Spring has sprung, which means Earth Week is here and the University of Oregon Office of Sustainability has new information to share with the university community.

This quarter, the Sustainability Ambassadors are offering short presentations to UO offices and departments. Presentations focus on topics where UO faculty and staff can have significant benefits: commuting to campus and purchasing of paper and IT hardware. Presentations are accompanied by universitywide information as well as department-specific data and recommendations. 

“The Sustainability Ambassadors are excited to engage with UO employees on these topics,” said Robyn Hathcock, sustainability program manager and lead for the ambassadors program. “Our campus partners at Purchasing and Contracting Services and Transportation Services have been great to work with and are very supportive of the students taking on this interactive leadership role.”

Each presentation is 10 minutes long, followed by time for questions and answers. Appointments are available at departments’ convenience, including fitting into existing staff and department meetings. Book a presentation for an office or department directly. Direct questions to Robyn Hathcock at rjhath@uoregon.edu.

Each year the office also celebrates achievements in campus sustainability. The Campus Sustainability Awards honor work across all aspects of the university, including campus operations and management, research and innovation, student programming and support, community collaborations, excellence in teaching, campus design, and student leadership.

“It is always an honor and a pleasure to celebrate the amazing sustainability work that happens throughout the University of Oregon,” said Sarah Stoeckl, program manager in the Office of Sustainability. “No other event on campus brings together such a varied representation of sustainability work at UO and it is exciting to foster our community through this program and event.”

View the 2021 winners and contact Stoeckl at sstoeckl@uoregon.edu with any questions.

The sustainability office also has just released the annual materials tracking report for campus. This report shares the amount of campus waste that was “diverted”  — recycled, donated or otherwise kept out of the landfill — and the amount sent to the landfill. It showcases data both from the past year and over time.

Educational program assistant Cimmeron Gillespie said, “The materials tracking report provides valuable understanding of the UO’s overall waste stream and helps decision-makers target the best areas for improvement. One interesting data point is the reduction in paper materials, which shows overall waste reduction efforts as a result of offices, faculty and students doing more work digitally and using paperless options.”

Review the report and contact Gillespie at cimmeron@uoregon.edu with any questions.