilt has increased the amount of materials it recycled! Recycling increased by 15% from 2014 to 2015, now totaling 8.7 million pounds of materials per year. That is the same weight as 19 Statues of Liberty! Vanderbilt has increased recycling by almost 500% since 2007. In 2015, Vanderbilt recycled enough cardboard, plastic, scrap...
Vanderbilt receives record donation from cartridge recycling
Feb. 11, 2016—Guy Brown, Vanderbilt’s partner for ink and toner cartridge recycling, had a record-setting year in 2015. The overall number of cartridges recycled, the recovery rate of cartridges, and donations made from recycling proceeds were at all-time highs in 2015, resulting in the donation of $6,000 each to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt,...
Power down for the holidays
Dec. 15, 2015—Read the MyVU story here. Before you leave campus for the holidays, please take a moment to shut off lights and appliances, unplug electronics and lower thermostats. Would you like to reduce your impact even more this holiday season? Here are a few additional tips to make your holiday a little greener this year. Food...
Green the season: Holiday waste reduction tips
Nov. 13, 2015—Americans throw away 25 percent more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than other parts of the year, resulting in about 1 million extra tons of trash annually. To help you combat this increase, the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO) has some tips for reducing waste and making your holiday season more sustainable. ...
Vanderbilt greenhouse gas emissions down almost 30 percent per square foot
Oct. 20, 2015—Read the MyVU story here. Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 18 percent from its peak in 2008 and by 13 percent overall from calendar years 2005 to 2014, according to the Vanderbilt Sustainability and Environmental Management Office’s latest annual GHG inventory. Taking into account Vanderbilt’s significant growth...
Vanderbilt recycling up 430 percent since 2007
Oct. 14, 2015—Read the MyVU story here. Vanderbilt has yet again increased the amount of materials it recycled last year! Recycling increased by 25% from 2013 to 2014, now totaling 7.4 million pounds of materials. That is the same weight as 10 fully loaded Boeing 747s! Since 2007, Vanderbilt has increased its recycling by over 430%. In...