Campus Sustainability

A Game Plan For Sustainability: Reducing Waste at the Big House

A view of Michigan Stadium

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

Nature Rx – How Nature Can Make You a Healthier, Happier You!

Tree in the ross courtyard in winter

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

Wolverines on Wheels Bike Quiz!

A diverse group of students stands with a bike

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

What We Leave Behind: Sorting 10 Tons of Move-Out Donations

A pile of bags full of donated items after student move-out

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

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Campus Waste Audit: Part 1 The Set Up

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

Dorm Move-Out Tips from the Planet Blue Student Leaders

This time of year, U-M students across campus are busy with final papers, exams, and team projects that are due before the end of the school year. They are wrapping up their academic endeavors for the semester, and are focused on representing what they have learned through their courses to the best of their abilities. One thing that tends to … Read More

Charting Our Impact: Planet Blue Ambassadors by School and College

As the manger of the Planet Blue Ambassador program, I always get excited when I see growth in the number of Planet Blue Ambassadors across campus each year—across all three U-M campuses. Back when I started in this role in 2018, I remember the student interns who I was supervising at the time being really excited that we had just … Read More

Another Step Toward Planetary Health: Single Use Bottled Water Plastics To Be Replaced

Key takeaways: U-M Health’s commitment to environmentally friendly operations and a series of agreements with vendors are leading to a major sustainability improvement: the replacement of single-use plastic water bottles. On Feb. 12, water sold at U-M Health will be in new containers. No longer will plastic bottles be used, but in their place will be aluminum bottles and boxed … Read More