Sustainability
The Worcester State University Sustainability Office is committed to making the campus greener. We do that by installing energy- and water-efficient systems, implementing recycling programs, composting organic materials, and educating students and employees about various aspects of sustainability.
Our primary focus is to help fulfill WSU’s commitment to the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, which states we will work to be near carbon neutral by 2050 and integrate sustainability into our curriculum. We do this by:
- Partnering with WSU’s dining services provider, Chartwells, to compost about 4 tons of food per month every semester and about 25 tons per year—earning WSU recognition as a national winner of the EPA’s 2014 Food Recovery Challenge
- Coordinating programs like Ditch the Dumpster and co-sponsoring WSU’s annual Sustainability/Food Day Fair
- Hosting light-emitting diode (LED) bulb giveaways, free e-cycling events, and tree-planting days
- Installing hydration stations in every building on campus
- Ensuring that campus construction and renovation projects incorporate LEED design standards
- Replacing traditional campus lighting with new energy-efficient LED lights
- Collaborating with academic departments to develop educational programming about sustainability issues
- And more
Our efforts earned WSU recognition as “A Most Environmentally Responsible College” by The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2011, and 2010. In addition, our Shaughnessy Administration Building received the 2009 Green Building of America Award from the publication Real Estate and Construction Review.