In 2016, the University of Michigan set an ambitious goal to achieve zero waste at home football games and divert 90% of game day waste from the landfill. The Zero Waste Stadium Program launched in the 2017 season as a collaboration among Athletics, the Office of Campus Sustainability, U-M Waste Management Services, campus sustainability partners, volunteers, and stadium concessions. Now … Read More
Campus and Community Connected Every fall and winter term, students from around the world return to Ann Arbor, and the streets bustle with noise as students, staff, faculty, tourists, and families enjoy the downtown restaurants and businesses. Ann Arbor is known for its bike-friendly and walkable environment, with a diverse selection of businesses, restaurants, and shops to discover. From cozy … Read More
Nervous for Winter? We all live in Michigan and as we all know, Michigan winters can be cold and long! With less sunlight and less green, we miss the freedom of summer and warmer weather. But did you know that nature, something we see everyday as we commute to campus, can help you through these winter months? Research done here … Read More
Welcome (back) to campus, Wolverines! A new semester makes it a great time to try new habits that are healthy for both you and the planet! Biking is a perfect place to start and a wonderful way to explore low-emission recreation and transportation. The University of Michigan and Ann Arbor community is home to many new bike lanes, resources, and … Read More
The Mission: Last year, I had only heard brief mentions of the 2030 District. I was working with Ann Arbor Public Schools on a project through the Graham Sustainability Scholars, where another student group was working with the 2030 District. When the program presented an opportunity to intern for them, I learned the 2030 District is a nonprofit striving to … Read More
This writing departs from my usual approach. Typically, I focus on the technical aspects of my professional experiences and the broader implications. I think about changing the world and transforming disadvantaged communities. I consider how impressive my resume looks and what it means for my career—all the potential BIG things. However, in doing so, I realized I was overlooking the … Read More
Back in February, I had the opportunity to chat with Alison Richardson and Anya Dale from the Office of Campus Sustainability about a large-scale waste audit they were organizing. Check out Part 1 of this blog post series to read what we talked about in terms of the set up and purpose for the audit. Since that time, Resource Recycling … Read More
From Bustling Dorms to Overflowing Donation Bins Every spring, as the academic year wraps up, the University of Michigan undergoes a remarkable transformation. Dorms that were once filled with the buzz of student life now hum with a different kind of activity—move-out chaos. Amidst the flurry of packing and farewells during my freshman year, a simple question from an upperclassman … Read More
On a crisp Tuesday morning in February, I was able to join Anya Dale and Alison Richardson up on north campus to witness part of the large-scale waste audit they have been organizing. A waste audit is a way to determine how much waste is being produced, what types of waste are being generated, and which bins—landfill, recycling, or compost—people … Read More
It goes by many different terms, “Swag,” “Merch,” and “Promos” to name a few, but no matter what you might call it, promotional material given out by organizations across the world, or swag as I will call it in this blog post, has established itself into a global industry. Swag is one of the most popular methods of showing our … Read More
