University of Rochester

Sustainability @ the
University of Rochester

Go Green! Conserve and Save

Winter Energy Prescriptions

The University's temperature guidelines are an important part of helping to reduce our energy bill. Like last winter, temperatures are again being set to 68°F, the nationally recognized standard for winter heating. Warm up to the indoor weather with these tips.

Recycling in Flaum Atrium

A team of dedicated staff, led by Recycling Coordinator Amy Kadrie, has worked for months to make sure that the highest quality containers were put in the most convenient and safest spots possible in Flaum Atrium. Find them and use them! 

Electronics Collection Day

Do you have old computers, laptops, telephones or other electronic equipment sitting around your basement, garage, or dorm room? Students and employees can bring anything—from old laptops to children’s old remote control cars—to Electronics Collection Day on October 30. Read more about disposing of old devices safely and at no cost to you.

Zip Around Town with Zipcars™

The Zipcar program is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint by driving less and reducing the number of cars on the road. Learn more about this great car sharing service. 

Keep Your Bike Secure This Fall

As the summer winds down, there’s still plenty of time for bicycling. For students and staff alike, it’s a healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around. So for those of you with bikes, and for some without, here’s some helpful information.

Greece Park-n-Ride

If you live in or around Greece, the Park-n-Ride is a great way to get to work.  For only $1 each way, it saves you the hassle of rush-hour traffic, as well as saving money in gas, car wear and no longer needing a parking permit! Read more about Greece Park-n-Ride.

Water Refill Stations

Thanks to the support of students, the River Campus will be installing gooseneck-spigots on 18 water fountains. he only thing one has to do with a refillable water bottle is.. refill it! The gooseneck-spigots are designed to help you do just that. Learn more about the new water bottle refill stations on campus.

Green Your Meetings

If there is a constant in the workplace, it’s almost certainly meetings. The calculation is staggering when determining the amount of time spent in them! That enormity is topped only by the amount of food and paper waste associated with these scheduled blocks. However, meetings needn’t be the resource depleters that they have become. Here are some simple tips for attending and holding a green meeting.

Surplus Property Program

Where can an individual or department get furniture for less? No, it's not your local big-box store, it's the University's Surplus Property Program! Read on for the history and to see when and where you can buy plus details about an upcoming sale.

Heating Solution Yields a Greener Gallery

Sometimes innovation turns a problem into a green opportunity. That’s just the case at the Memorial Art Gallery where last summer a leaky heat exchanger forced Facilities to shut off the two boilers used in their reheat loop, and some quick thinking allowed the gallery to save thousands of dollars on their utilities budget with no consequences to their collection. Learn about the MAG's greener heating system.

Spotlight on the Arboretum

Spring has finally arrived, and the trees across campus are in their flowery glory. Take some time to stroll the Arboretum, and even schedule a tour with Dan Schied, Manager of Horticulture and Grounds. Learn about the Arboretum and scheduling a tour.

June 2009
FIRST END OF YEAR CLEANOUT A SUCCESS
As students head home or graduate, they abandon thousands of pounds of lightly used and new dorm room filler. Things were a bit different at the University this year. Thousands of pounds of unwanted items were donated to area charities or recycled as a result of the first annual End of Year Cleanout.    READ MORE...

May 2009
“CLO” and You: The Science of Human Comfort
It’s obvious: lighter clothes are cooler in the summer. But did you know there’s actually a science behind it? Check out the full article.

Keep the plants—Turn off the lights

Leaving the lights on in your work space to keep your plants healthy is not the best use of energy. Florescent bulbs do use low amounts of electricity, but over time that energy use quickly adds up. So, instead of leaving the lights on, consider choosing plants that require low levels of light to thrive. Suitable varieties include the Chinese Evergreen, Phellodendron, and Snake Plant. (View more low-light plant options.)

April 2009
FIVE WAYS TO ‘GO GREEN’ ON CAMPUS
Interested in “going green”? Here are five places to start.    READ MORE...

March 2009
THE BENEFITS TO BIKE COMMUTING
Would it surprise you that driving to work is not any quicker then biking? Studies show that for a 10 -mile commute, biking to work might only add 10 extra minutes to your commute time.    READ MORE...

March 2009
FEBRUARY SAVINGS ADD UP
Efforts to reduce energy consumption on the River Campus and at the Medical Center are paying off. The University saved $15,460 during February as part of a campaign to decrease the University’s overall environmental impact and to combat rising energy costs. The main component of these programs was rolling back indoor temperatures to 68 degrees for nonresidential buildings on the River Campus and nonpatient areas at the Medical Center.    READ MORE...

March 2009
STUDENTS CHALLENGE EACH OTHER TO UNPLUG AND SAVE
For three weeks in February, students battled it out during UR Unplugged to determine which residence building would post the largest drop in energy consumption. They turned off lights, shut down monitors, and unplugged cell phone chargers. Those small changes resulted in dramatic reductions in the amount of energy consumed when compared to the same period last year.    READ MORE...

February 2009

Simple Steps Add Up

The University is depending on everyone to look for simple ways to save. Maybe that means shutting off your lights and computer monitor when leaving the office for 30 minutes or more. Perhaps you close your blinds at night to retain heat. And if you have one of those portable space heaters, get rid of it. Keep a sweater handy instead.