South Quad serves around 8,000 meals every day. There are more than ten food stations. Burgers, stir fry, a deli counter, a grill; the options are essentially endless, and people move through them quickly. Over the past year, I spent a lot of time in that dining hall and witnessed whole slices of pizza tossed away, half-eaten burgers pushed aside, … Read More
The FreeStore, a once-a-month event run by the Planet Blue Student Leaders (PBSL), is an ongoing effort to reduce waste, promote reuse, and build a more resilient campus community. The PBSLs collect and sort items from donation partners, the student move-out program, and unclaimed lost & found items. Using these materials, they create the event and curate an incredible, free … Read More
Our Mission: by Saanvi Kalia As a Business major and Sustainability minor, I was drawn to ENVIRON 361: The Psychology of Environmental Stewardship for its applications on how we can influence both business leaders and consumers to adopt sustainable practices. When the course professor, Tara-Sky Woodward, introduced a semester-long group project to develop a sustainability initiative with assistance from Student … Read More
Last February, I had the opportunity to help host a tote bag screen-printing event through the Plant Blue Ambassador Program, where I serve as a Communications and Outreach Intern at the University of Michigan. What began as a creative crafting session quickly became something much deeper. Surrounded by students printing their tote bags, laughing over paint mishaps, and carefully pressing … Read More
Whether it’s a hole in your jeans or an accessory that needs sprucing up, there is a lot that a needle, thread, and some concentrated effort can accomplish. Although it may be seen as “old fashioned”, mending and other fiber arts are essential in extending the use of our already limited resources and being mindful of our consumption. Mending, as … Read More
We all want to get it right with plastics recycling, but with varying recycling rules and discouraging sounding statistics about recycling, it can be a bit confusing. Additionally, there isn’t just one type of plastic; in fact, there are 7 main types of plastics. Despite the confusion, properly sorting and recycling plastics is a key part of the University of … Read More
Sustainable living habits are often misconstrued as an ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset, where positive impact can only occur through perfection in every area of action. But in a recent conversation with Dr. Peter Oelkers, an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Biochemistry at University of Michigan-Dearborn, he emphasized that sustainability can be more than just a box to check. For him, it’s … Read More
As the new year begins to unfold, I’m sure many of you have made a commitment to a New Year’s resolution, whether it’s to save money or lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Well, I am happy to tell you that thrift shopping is one of the easiest ways to do both! Opting to go to a second-hand or thrift store … Read More
Last month, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the University of Michigan’s Campus Move-Out Donation sorting—a behind-the-scenes space that quietly holds stories of excess, care, and possibility. As I sifted through the things students had chosen to part with, I found myself pausing: a half-used journal with a single, powerful quote on the first page—“You are becoming the person … Read More
The University of Michigan Lab Reuse Program is a testament to the university’s commitment to being environmentally sustainable through redistributing unused laboratory materials. This initiative aims to reduce lab waste and increase the utilization of resources. As a large research institution, lab work has a huge environmental impact on our campus and on campuses around the country. Previously known as … Read More
