Sustainability News - University of Rochester

Check out the latest news and updates related to sustainability at the University, including University-wide news and updates from our office.

University sustainability news and research

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Jessica Wang and Sophie Black ’27 examine a bottle of LB media, the standard liquid containing all the necessary nutrients to support bacterial growth used to grow bacteria in the lab.

URochester students engineer bacteria to build a future on Mars

Fri, 07 Nov 2025

Undergraduates turn Martian air into plastics and fertilizer—earning top honors internationally.

Researcher in a lab coat and gloves uses a pipette with test tubes.

Forming bonds between chemical and sustainability engineering

Wed, 01 Oct 2025

The newly renamed Department of Chemical and Sustainability Engineering signals a commitment to shaping the future of the field.

Melissa Dong ’29 shovels mulch outside in a field full of yellow flowers.

July and August 2025 in Photos

Thu, 28 Aug 2025

There are no lazy days of summer at the University of Rochester. Check out how we kept busy during July and August.

Pickup truck equipped with a plow and a tank for brine.

University earns recognition for commitment to winter environmental stewardship

December 2, 2025

As winter arrives, you may start noticing blocked off staircases or salt out on University walkways before the sun even rises. Though these may seem like typical winter management techniques,…

New energy project to cut natural gas usage and reduce carbon emissions

October 20, 2025

Photo of Brownfield Cleanup Project notice put up by the City of Rochester at the Vacuum Oil Refinery site.

Beneath the surface: The cleanup transforming the Genesee Riverbank

September 22, 2025

Man standing in front of 'Lab Sustainability' corkboard with posters about sustainable lab practices.

Reducing waste to move research forward

Metal shelves with non-perishable food items like cereals, shelf-stable milks, and canned goods.

Move-out program concludes with over 20,000 pounds of donations

Collage of decorated eyeglasses collection boxes.

Eyeglasses collection event achieves unprecedented success

Aerial view of the University of Rochester River campus looking from Rush Rhees towards the Genesee River. An image of the STARS Silver metal is overlayed on top of the photo.

University achieves STARS Silver rating for sustainability

Solitary bee nesting structure on a display in a field. The bee domicile has several hexagonal nesting places and is accompanied by the word "Suboptimal"

Creating pollinator habitat through art

Photograph of front of the School of Medicine and Dentistry in summer

A fresh look at recycling at the School of Medicine and Dentistry

February 13, 2025

Sustainability Office welcomes new sustainability programs specialist

February 10, 2025

University of Rochester's Meliora Hall

Energy efficiency project expected to save $290,000 and 669 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually

December 2, 2024

Team Green student employee tables at an event during Welcome Week.

Student employment teams strengthen sustainability objectives

November 19, 2024

UR-branded safety glasses for viewing the April 8 total solar eclipse are photographed February 6, 2024. // photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester

Solar eclipse glasses repurposed for others

October 18, 2024

Cam Schauf receiving the David R. Prentkowski Distinguished Lifetime Member Award

Former dining director recognized for accomplishments in food services

September 23, 2024

Outside of the Kornberg Medical Research Building

URMC undergoes retro-commissioning project to increase efficiency

August 11, 2024

A trash and recycling bin

Three decades of going green at URMC

A large collection of recycled goods in boxes on the University's campus

Year-end collections and donations divert tons from landfills

Cars lined up at the University's annual Shred Fest event

Gather personal documents for Shred Fest!

Two University of Rochester students wearing sunglasses indoors. One is holding a cardboard cutout of a sun, and the other is holding a sign of the Earth that says "Love your mother"

Campus waste reduction partnerships blossom

An eyeglasses donation collection box, hand-painted and decorated to look like a vegetable garden

Eyeglasses collection results sets new records on its tenth anniversary

A Goodwill clothing donation box located on the University of Rochester campus

End of year programs help students moveout without throwing out

University awarded nearly $3.9 million from NYSERDA for energy efficiency projects

University Students’ Association reinstates the Student Sustainability Council

University performs high in renowned sustainability global ranking

University leaders co-create decarbonization guide for New York hospitals

February 26, 2024

A pair of eyeglasses being held up, reflecting a forest through the lens

Eyeglasses collection and competition begins!

February 16, 2024

Power plant pilot concludes with strong energy savings results

February 12, 2024

15th annual Campus Race to Zero Waste begins

January 29, 2024

Supercomputer advances fusion research and efficient energy production

January 16, 2024

An ever-green season for an ever-better holiday

December 18, 2023

University collaboration provides free bikes to Rochester residents

December 4, 2023

Sustainability Office staff to focus on waste minimization

November 20, 2023

Another successful E-Cycle Day

November 6, 2023

Facilities staff and hydrology students expand Witmer House rain garden

October 23, 2023

Electric vehicles add to growing options for sustainable transportation

October 9, 2023

New URMC building on-track to receive LEED Certification

September 25, 2023

A volunteer sorting through boxes of recycled electronics at the E-Cycle Day event

Announcing the 16th annual E-Cycle Day

September 11, 2023

Four big ways the University’s environmental stewardship and sustainable practices meet the mark

August 14, 2023

13th annual Shred Fest results

picture of small yellow flowers blooming

Sustainability Office welcomes new staff

A truck loading documents to be confidentially shredded onto it

Announcing Shred Fest 2023

Latest fusion milestone could hint the future of sustainable energy

January 23, 2023

Giant letters that spell out "Meliora" in front of Rush Rhees Library

Rochester receives bike friendly campus award

January 9, 2023

A stack of old newspapers

Ways to reuse newspapers

August 25, 2021

A pile of wood chips

Wood chip driveways

A woman in a suit in front of a government building, referencing her notepad

An overview of federal environmental agencies in America

Two University of Rochester student volunteers pictured with a group of primary school kids

University earns first Carnegie Community Engagement Classification

Two pens and two pencils

6 ways to use old pens and pencils

Flowers petals and leaves forming brain shape inside head silhouette made out of grass on yellow background.

Five definitions of sustainability

A water pitcher and cold glass of water on a kitchen countertop

Keep water in your refrigerator – save water AND energy!

August 11, 2010