Energy Systems Sustainability Management

Tips for Making the Holidays More Sustainable

The holidays are usually a time of overindulgence, but holiday traditions can be made more sustainable with a little creativity. We reached out to Syracuse University’s Office of Energy Systems and Sustainability Management for some ideas on how to make the holidays more environmentally friendly.

Get the tips and read the full story at Syracuse University News.

South Campus Composting Program Turns Food Waste Into Rich Nutrients for Plants

Syracuse University Sustainability Management has launched a Student Composting Program for South Campus residents. The goal is to reduce the amount of organic material going into trash dumpsters.

In January 2019, Sustainability Management piloted a composting program with a small group of volunteers living in South Campus housing. The program ran for 10 weeks and about 100 pounds of food scraps were diverted from the waste stream and delivered to the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) Composting Facility. The food scraps were turned into compost—a high-nutrient material that can be used in gardens and lawns to add back nutrients that are necessary for plants to grow. The compost is a replacement for synthetic fertilizers that harm streams, lakes and oceans.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Syracuse University Receives STARS Silver Rating for Sustainability Achievements

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has awarded a STARS Silver rating to Syracuse University in recognition of its sustainability achievements.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. This is the University’s first time rating itself using AASHE STARS, an important benchmarking and analytic tool for the campus as it continues to institute more sustainability programs and infrastructure.

Read more at Syracuse University News.

EPA Recognizes Syracuse University for Largest Green Power Use in ACC

Syracuse University announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized it as a Conference Champion in the 2017-18 College and University Green Power Challenge. Syracuse University currently uses more green power than any other school in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

logo with wordsSince April 2006, EPA’s Green Power Partnership has tracked and recognized the collegiate athletic conferences with the highest combined green power use within the program. The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that helps increase green power use among U.S. organizations to advance the American market for green power and development of those sources as a way to reduce air pollution and other environmental impacts associated with electricity use. The Conference Champion Award recognizes the school that uses the most green power in a qualifying conference.

Full story available from Syracuse University News.