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5 ways SU is practicing sustainability

 

Image courtesy of Tessah Good.
Image courtesy of Tessah Good.

Salisbury University continues its four decade-long efforts to go green in more ways than one. Here are five ways SU is practicing sustainability right now.


1.      Recycling


Spring 2022: Give & Go Donation Stations and Drive Thru Events

  • Students can place donations including clothes, school supplies and room necessities inside the labeled blue bins around campus.


Fall 2023: Office Mini-Trashcan Program

  • Campus office buildings have bins with a large section for recyclable materials and a small space for trash to encourage faculty to recycle more regularly.


2.      Infrastructure


2006-present: SU has 11 LEED buildings.

  • LEED buildings are scored based on the number of environmental items used such as recyclable materials, sustainability practices and more.

  • Buildings are LEED-certified through the U.S. Green Building Council. 


2024-present:

  • Blackwell Hall is undergoing renovations to become SU’s first net zero building with sustainable features like LED lights, well-insulated walls and more.


3.      Transportation.


Spring 2025: The SU Cycles Bike Share Program

  • SUPD holds unclaimed bikes for a year before giving them to SU, which repurposes

them to provide free student transportation and biking essentials with each bike.


4.      Food waste reduction


2019-present: SU Dining Services utilizes a liquid food composter.

  • This turns thousands of pounds of food into liquid and prevents it from entering landfills.


Fall 2018: Food for the Flock

  • Students can donate any non-perishable food for others to take at no cost.


5.      Green Fund


2015: The Green Fund - financially supports students’ own sustainability projects.

  • Students can propose ideas to the Green Fund review board and receive funding if approved.


Why it matters:

Salisbury University is No. 29 in the Princeton Review’s 2025 Top 50 Green Colleges; this information can be found on SU’s website.


  • SU became the third institution in the country to be awarded the Bronze Plastic Reduction Partner Certification by the National Wildlife Federation in March 2025.


  • SU became the first higher education institution to receive the WMDT/Mountaire Environmental Star Award in April 2011.


What they’re saying:

  • “It’s the right thing to do at the end of the day, and what I mean by that is that it’s like trying to help your fellow man,” Director of Campus Sustainability Christopher Homeister said. “You’re trying to help the environment and you’re trying to make sure that you’re leaving the least amount of impact on your short time on earth, and by preserving it, you’re trying to make sure future generations have the same or better conditions.

“It’s just a wonderful way to help humanity at the end of the day.”


  • “As a student, I feel practicing sustainability is important for our future generations and helps to preserve the planet,” SU student Owen Beabout said. “It’s an important thing that everyone should be looking to do, and what SU is trying to do is increase opportunities and knowledge to help put better people out into the world.”


Go deeper:

By Tessah Good

Editor-in-Chief


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
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