The score comes from a November 2020 comprehensive Zero Waste Atlas Assessment designed to help campuses assess and streamline campus systems for materials management.

“As we continue to progress as a great place to learn, to work and in which to invest, we strive to achieve the highest level of sustainability possible,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “The Post-Landfill Action Network designation, along with other recognitions UofL has received, affirms our success in meeting our goals as a green campus.”

For Scope 1, surplus property and hard-to-recycle materials, UofL scored 63.4% (451.75 out of a total possible 712 points). For Scope 2, food waste and single-use materials, UofL scored 53.9% (479.25 out of a total possible 888.5 points).

This assessment was conducted with the help of UofL’s Zero Waste interns and laid the groundwork for the development of UofL’s first Zero Waste Plan, which the UofL Sustainability Council will begin to work on in 2021.

The PLAN ranking follows two other designations earned by UofL for its sustainability efforts:

• At No. 97 with a score of 65.79 points, UofL ranks in the in the United States out of a pool of 312 colleges and universities surveyed. UofL also is the “Coolest in the Commonwealth” – four other Kentucky schools made the list below UofL: Berea College at 127 with 63.69 points, University of Kentucky at 234 with 49.17 points, Western Kentucky University at 251 with 48.12 points and Eastern Kentucky University at 283 with 40.06 points.
• UofL is included in the Princeton Review of Green Colleges’ 416 U.S. colleges and universities. The designation recognizes colleges and universities that exhibit a commitment to renewable energy, recycling and conservation programs, the availability of environmental studies in academic programs and career guidance for green jobs. More than 25 survey data points were analyzed by The Princeton Review editors to tally  scores for the schools on a scale of 60 to 99. Colleges that earned a Green Rating of 80 or higher made it into the guide. In the 2021 Guide, UofL received a nearly perfect Green Rating of 97.

“UofL is committed to integrating sustainability into everything we do – from how we manage our facilities, finances and people, to what we teach in the classroom and what we research in the lab,” said Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives. “Our vision is to create a university that is itself a living laboratory for sustainability and a campus community that leads by example and educates as much by what we do as by what we say.

“The recognition we have earned shows that we are achieving our goals.”

As zero waste interns with the Sustainability Council, Jacob and Lily are helping formulate new ways the university can lessen its trash. UofL is already making strides in recycling and composting as ways to keep trash out of landfills, but the students are participating in a summer program that will help find other ways to cut down.

They have become fellows with the Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN), a nonprofit organization that trains students in zero waste initiatives. It is providing training called “Atlas” to help analyze how much trash UofL produces and how much it may be able to avoid. The fellowship came with a free three-month membership in PLAN for anyone affiliated with UofL.

From now until the end of September, UofL students, faculty and staff looking to reduce waste for a single event, a club or even an entire department have access to the PLAN resources for advice.

“We are really excited to be working with the Post-Landfill Action Network to take our zero waste initiatives to the next level,” said Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives. “UofL has made great progress in recent years ramping up our recycling and composting programs and this is the perfect opportunity to build on that progress and to look upstream to reduce waste production overall. It’s a win-win-win when we can save money on both purchasing and disposal while minimizing our environmental impact.”

In 2019, UofL diverted 43% of its waste from landfills, according to the Sustainability Council. The university’s Climate Action Plan has a goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

The temporary PLAN membership offers one-on-one advising, access to zero waste manuals and digital resources, and online workshops and trainings.

Jacob and Lily, both rising juniors, are interviewing UofL staff and administrators “to better understand how they view waste production on campus as a whole along with strictly within their respective departments,” Jacob said. “With the data we collect, Lily and I — along with the help of PLAN — will score the University of Louisville’s progress towards zero waste while also providing for suggestions on how the university can reduce its waste production, and PLAN will compile this into a detailed report.Using this information, I hope the university will see this as an opportunity to take dramatic steps toward zero waste by following the suggestions given by PLAN or by creating our own inventive solutions.”

As zero waste interns, Jacob and Lily will spend the next year advocating for sustainable waste management practices across UofL. As part of their duties, they are managers of the Free Store, where students and staff can donate household items and clothing and take things they need for free. After being moved out of Unitas Hall, the Free Store is currently looking for a new permanent home in the Student Activities Center.

Jacob is double-majoring in sustainability and geography, while Lily is a sustainability major.

PLAN has about 70 member schools in North America. Visit postlandfill.org and register with any louisville.edu address to get started.