Sustainability

As part of its ongoing sustainability efforts, Vanderbilt University announced today it will eliminate all single-use plastic water and soda bottles in its operations throughout dining facilities, markets and vending machines on campus, saving more than 430,000 plastic bottles per year and over 1.7 million bottles during a graduating class’s four-year experience. Read More

Vanderbilt students took a hands-on look at the history of fashion and sustainability with the help of Nashville fashion icon Manuel Cuevas, best known for creating couture "rhinestone cowboy" designs for Elvis, the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and more. Read More

Vanderbilt University partnered with Nashville organizations Preservation Station and Project Return in its efforts to preserve a part of Nashville’s vibrant cultural history, the Manuel House. Read More

Celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week Aug. 4-10 by taking advantage of the Vanderbilt Farmers’ Market on Thursday, Aug. 8, from 1 to 5:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt Medical Center Plaza. Read More

As temperatures climb into the 90s and higher during the summer months, VU Plant Operations and the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office are reminding faculty, staff and students to reduce energy consumption across campus. Read More

In a partnership between FutureVU and Plant Operations, fallen and removed trees on campus are being given a second life for projects throughout campus. Read More

VU Plant Operations and the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office are reminding faculty, staff and students to power down before leaving the office or home for the July 4 holiday. Small, collective efforts can have a large impact across the entire university. Read More

U.S. Green Building Council President and CEO Mahesh Ramanujam presented Vanderbilt with a plaque designating the university’s Engineering and Science Building and Eskind Biomedical Library with LEED Gold status at a community-wide gathering on Tuesday afternoon in the Engineering and Science Building lobby. Read More

Vanderbilt will be recognized for its sustainable building efforts on Tuesday, June 25, when the U.S. Green Building Council presents the university with a plaque designating the Engineering and Science Building and Eskind Biomedical Library with LEED Gold status. Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos will join Vice Chancellor for Administration Eric Kopstain for remarks beginning at 2 p.m. Read More

Four Nashville chefs and their teams—including one from Vanderbilt Campus Dining—competed at E. Bronson Ingram College to cook creatively while reducing food waste. Read More

As part of its sustainability initiative, Vanderbilt University will distribute 2,000 reusable water bottles and offer hydration stations for guests to fill their own reusable containers at its main Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10. Read More

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos discusses Vanderbilt's new sustainability pledge—which strives to power the campus entirely through renewable energy and be carbon neutral by 2050—in this week’s column. Read More

Vanderbilt University unveiled a comprehensive long-term strategy to significantly reduce its environmental footprint in part by powering its campus entirely through renewable energy, putting the university on track to be carbon neutral by 2050. Read More

The Sustainability and Environmental Management Office partnered with the Vanderbilt Child and Family Center to judge an “upcycled" art contest for VCFC students ages 1 through 5.  Read More

Want to reduce your impact this holiday season? Here are a few tips from SustainVU’s Holiday Greening Guide to make your holiday a little greener this year. Read More

Vanderbilt leaders in the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office and the Division of Administration are aligning sustainability efforts with the guiding principles of FutureVU, the university's land use planning initiative. Read More

As little ghosts and ghouls prepare to come out in search of Halloween treats, be sure you don’t have any silent menaces lurking around your office or home tricking you into using extra energy. Read More

Chelsea Hamilton, outreach coordinator for the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office, will present “Greening Your Home and Personal Life” from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, in Medical Center North, Room C2209. Read More

Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members enjoyed Vanderbilt’s “parklet" during last week’s PARK(ing) Day 2018. Read More

Faculty, staff and students joined Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos last week on a Chancellor’s Charter tour to explore sustainability, a fundamental FutureVU guiding principle and initiative. Read More