Sustainability

UNC Charlotte’s Office of Sustainability will hold a collection event for unwanted personal electronic devices (e-waste) and professional attire from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 17, in Parking Lot 5A. Items collected will be donated to benefit those in need.

E-waste collection

SoVi Dining Hall and Crown Commons were designated recently as “3 Star Certified Green Restaurants” by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national nonprofit organization helping restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable.

Currently, the Charlotte area has five GRA-designated facilities, and two of those are UNC Charlotte’s SoVi Dining Hall and Crown Commons. The University is one of five higher education institutions in North Carolina with a certified green restaurant.

A tree planting, an Earth Day Festival and the spring Campus Cleanup are just some of the activities planned by Facilities Management to encourage the University community to become more aware of and involved in environmental issues throughout the month of April.

This past fall, Housing and Residence Life and the Sustainability Office instituted a campus EcoReps pilot program with three students. Recently, the initiative added nine more participants.

A nationwide program, EcoReps provides an opportunity for students to assume a leadership role within their residence halls. Students provide peer-to-peer education to increase awareness of campus sustainability efforts.

For the second year in a row, UNC Charlotte is participating in RecycleMania, which began Feb. 3 and runs through March 30. Colleges and universities across the United States and Canada compete in this event, including seven from the UNC System.

Based on last year’s results, the University’s goals for 2019 are:  

The Charlotte Green Initiative, a student-led organization, recently approved funding for two sustainable projects: the installment of bird boxes and the Statement Making Fashion Show.
The Biological Sciences Department’s proposal to build and install 25 bird boxes on campus was approved. These boxes will provide nesting areas for Eastern bluebirds, Carolina wrens, red-breasted nuthatches, Carolina chickadees and other cavity-nesting birds and will be placed in a specific trail across campus, which will include the greenway, Davis Pond and Hechenbleikner Lake.

For the fifth consecutive year, UNC Charlotte has earned the Tree Campus USA Award. Given by the Arbor Day Foundation, this national honor recognizes colleges and universities that are committed to urban forest management and that engage staff and students in conservation goals.

Established in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, Tree Campus USA currently has more than 250 colleges and universities that have achieved this distinction.

Orbis Grille, located in PORTAL, is helping the University reduce its landfill waste by offering a compost option for dine-in customers. It is the first dining facility on campus to offer a customer-facing compost option.

UNC Charlotte recently made Princeton Review’s “Guide to 399 Green Colleges” for the second time. The guide is an unranked list of environmentally responsible “green” colleges, which students often consider when applying.

Get involved in UNC Charlotte’s annual Sustainability Week, being held Monday through Friday, Oct. 15-19. This observance informs the University community about sustainable practices on campus.

Monday, Oct. 15 – Tree Banding

8 to 9:30 a.m. – Hauser Alumni Pavilion